The mission of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy’s college counseling program is to aid students in the transition from high school to post-secondary life through an in-depth and meaningful self-exploration process. The college guidance program begins when students enter the ninth grade and continues until students make their final school choices during the spring of the senior year. Students in grades 9 and 10 focus most of their energy on academic and extra-curricular growth, while students in grades 11 and 12 immerse themselves in a process with four distinct phases: exploration, selection, application and the transition to college.
Each year, the college guidance office gives three presentations to parents: one at the beginning of the year for 12th grade families about the application process, one in the middle of the year to kick off the college selection process for 11th graders and one in the winter for 10th grade parents about standardized testing and long-range academic and extra-curricular planning. All students are notified about local college fairs, college and Israel representative visits, standardized test dates and financial aid workshops.
Students and their families begin meeting individually with the college counselor in the second semester of junior year. In addition, a number of college representatives visit HBHA each year, giving students the chance to speak with admissions representatives in person about their own college exploration process. Twelfth grade students consult with both the counselor and faculty regarding college applications, essays and recommendations.
HBHA administers the PSAT (10th and 11th grades) and the PLAN (10th grade) during the school day and is also a test center for Sunday SAT and ACT tests.
Students are encouraged to continue their observance of Judaism and their Jewish studies in college. Information regarding year or semester programs in Israel is presented and a university Hillel director visits with students each year.