Welcome to the College Center!
As a college preparatory school, Charlotte Latin provides a College Center that guides our students and their families through every step of the college admission process. The College Center is staffed by three full-time college counselors and a full-time registrar who work actively with both students and parents throughout Upper School.
We recognize that each child is unique, and strive to help each student identify his or her strengths, values, and interests. Only then are students able, with the help of their counselor, to determine which colleges best meet their needs. While recognizing the competitive nature of admissions at many colleges, and coaching our students on how best to present themselves, we maintain the belief that college admissions is “a match to be made, not a race to be won.” Our support is individualized and proactive, while empowering the student to take ownership of the process.
College counseling at CLS is a four-year, cumulative process. Some highlights include:
* Parent meetings at every grade level
* Seminars for students at every grade level
* Extensive individual advising of juniors and seniors
* Regular communication with students and families via letters, e-mails, and Family Connection, our college advising software
* More than 90 college representatives visit our college each year. In addition, the Charlotte Independent School College Fair allows our students access to more than 150 representatives
Our goals include:
* Educate students and parents about the college admissions process
* Teach students how to evaluate both themselves and colleges
* Help students and parents identify appropriate college fits
* Advise students on how best to present themselves to colleges, both in person and on the application
* Support students and parents both practically and emotionally throughout the college admission process
* Serve as advocates for each student
* Serve as an informational clearinghouse for all upper school families on topics such as course selection, scholarships, co-curricular activities, and summer options
* Keep our own knowledge up to date through attending conferences, visiting college campuses, and liaising with admissions representatives from a wide variety of different colleges
* Actively educate college admissions offices about the academic strength and character of Charlotte Latin School
* Provide information and advice as appropriate to CLS faculty and administration vis-Ã -vis topics related to college admissions
We are very proud of our students’ college opportunities. In the past three years, our students have earned admission to 232 different colleges in 37 states and the District of Columbia, including many of the most selective colleges throughout the country. Our students are attending college in 29 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, Great Britain, and South Africa. In addition, they have been awarded significant merit awards, including the Morehead-Cain and Robertson Scholarships at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Benjamin N. Duke Scholarship to Duke University, the Belk and Bryan Scholarships to Davidson College, the Chancellor’s Scholarship to Vanderbilt University, the Jefferson Scholarship to the University of Virginia, and the Danforth Scholarship to Washington University in St. Louis.
While most of our students attend universities grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, we currently have students enrolled at art schools, music conservatories, musical theater and drama programs, students attending military academies, and one student pursuing a ministry degree. This wide diversity of paths is the best reflection of our acknowledgement of each student as distinct – and distinctive.