College Counseling

Grade 10 students begin a series of college guidance classes which take place about once a quarter. These classes are focused on major themes in the college admissions process that include:  knowing oneself; knowing about universities (sources of information); how high school course choices (especially in the IB program) relate to university admission; significant categories for comparing and contrasting universities; and admissions testing.

All Grade 10 students take the Preliminary SAT, the official practice test for the SAT. By taking the PSAT in Grade 10, all students gain some concrete experience of admissions testing in general and, in particular, of the SAT, the test most widely used in the admissions processes of US universities. The SAT can also be an important element of a successful application to private universities in Italy. In the late fall, the college counselor is available to students to consult about IB and other course choices.

Finally, in the second semester, Grade 10 students may begin to sign up to meet with some of the numerous university admissions representatives who visit Marymount each year either in person or virtually.

In Grade 11 college guidance is in full swing. Individual meetings with the college counselor begin in January.  The general themes from Grade 10 are reviewed and reinforced, as the focus of the monthly class meetings shifts to a more specific look at the admissions requirements of the universities to which our students most often apply.  

Throughout Grade 11, students continue to meet with visiting admissions representatives.  They also request teacher recommendations where appropriate, learning to effectively communicate the request to teachers and writing a helpful note highlighting their best work in the relevant course at Marymount.

Students preview the application forms related to their plans, such as the UCAS online application platform for the UK, StudieLink for Dutch universities and the Common Application for US colleges and universities.  Those students especially interested in US universities or LUISS and Bocconi take the PSAT again in October of the 11th grade. 

Beginning in the 2nd semester, all Grade 11 students, and whenever possible their parents, meet individually with the college counselor to determine their progress to date and to put together individualized work plans to help them move forward.  These meetings continue on a regular basis through the calendar year. Students also have set tasks to complete and communicate to the college counselor during the summer before 12th grade.

By the end of the second semester, 11th grade students have a shortlist of colleges and are ready to begin preliminary application work - drafting essays or personal statements, preparing for any further testing they must do, and finalizing their research.  The objective is for students to return to their last year of high school in September with clearly formulated plans for applying to universities that represent their best personal “matches” or “fits.”

The focus in this final year is on writing applications.  All applications for universities in the UK and in North America are wrapped up in the first semester. The college counselor completes specific tasks requested of the school, such as writing letters of recommendation, submitting forms required by the universities, preparing transcripts, etc.

During the last semester of high school, students continue to work with the Counselor to maintain contact with the universities, fulfilling any further requests the universities may have, and responding to the universities once all admissions decisions have been made.  

It is then a question of finishing school strongly and earning the best possible marks and exam results.  Years of exploration, discussion, research, and the work of filing applications come to a close as the doors to students' chosen universities begin to open. 

Click here to register for an upcoming SAT.

Marymount International School Rome is an official Test Center for the College Board SAT.

For the 2022/2023 academic year, SAT Tests at Marymount will be administered on:

Saturday March 11, 2023

Saturday May 6, 2023

For more information and to register for one of the upcoming SAT test dates please click here

Students taking the SAT at Marymount should arrive between 7.30-7.45 AM. The testing will begin promptly at 8 AM, and students will not be admitted to the testing room after this time. 

Students must bring the printed admission ticket, an acceptable photo ID, two sharpened no. 2 pencils with erasers and an approved calculator.