College Counseling

VMS College Counseling "Best Fit" Philosophy

It is Vail Mountain School's driving philosophy that colleges best suited for our students are the ones that will nurture their academic and social maturation.

The college counseling program at Vail Mountain School is based firmly on the principle that discovering "good matches" between students and post-secondary institutions is fundamental to the college admission process and to the health and well-being of the individual. The program's foundation is the concept that students are most likely to succeed at colleges most closely aligned with his/her individual capabilities and interests. Working in concert with both students and their families, a primary goal is to identify a number of appropriate matches for each student and to provide support and assistance in the application and decision-making processes.

VMS Profile

College Counseling Manual

College Representatives

College Enrollment 2019 - 2023

The following is a list of schools at which VMS students have enrolled over the past five years (2019 - 2023):

American University
Arizona State University - Tempe (3)
Bard College
Bates College (2)
Baylor University (3)
Boston College
Boston University (2)
Bowdoin College
Bucknell University (2)
Butler University
Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo (5)
Chapman University (5)
Colby College (3)
Colgate University
College of Charleston
Colorado College (2)
Colorado Mesa University
Colorado School of Mines (3)
Colorado State University (3)
Dartmouth College (6)
Denison University
Duke University (2)
Emory University
Endicott College
FIDM - Los Angeles
Flagler College
George Washington University (2)
Gustavus Adolphus College

Harvard University
IE University - Spain
Indiana University - Bloomington
Ithaca College
Lafayette College
Loyola Marymount University
McGill University
Middlebury College (3)
Montana State University - Bozeman (11)
New York University (2)
Northeastern University (3)
Regent’s University London
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
San Diego State University
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Clara University
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Skidmore College
Southern Methodist University (4)
St. Lawrence University
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Texas Christian University (2)
The New School (2)
United States Naval Academy
University of Arizona (3)

University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Santa Cruz
University of Colorado - Boulder (27)
University of Denver (5)
University of Edinburgh
University of Georgia
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Montana
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina - Wilmington
University of Oregon (5)
University of Pennsylvania
University of Rochester
University of San Diego (4)
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California (3)
University of Texas – Austin (2)
University of Utah (3)
University of Vermont (2)
University of Virginia (3)
University of the Arts London (2)
Vanderbilt University
Verto - Spain
Wake Forest University (2)
Western Washington University
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xavier University

College Counseling Four Year Journey of Discovery

9th Grade

The College Counseling Office begins to meet with students as a class in the 9th grade. These introductory meetings throughout the year focus on the “big picture” of the college search process. Our talks with the class deal with the significance of their academic records, the importance of their engagement in their classes, and our encouragement for them to follow their academic and extracurricular passions. Emphasis is placed on growth, self-advocacy, and goal-setting.

I felt very well prepared for college, in fact I found that my freshman year in college was less challenging academically than my senior year at VMS. Alumna

10th Grade

In tenth grade, the focus is on self-knowledge and applying what is learned - strengths, values, aptitudes, interests - to explore options and look at the variables in the college search process.

The College Counseling Office takes the entire 10th grade class on an overnight college tour to area institutions in Colorado. Students get the opportunity to compare a variety of schools—public vs. private, urban vs. rural, big vs. small, research vs. liberal arts—to gain a sense of what life is like on the different campuses. In 2023, the class visited CU Boulder, Univ. of Denver, Metropolitan State University, Colorado College, and Air Force Academy.
Students are encouraged to hone skills and further develop personal interests in and out of school. In addition, students and parents gain access to SCOIR, a web-based college counseling resource, and learn how to utilize its many tools that assist with the college search and college application submission.

11th Grade

In the second semester of their 11th grade year, students begin the college search process in earnest by meeting one on one with Ms. Ferrara and Mr. Heinemann as well as attending regularly scheduled seminars to discuss all aspects of the college search and application process. Topics include:

Effective and efficient research helps students to identify good matches
Establishing a balanced college list.
Interviewing and ways to demonstrate interest in colleges of interest.
Standardized testing education.
Work on all things related to the Common Application and other applications.
Writing personal essays and short answers within the application..
Demonstrating leadership to convey an authentic picture of themselves.

Juniors also participate in a College Essay Retreat and a Common Application Bootcamp before the start of senior year. As well as several other programming opportunities supporting their journey.

12th Grade

During the fall of their senior year, students will be fully engrossed in the college process by continuing to meet with their college counselors and attending seminars throughout the semester. Students can expect to:

Finalize their college list using the CC office resources, SCOIR, and College Kickstart.
Work to “polish” all aspects of their applications prepping them for submission.
They are encouraged to interview where available, connect with college admissions representatives, get any questions about their colleges answered, and begin investigating scholarship opportunities.

The result is young adults with a number of options from which to choose, who are comfortable, confident, and prepared to excel at their "best fit" college.

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