College Counseling
Selecting a college to attend is often the first major life decision a young person will make. With well over 3,000 colleges and universities, there are a multitude of exciting opportunities to research and consider.
Mounds Park Academy’s college counseling process is driven by careful consideration of each student’s unique set of interests, priorities, and aspirations, balanced with an understanding of the current college admission landscape. Recognizing the time commitment this requires, MPA leads students through a comprehensive, carefully designed curriculum that is introduced in ninth grade seminar and continues through junior and senior seminar classes. Beginning in 11th grade, students can further explore college academic offerings and admission requirements and using Scoir, a secure online platform that also includes parent portals.
Students move through developmentally appropriate steps each year of Upper School. MPA’s seminar program provides them with time for guided self-reflection, personality assessment and career exploration, as well as instruction and practice in practical tasks such as testing, interviewing, college essay writing, and resume creation.
Along the way, individual meetings for students and parents focus on creating and editing the student’s college list, addressing family-specific questions and concerns, and supporting applications for scholarship opportunities. Families take part in the annual Twin Cities Partnership College Fair and regular information nights. Students may choose to meet with the college representatives who visit MPA (about 100 annually, from across the nation and other countries as well). As the college admissions landscape changes from year to year, the college counseling team maintains a list of resources that may be useful to you and your student–wherever you may be in the college exploration journey. Families can contact us to receive an access code to the College Counseling Schoology group, where we host resources on essay writing, campus visits, interviewing, scholarships, and more.
MPA’s focus on the individual student usually results in a senior class with 100 percent acceptance to four-year colleges and universities, with cumulative offers of admission typically coming from more than 125 different colleges and universities representing 30 or more states, and occasionally other countries. We celebrate all college choices with the seniors on May 1, the National Candidates Reply Date.
We sincerely enjoy guiding all Upper School students and their families on this important journey.
College Counseling
2051 Larpenteur Ave East
Saint Paul, MN 55109Â
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Lisa Rydeski Pederson
Director of College Counseling
Dr. Justin Quam
College Counselor