College Counseling

The Maine School of Science and Mathematics College Counseling Office strives to:

• Know and care for each student
• Guide students to discover colleges that reflect their interests and aspirations
• Work with students to present their strengths in the best light possible
• Offer expert counseling to students and their families throughout the college admissions process

At MSSM, the College Counselor focuses on helping students prepare for life after MSSM. This includes assisting students in their efforts to research, apply, and pay for the colleges of their choice.

The MSSM college counseling process strives to make something that can be incredibly confusing and overwhelming as user-friendly as possible. This effort begins with the mandatory Junior Seminar in the spring of the student's junior year. In Junior Seminar, the students learn about some of the resources available to them when researching colleges and they begin investigating how to complete some of the more difficult portions of the college application. A major focus is placed on writing attractive and insightful admissions essays and completing the Common Application which is accepted by almost 400 colleges and universities around the nation. During the fall of their senior year, all students enroll in Senior Seminar. In this course students concentrate on perfecting their college applications for submission.

One of the main goals of the MSSM College Counseling Office is to help students apply to colleges and universities which will be a good fit for them. This may be different for every student and requires a great deal of self-exploration. Students should consider the size of the school, its location, its rigor, and their field of study, as well a variety of other factors which may vary for each student (availability of sports programs, academic support services, proximity to family members, research opportunities, quality of student activity programming, technology available for student use, etc). However, with over four thousand colleges and universities in the United States alone, with proper research and introspection, students will be able to apply to multiple schools that both students and their families determine to be a good fit for them.

On the other pages of this portion of the website you will find more information about the college counseling process and your role as a student or parent. Please do not hesitate to contact the MSSM College Counseling Office by phone or email with any questions or concerns.

Here to support you on your college search!

Erica Jortberg
College Counselor
jortberge@mssm.org
207-325-3607