OHS Grads 2021

College Counseling

The College Counseling Office acts as a resource for students and families in developing the student’s post-graduation path.

Our Approach

The goal of the College Counseling Office is to work closely with students and encourage them to discover their interests, explore possibilities, and take ownership of their college application process. Ultimately, we seek to support students in their effort to identify and enroll in the college that is the best fit for them.

Finding the Right Fit

We believe strongly in students identifying and enrolling in the college that best aligns with their personality and goals. Finding colleges that offer an appropriate balance of desired characteristics is the process of discovering colleges that are a good fit. Alongside their college counselor, Stanford OHS diploma candidates will work in their junior and senior year to identify colleges that are a good fit and that also reflect a range of admissions selectivity.

Advocating for Students

Stanford OHS students enter the college admissions process extremely well-prepared for college. Our college counselors make sure that admissions officers at all types of institutions understand our curriculum and depth of academic programming. For diploma candidates, the College Counseling Office acts as the main point of contact between the students and their prospective colleges. All official school documents for diploma candidates are sent to colleges by the College Counseling Office.

Community-Wide Workshops

We invite students of any enrollment status to college counseling presentations and workshops, and encourage them to use the office’s resources leading up to and through the application and selection process.

College Acceptances

Stanford OHS students attend diverse and reputable institutions in the United States and abroad, ranging from small private liberal arts colleges, to large public universities. Our college acceptance and matriculation page details the institutions to which our students have been accepted and matriculated over the past three years.

Meet our College Counselors

Adam Lips Director of College Counseling

Adam Lips

Director of College Counseling

Kayla Bracey

Kayla Bracey

Assistant Director of College Counseling

Natalie Cooper

Natalie Cooper

Associate Director of College Counseling

Meghan Renwick

Meghan Renwick

Assistant Director of College Counseling

Frequently Asked Questions for College Counseling

How does the College Counseling Office operate? How do the college counselors help students?
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The College Counseling Office acts as the main point of support for graduating students as they research and apply to colleges. The counselors advise about college lists, review application essays, and discuss general application logistics. In addition to meeting with individual students and families, our college counselors conduct periodic grade-level meetings and hold a college counseling class for juniors. The office is responsible for compiling and submitting all school-based application materials, including writing a school recommendation letter. College counselors also serve as a point of contact between Stanford OHS and college admissions offices.

Single-course and part-time students should use the college counselor or guidance counselor at the high school from which they will graduate as their main source of support through the college application process.

All students, regardless of enrollment status, are given access to the resources published by the College Counseling Office and are enrolled in periodic grade-level presentations for Stanford OHS families. All juniors and seniors are permitted to attend the fall visits to Stanford OHS by college admissions staff members.
How do colleges learn about Stanford OHS?
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Each fall, we host admissions officers from a variety of colleges and universities to visit with Stanford OHS students. In addition to these visits, we are regularly in touch with admissions offices to answer any questions that arise and ensure that they have the materials and information they need in order to understand Stanford OHS.

At the time of application, we compile a comprehensive school report for each Stanford OHS graduate, which provides a clear narrative of the student’s academic path, how the student has engaged with our school, how it has benefited them, and the ways in which it has made them a strong candidate for admission. Beyond the narrative letter written on behalf of each student, we provide general information about Stanford OHS academics in the School Profile.
Which colleges do Stanford OHS students attend?
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Stanford OHS students attend diverse and reputable institutions in the United States and abroad, ranging from small private liberal arts colleges, to large public universities. Our college acceptance and matriculation page details the institutions to which our students have been accepted and matriculated over the past three years.
Does attending Stanford OHS increase a student’s likelihood of admission to Stanford University?
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Colleges and universities (including Stanford University) are familiar with the academic demands of Stanford Online High School. However, the fact that a student has attended or graduated from Stanford OHS is not in and of itself a predictor of any college admissions outcome. Further, Stanford OHS is not a ‘feeder school’ to Stanford University.

Stanford University does not consider “demonstrated interest” in making admission decisions. This means that actions such as visiting campus, calling or emailing admissions staff, or attending Stanford OHS will not increase a student’s likelihood of admission to the university.

Graduates who succeed at Stanford OHS achieve college placement at a wide range of colleges and universities around the world. For a comprehensive list, please refer to our list of college acceptances and matriculations.

Want to learn more about our Student Support Services?

Our student services offer Stanford OHS students access to specialists in the areas of college admissions, academic advising, writing and tutoring, and social and emotional (SEL) development to support students as they navigate the vital years of adolescence.