Academics

College Counseling

Welcome to College Counseling

At the Vermont Academy College Counseling Office, we strive to help our students find the colleges that match their abilities and interests and where they can be successful. From the moment they join our tight-knit community, we work closely with our students to determine the right balance of academic challenge and extracurricular activity to serve them well on the road ahead. Finding the right college fit is an important journey in self-awareness and one that asks our students to seek direction. We are committed to providing them with the expertise, guidelines, and resources to make that process run both smoothly and effectively. If you are interested in the resources our college preparatory school offers or if you'd like to meet with a member of our team, we encourage you to contact us today!

The College Counseling Process by Each Grade Level

List of 4 items.

9th Grade
- Develop good study habits
- Work with your teachers and advisor to get good grades
- Look into the various extracurricular programs available and of interest to you – volunteer experiences, work, clubs, sports, performing arts, etc.
- Keep a list of any awards and honors you have received, and activities or community service you have been involved in
- Participate in summer activities that keep your academic skills fresh
10th Grade
- Talk to your advisor or the college counseling office to make sure you are on track to satisfy VA graduation and college admission requirements
- Take the most challenging courses you can reasonably manage
- Take the PSAT on campus
- Start to think about fields of study and careers you might be interested in. Take electives that reflect your career goals if possible.
- Continue extracurricular activities and update your list from ninth grade. Also continue tracking any honors and awards you receive.
- If you aspire to play Division I or II athletics, familiarize yourself with academic qualification and register with the NCAA eligibility center
- Visit a college or two that are close to home
- Choose enriching summer activities such as getting a job, volunteering, participating in an academic enrichment program/camp
11th Grade
ACADEMIC YEAR
- Take the most rigorous courses you can reasonably manage
- Maintain good grades
- Ensure that you are signed up for the ACT or SAT tests in the spring. You may want to take them again in the fall of your senior year. Prepare for the standardized tests; look for tutoring as needed
- Think about the clubs, activities and work experience you have had and also what you need to add to your profile to be a stronger college candidate
- Attend College Seminar classes and meet with your college counselor
- Use available resources to develop college lists and to learn more about the schools on your list. Rank the features of colleges that are most important to you
- Narrow your list of colleges of interest and determine what it takes to be accepted. Your list should contain 8-12 colleges
- Research financial aid options as needed
- Use vacation times to visit schools – register online for info sessions and tours
- Review your ACT/SAT test scores when they arrive to see areas where you might want to improve
- Ask two of your teachers for letters of recommendation.
- Add any new awards or honors to your file
- Create a common application account
  Take AP exams (if applicable)
SUMMER
- Explore summer activities related to your career goals. If possible, you may also want to explore potential internships
- Participate in an academic enrichment or leadership program, camp, college, etc
- If you will be looking for accommodations in college, most will require current (within three years) cognitive and achievement testing for LD/ADHD accommodations; take these over the summer
- Visit colleges and go to interviews
- Maintain contact with your college advisor
12th Grade/Postgraduate
- Maintain good grades and stay focused
- Take the most rigorous courses you can reasonably manage
- Meet with your college counselor to provide college updates
- Talk about ED/EA with your college counselor
- Finalize college essay
- Check deadline dates on all college applications
- Submit applications by November deadlines
- Continue to research and apply for scholarships
- Submit applications for December deadlines
- Work with family to complete Financial Aid Forms
- Submit applications by January deadlines
- Submit college deposit by May 1
- Take AP exams (if applicable)
- Notify College Counseling office of final decisions

List of 1 items.

Matriculation List

Matriculation List (2021-2026)

Albany College of Pharmacy
and Health Sciences
Albertus Magnus College
Alderson Broaddus University
American International College
American University
Amherst College
Anna Maria College (2)
Arizona State University- Tempe (2)
Assumption University
Ave Maria University
Bates College
Baylor University
Bennington College
Bentley University (3)
Bishop's University
Boston College (2)
Boston University (6)
Bryant University
Bryn Mawr College
California Polytechnic State University
Case Western Reserve University
Central Connecticut State University
Champlain College
Chatham University
Clark University (4)
Clarkson University
Colby-Sawyer College
Colgate University
Colorado Mesa University
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University (2)
Concordia University (7)
Connecticut College
Cornell College
Curry College
Dartmouth College
Dean College
Denison University
DigiPen Institute of Technology
Dominican University
Drexel University
Elmhurst University
Elmira College
Elon University (2)
Emerson College (2)
Endicott College (2)
Erskine College
Fitchburg State University (2)
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fordham University (2)
Franklin Pierce University
George Mason University
Gettysburg College
Goucher College
Greenville Technical College
Hamilton College
Harcum College
Hartwick College
Haverford College
HEC Montreal
High Point University (2)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges (4)
Hofstra University
Husson University (3)
IE University - Madrid
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
Iowa Western Community College
Ithaca College
Jacksonville University
Johnson & Wales University, Providence
Keene State College (2)
Lafayette College
Lake Forest College
Lebanon Valley College (2)
Lees-McRae College (2)
Lehigh University (2)
Lesley University (2)
Lewis & Clark College
Liberty University
Long Island University - Brooklyn
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Lycoming College
Lynn University
Manhattanville University (3)
Marist University
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
McPherson College (2)
Merrimack College (4)
Mid-America Christian University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Nazareth University (2)
New England College (2)
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New York University (2)
Northeastern University (3)
Norwich University (4)
Pace University (2)
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Paul Smith's College
Plymouth State University (3)
Pratt Institute
Providence College (2)
Purdue University
Queen's University
Quinnipiac University (3)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (3)
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University (2)
Royal Military College of Canada
Sacred Heart University
Saint Anselm College
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Saint Michael's College (9)
Santa Clara University
Salem State University
Salisbury University
Salve Regina University (3)
Siena University
Sierra Nevada University
Smith College
Southern New Hampshire University
Springfield College (2)
State University of New York College of Technology at Delhi
St. Catherine University
St. Cloud St. University
St. Lawrence University (2)
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Oswego
SUNY Cortland
Stevenson University
Stony Brook University (2)
Suffolk University (2)
Syracuse University (4)
Texas Christian University
The University of Alabama (2)
The University of Kansas
The University of Tampa
The University of Utah (3)
The University of West Florida
Temple University
Towson University
Trinity College (6)
Trinity University
Tufts University
Tulane University (2)
Union College (3)
United States Military Academy
University of Bridgeport
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Central Florida (2)
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Denver (3)
University of Florida
University of Hartford (2)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Maine (3)
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
University of Saint Joseph
UMASS - Amherst (5)
UMASS - Boston
University of New England (3)
University of New Hampshire (6)
University of New Haven
University of Rhode Island (3)
University of the District of Columbia
University of Toronto (2)
University of Vermont (16)
Universidad Iberoamericano
Utica University (2)
Vassar College (4)
Vermont State University (8)
Virginia Tech
Virginia Military Institute
Washington University in St. Louis
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Western Washington University
Westminster University
Wheaton College (2)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (4)

Number of students attending in parentheses

Resources for College Admissions Representatives

College Rep Visits

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Vermont Academy School Profile

Request for Official Transcript

Matriculation List (PDF)

Meet the College Counseling Team

List of 2 members.

Caitlin Holton '96

Interim Director of College Counseling / Equestrian

(802) 869-6284

University of Vermont - BA

Bio
Caitlin Holton joined Vermont Academy in 2014 in the Student Life office with a background in business. As an alumna of the Class of 1996, and parent of Wildcats Hannah ’26 and Sophie ’28, Caitlin has a longstanding relationship with Vermont Academy and has assumed a variety of leadership roles on campus including Assistant Dean of Student Life, Class Dean of various grade levels, advisor, Equestrian coach, affiliate dorm parent, and is currently in the role of Associate Director of College Counseling. Caitlin believes in developing supportive relationships with her students and is passionate about working with them to achieve their goals and personal and academic growth.

Caitlin obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Vermont where she took a special interest in psychology, sociology, relational behaviors, and childhood development. She lives off campus in Dummerston, VT. When she is not on campus, Caitlin enjoys horseback riding, snowboarding, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Dustin Walsh

Assitant College Counselor / Head Coach Boys' Varsity Hockey

University of New England - BA

Bio
Dustin joined Vermont Academy in the fall of 2025 as the Head Coach of Boys’ Varsity Hockey and an Assistant College Counselor. He brings to VA a wealth of experience working with student athletes at all levels. While at Seacoast Performance Academy (SPA) he worked as a coach, on-ice skills coach, video analysis coach, scheduler, and dorm parent. Prior to SPA, he spent four years as an assistant hockey coach at Plymouth State University (NH) where the team earned two league championships. Dustin graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications while also playing on the hockey team all four years.

He loves working with high school student-athletes and helping them achieve their goals. Vermont Academy has proven to be made up of like-minded people that want what's best for their students and he is thrilled to be part of this legacy.

Dustin lives on campus in Alumni Dorm. He really enjoys staying active and fills most of his free time with sports and outdoor pursuits. Golf is one of his favorite summer activities. He also enjoys watching sports, especially live games, and keeping up with his favorite teams.