College Counseling

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College Counseling

Fostering Competitive College Applicants

We know that the junior year is critical in the college application process, so we work with our students to begin that process through a college counseling weekend, local college visits, and by offering standardized tests.

“If I had to sum up the appeal of students who have gone through the program, it’s that joining the Maine Coast Semester program signals to an Admissions Committee both a spirit of adventure and a commitment to self-reliance. Adventure because it is typically a radical change from what the young person has been used to in their own school environment, and self-reliance because of the outings component to the semester and the emphasis on sustainability in the experience. Away from the trappings of urban and suburban life, Chewonki provides a space and location for students to explore their values and character, experience genuine community, and take stock of their lives.”

~Seth Allen, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions at Dickinson College and retired Vice President for Strategy & Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Pomona College

Since our founding in 1988, Maine Coast Semester graduates have gone on to attend many of the nation’s most competitive colleges and universities. To date, the total number of Maine Coast Semester graduates who have enrolled at the following:

60+ Semester Alumni Attend:

Bates College
Bowdoin College
Brown University
Colby College
Colorado College
Cornell University
Middlebury College
University of Vermont
Wesleyan University

30-59 Semester Alumni Attend:

Carleton College
College of the Atlantic
Dartmouth College
Hampshire College
Harvard University
Kenyon College
Oberlin College
St. Lawrence University
Stanford University
Tufts University
Whitman College
Williams College
Yale University

20-29 Semester Alumni Attend:

Bard College
Columbia University
Connecticut College
Haverford College
Lewis and Clark College
New York University
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Skidmore College
Smith College
University of Maine, Orono
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
Vassar College

10-19 Semester Alumni Attend:

Amherst College
Barnard College
Bennington College
Boston University
Bucknell University
Colgate University
Davidson College
Duke University
Emory University
Georgetown University
Hamilton College
Johns Hopkins University
Macalester College
McGill University – Canada
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Reed College
Swarthmore College
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder
University of New Hampshire
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Warren Wilson College
Wellesley College

College Counseling:

In the spring, to assist our students in planning for their post-high journey, we partner with a group of college counselors from our sending schools as well as several college admissions officers.

Standardized Testing:

During the fall semester, PSATs are administered on campus. During the spring semester, AP exams are administered on campus in May, and we typically have students taking U.S. History, AB or BC Calculus. For other AP exams we work with the sending school of each student to determine the best testing option.

We encourage students to follow the advice of college counselors at their sending schools when deciding which standardized test(s) to take (PSAT, SAT, ACT, AP). Prep courses for standardized tests are not offered at Maine Coast Semester.

“My Maine Coast Semester experience was formative in my college decision, and my professional and personal path. It was one of the single most impactful experiences in my life, and has inspired me to create and build community, wherever I have found myself. I was deeply inspired by the faculty and staff and they have been some of the most important role models and mentors in my life.”