4 Questions Parents Want College Prep Schools to Answer

Get practical answers as you help your child prepare for higher education.

Choosing a college raises questions for parents as well as students. Parents want to know how to best help their children prepare for college life, and how a college prep school equips them for a successful transition.

Delaware County Christian School provides comprehensive help to students and parents so they can choose a college wisely and faithfully. Trevor Creeden, Director of College & Career Counseling, answers parents’ questions about the college preparation process.

What makes your college counseling program different from those other college prep schools offer?

Our Christian worldview. Like other schools, we use Naviance, provide SAT and ACT preparation, and more. But we also build into students the understanding that God will direct and guide them where He wants them to go. Wherever our students enroll—and they enroll in a wide variety of colleges—they are there to make an impact for Christ, and to utilize the unique gifts, talents, and abilities God has given them.

What’s the greatest strength of your college counseling?

We help students identify colleges that are the right fit for them. Students feel pressure to be accepted at the “best” colleges. But there are hundreds of great four-year colleges and universities. We help students discover how they were uniquely created by God. If they better understand that truth, they’ll make wiser decisions about which colleges fit their personality and preferences.

What practical help will you give my child during the college search?

Each year our staff meets individually with all students and their parents. We cover college preparation tips appropriate for each year, from reviewing time management and study skills with incoming freshmen to discussing the nuts and bolts of transcript requests and admissions deadlines with seniors.

I teach Career Stewardship, a mandatory class for all juniors that covers college research, the SAT and ACT, the Common Application, majors, interviews, scholarships and financial aid, and more. Juniors can also take our College Bus Tour in November, visiting six colleges and universities of different types and sizes in three days.

Rising seniors can take advantage of our week-long College Essay Academy. They’ll complete three essays, and admissions staff from three competitive colleges will help them strengthen those essays. And a half-day seminar for all seniors in October gives a final review of all application processes.

What advice do you have for choosing among the different types of colleges—Christian or secular, large or small, private, or public?

Students can thrive at any of these types of schools. Knowing the pluses and minuses of each is important. Ultimately, students must consider what they’ve learned in college prep school about what they need in order to flourish, and match those criteria against their list of possible schools. Then they can narrow their selection through research, campus visits, and committing the matter to prayer.

To find out more about how DC helps students and their parents successfully navigate the college preparation process, contact us at 610-353-6522 x2290.