How Sweet It Is to Submit -- Many Saint Gertrude Seniors Nearing End of College Application Process

In early August more than 70% of the Saint Gertrude High School senior class could be found in the oversized Chemistry room at the school, spending several hours learning about – and digging into – the College Application process. These forward-thinking members of the Class of Red and White were still in summer clothes, but with brows furrowed and eyes locked in on handouts provided by the School Counseling department they were quickly shifting into academic and business mode. They had registered for the Summer Common Application and Essay Writing Workshop and were getting an early start on a major focus of their fall activities. 

The School Counseling department at the Benedictine Schools of Richmond has expanded its resources and offerings significantly over the last year, with dedicated staff now at both Saint Gertrude High School and Benedictine College Prep in each of three major areas: Academic Counseling, Social and Emotional Support, and College and Career Planning. The dedicated members of that department work together to support students in both schools, even though they each have a primary responsibility to one school or the other. 

At Saint Gertrude, Christina Grande oversees the College and Career Planning area, while Isabelle Craddock has the main responsibility for Social and Emotional Support, and they share efforts in the area of Academic Counseling – taking various things into account in charting the optimum path for each student. Anne Jamerson serves as Learning Specialist at Saint Gertrude.

The workshop mentioned above stands as the first event in the busy 2025-26 school year for the department. While Christina Grande acted as the lead instructor for the workshop at Saint Gertrude, Isabelle Craddock was close by, helping students during the workshop, along with Aaron Humphreys, her counterpart at BCP, and Patricia Hunt, Grande’s counterpart at BCP. 

Grande’s presentation was a nice mix of practical advice and encouragement. There were Tips and Tricks, which were helpfully specific – such as relating experiences where you have had an impact and remembering to include measurables. Guidance was offered on how to approach the multiple steps in the application process and how to list activities strategically. She focused on areas where students needed to be concise and be mindful of a maximum character count. She also delivered an upbeat approach on “How to Conquer the College Essay,” reminding students to “just be yourself” and make sure that “your personality comes through.” She advised them to stay focused, “keep it narrow,” and noted that telling a story can be best. She emphasized to “maintain focus on YOU,” knowing that that’s what college admissions officers want – and need – to see. 

Grande offered this helpful overview of what was covered in the workshop, which spanned two days: “On the first day of the workshop, we focused on the purpose of SCOIR (which is the platform we use to guide students and parents through the college search and application process). Students apply to college via the Common App, and we send all documents including transcripts, secondary school reports, and recommendations through SCOIR. Students also report outcomes on SCOIR. At the workshop we wanted to make sure the students understood the purpose of SCOIR and that their colleges lists on SCOIR and The Common App mirror each other. We showed students how to ask for teacher recommendations on SCOIR and how to build their college lists based on foundation, target and reach schools.”  

 

“The second part of Day 1 focused on the Common Application and the Activities section.  We helped students strategically market themselves through the activity section on the Common App, focusing on measurable impact. Then, we read a series of successful college essays and critiqued them in groups, looking at ways writers develop voice, use techniques, and reflect on experiences.”  

 

“Day 2 of the workshop was focused primarily on writing and editing. I showed students various strong ways to begin their essays and hook the reader. We spent the bulk of Day 2 reading essays and editing, assuring that students include self-reflection, a narrative voice and a strong takeaway in their pieces.” 

While School Counseling activities back in August were senior focused, September and October activities involved workshops, check-ins, surveys, meetings and college nights aimed at both seniors and underclassmen. In addition, there were dozens of college admissions reps visiting our campus and offering information to interested students. November has continued with a busy pace of more of the same, as well as an NCAA Recruiting Seminar on November 18, presented by the BSoR Athletic Department, and opportunities to celebrate college applications submissions.

Emphasizing the team approach of the School Counseling department, as well as their holistic approach to serving our students throughout their four years here, in an intentional and strategic manner, Humphreys offered this overview of the program they have developed: “We are offering the same curriculum to both schools. We are offering a comprehensive college counseling curriculum that begins in 9th grade. The academic, social/emotional and career workshops that we offer to 9th and 10th grade students are intentionally preparing each student to help them keep as many options on the table as possible to choose from come junior and senior year.” 

For more information on our website about the School Counseling department, visit