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College Counseling

Preparing Boys for College

College counseling and preparation is an essential part of the Blue Ridge School curriculum and experience, beginning in freshman year. Because students are more likely to succeed at colleges that are aligned with their capabilities and interests, we focus our college counseling program on discovering good matches between our boys and post-secondary institutions. Working together with parents, students, coaches, and teachers, our college counselor provides support and assistance as to the courses, decisions, and applications needed to pursue higher education.

While the student steers the ship, sitting on the sidelines is not an option. We ensure every student leaves here with confidence, ambition, and vision—academically, socially, athletically, and artistically.

College Counseling Timeline:

  • Freshman year: In the first year, we focus primarily on the planning process for high school so boys can develop a firm foundation for the years ahead.
  • Sophomore year: In the second year, counseling focuses on details about the college search process, including location size and offerings. This fuels their research into specific schools and sets boys up for campus visits in the summer.
  • Junior year: Research and game planning are the keywords for junior year, as well as standardized test prep. This is the year students use all their college counseling resources fully.
  • Senior year: The objectives for senior year are twofold. The first is to keep momentum going: taking action, staying organized, and meeting deadlines. The second objective is reflecting on the process and planning for the future. Everything your boy has learned in his four years is about to be put into action!

Department Faculty

Jerry Filler

Assistant Director of College Counseling, Assistant Lacrosse Coach, Hall Parent

Members of the Blue Ridge School Class of 2022 are attending the following colleges and universities.

University of Virginia
University of Southern California
University of Delaware
Syracuse University
Purdue University
Virginia Tech
Penn State University
Boston College
Emory University
The Ohio State University
University of Kentucky
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of California at Irvine
University of Wisconsin Madison
Western Carolina University
Rollins University
Canisius College
University of South Carolina
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
James Madison University
American University
University of San Francisco
Shenandoah University
Washington College
Hood College
University of Mississippi
The University of Alabama
University of Detroit Mercy
CIS Madrid (Spain)
University of Texas at Dallas
Arizona State University
Elon University
Mount St. Mary’s University
West Virginia University
The University of Alabama
Maricopa Community College
University of Toronto
Michigan State University
Universidad Panamericana de Mexico
Towson University
University of West Florida
Eastern Carolina University
Washington University in St. Louis
Santa Fe Community College