College Counseling

Bolles offers a comprehensive College Counseling program designed to help students identify colleges that fit their interests, abilities, skills, and values. Our program is based upon two fundamental beliefs:

1. The college choice is a process which requires well-honed research and decision-making skills.

 2. The college choice should be geared to the individual, and student and college should be appropriately matched. To accomplish these goals we offer a range of innovative programs designed to help students and their families make informed, well-reasoned college choices, and we encourage students and parents to take advantage of these opportunities. For example, all Bolles juniors take both the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Career Inventory to help them identify key personal characteristics and possible career interests, both of which can play an important role in the college search. Similarly, at each grade level parents are invited to a series of programs (College Counseling 101-401) designed to introduce them to important elements of and appropriate attitudes toward the college search and application process. With College Counseling 301, for instance, we invite admissions officers from around the country to campus to discuss with parents of juniors some of the key factors and developments in college admission. (Recent guests have included Admissions Deans and Directors from Emory University, Florida State University, Macalester College, Swarthmore College, the University of Alabama, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Florida, and Wake Forest University.) We invite parents and students to explore the College Counseling Timeline and Upcoming Programs links on this page to become acquainted with both the four-year process and our various programs.

Our staff consists of professionals who have admissions, counseling, and advising experience at both the high school and college levels. To facilitate the college search and matching process, each year we visit dozens of campuses across the country, including colleges as regionally diverse as Colby College (Maine), Northwestern University (Illinois), Trinity University (Texas), the University of Southern California, and Washington University in St. Louis. All of us are active in college admissions and counseling professional organizations, and staff members have led and participated on panels at professional meetings at both the regional and national levels. Hours: The Williams Guidance Center is open each school day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We maintain those hours during the summer as well. Phone: 904-256-5235.

Stephen E. Soud, Ph.D.					Daphne Vagenas
Director of College Counseling					Assistant Director of College Counseling
(904) 256-5236					(904) 256-5238
Caroline Morris College Counselor (904) 256-5237					Erin DuChanois College Counselor (904) 256-5240
Carol Deane Williams Administrative Assistant (904) 256-5235