College Counseling

As with any journey, it’s tempting to start with the destination and work backwards to get where we want to go. The college process, however, is about forward momentum: starting in the now, discovering who you are, and finding school communities in which you will flourish.

Keeping with our school’s mission, we challenge students to forge an independent path grounded in self-knowledge; we ask that they approach the college search as an opportunity to better understand their purpose, strengths, and values.

Colorado Academy’s college counseling program extends meaningfully from our broader Upper School advising program. Our four seasoned college counselors collaborate with deans, teachers, advisers, coaches, and school counselors, with the goal of supporting each student from a holistic perspective.

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College counseling

CA Upper School Profile

Upper School Curriculum Guide

Information for College Reps

The Upper School Journey

List of 3 items.

Ninth and Tenth Grade

The college counseling program advances CA’s belief that the initial years of high school should be spent discovering and deepening interests and community relationships, and that allowing students to focus on their own growth will lead them to develop their voices.
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- Freshmen and Sophomores meet periodically with the college counseling team to assess their priorities and their role in the community.
- The College Office supports Ninth and Tenth Grade students and advisors as they navigate questions about curriculum and activities.
- We offer practice standardized testing to Tenth Graders
  to help them become familiar with that piece of the process.
- Students are assigned to a primary College Counselor
  at the end of Tenth Grade and work with that person until graduation.
Eleventh Grade

Throughout their CA high school experience, Juniors have engaged deeply in academics, begun to discover their passions, learned about their strengths and weaknesses, and contributed to our community. These are the origins of the self-knowledge, resiliency, and independence that are the foundation of a good college search.
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- Formal college advising begins in earnest with individual student meetings in December of the Junior year and with an Eleventh Grade College Kickoff evening in January.
- College counselors conduct family meetings—instead of parent conferences—to underscore our belief that the student is at the center of such future-planning.
- We run workshops on various topics as well as a Junior spring trimester college class to support students.
Twelfth Grade

We stress the value of authenticity for our students in the college process. Students find success if they are empowered to take the lead, with parents, teachers, and counselors there to follow the student’s stewardship.
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- Each summer, Seniors attend Application Labs & Essay Workshops to tackle their application process.
- In the fall of Senior year, each student’s college list is finalized with all three counselors’ input to represent a balance of reaches, matches, and foundations.
- In their first trimester, Seniors are busy meeting visiting college admissions representatives—including 150+ schools that visit CA’s campus—editing and finalizing essays, finishing standardized testing, and interviewing with colleges.
- Seniors are provided a week in October—free of classes—to work on applications or visit prospective colleges.
- College Counselors work closely with Seniors on all parts of their college applications.
- CA hosts programming to support families applying for need-based financial aid, prospective college athletes, students pursuing the arts, those interested in merit scholarships, and more.
- As needed, we provide information in Spanish.
As their application journey is completed, our students report a high rate of satisfaction with the process and with their college decisions.

CA is proud of the diversity of our students' choices and excited by their adventurous spirit: CA alumni currently attend 159 institutions of higher education in 36 states, DC, UK, Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands, and France.

CA College Office Calendar

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Mar

6

Pre-ACT - Grade 10 (recommended)
Apr

14

Spring College Night (@ CA)
May

2

Senior Celebration
Sep

13

ACT Exams

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CA College Office

List of 5 items.

Sonia Arora

Director of Upper School Strategic Initiatives
Director of College Counseling
View Bio
Sarah Lawrence College - BA
Northwestern University - MA
At CA Since: 2018

Sonia Arora, a CA alumna from the Class of 2001, returned to CA in 2018 from the Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles, where she worked as the Associate Director of College Guidance. Prior to that, she worked in a similar capacity at LA’s Brentwood School. Before moving to California, Arora worked at the University of Chicago as Assistant Director of Admissions and Director of High School Programs. She also has worked in a counseling capacity in summer programs at UC Berkeley, Tufts, and at Phillips Academy. She has taught English, speech, and debate at Phillips Academy and at Poly Prep Country Day School. Arora holds an MA from Northwestern University in English Literature, and she completed her undergraduate work at Sarah Lawrence College, earning a BA in Humanities in both U.S. and Women’s History.
Alex Castro

Associate Director of College Counseling
View Bio
University of Southern California - BA
University of Southern California - BS
University of Southern California - MEd
At CA Since: 2024

Alex Castro, Associate Director of College Counseling since fall 2024, has work experience on both sides of the college admission process. He most recently was Assistant Director of Admissions for the University of Southern California, has previously reviewed applications for University of California Irvine, and was a college adviser at a Los Angeles area high school, where he had 450 seniors to accompany on their college paths. He was also a student services advisor at USC, where he advised over 1000 students and assisted graduate students with the financial aid process. He enjoys guiding CA Seniors and empowering them to navigate the college application process and find their fit. Alex holds a BA in History, a BS in Human Biology, and an MEd in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California.
David Jones

Associate Director of College Counseling
View Bio
Knox College - BA
At CA Since: 2022

David joins us from The Wildwood School in Los Angeles, where he has worked as an Assistant Director in the College Counseling Office under the mentorship of a veteran professional in our field. At Wildwood, David has been organizing meetings and classes for students, directing programming for first-generation college students, and even coaching middle school basketball as well as the school’s eSports team. Prior to Wildwood, David was an Assistant Director in the Admissions Office at the University of Southern California, where he recruited throughout the country and provided counseling for freshmen and transfer students as well as multicultural students. Prior to USC, David worked at his alma mater, Knox College, as an Admissions Counselor and Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach.
Sara Purviance

Associate Director of College Counseling
View Bio
Colorado College - BA
University of Denver - MA
At CA Since: 2014

Sara Purviance is CA’s Associate Director of College Counseling. She came to CA in the fall of 2014 after having served as the Associate Director of Admission at Colorado College, where she worked closely with schools in Denver, Southern California, Hawaii, and Boston. She served in the same capacity at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., and has also worked as a college coach and directed summer workshops for College Summit, a nonprofit organization preparing low-income students to enter college. She earned an MA in Higher Education Administration from the University of Denver and a BA in English from Colorado College. A member of professional organizations including the National Association of College Admission Counseling, Purviance also serves on the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee of the Rocky Mountain Association of College Admission Counseling. She loves cooking, yoga, and spending time outdoors.
Cyd Tully

College Office Assistant
View Bio
University of Denver, Colorado Womens College - BA
At CA Since: 2014

Cyd Tsutsui-Tully joined CA in the fall of 2014 as the administrative assistant in the College Office. For eight years prior, she was a post-graduate specialist and records associate at Cherry Creek High School, providing counseling and guidance to students applying to college, and additionally, she managed the school’s scholarship programs. Tully holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Denver, Colorado Women’s College. She is a long-time volunteer for Children’s Hospital, both with the hospital and with the Children’s Hospital Foundation.