Philosophy
True North provides quality and individual attention to each student going through the college application process. The overarching objective is to ensure that all students will continue to realize the fullness of their human, cultural, and personal identity well past their time at our school. One of the perennial questions raised at True North is, “How do I live the good life?” The university life is crucial in this pursuit as it provides the necessary time and space for students to greater deepen who they are, both intellectually and morally amongst their leaders and peers. It is of the utmost importance that students embrace an appropriate post‐secondary educational environment, since the formation they receive will be a determining factor in their vocations and roles in society.
Mission
True North focuses on current trends in the field of college counseling, capitalizes on the Great Books curriculum that students study and implements a rigorous and personal approach to counseling students and families. True North has partnered with Great Hearts Academies to assist in college counseling in its launching of its High School, and will have its own full-time counselor as we grow. That said, True North is dedicated to helping each family identify the best college fit for each student, given the student’s interests, the family goals, and financial situation. Furthermore, college counseling will focus on schools into which students can be both admitted and attend. Therefore, the emphasis of the True North college counseling program is to assist each student to find and apply to the right college, not the most prestigious, and in rare cases, alternatives to attending college right after high school. We will provide students with the tools to research on their own and educate them on all the important factors of consideration. A college counselor will advise students and families throughout the whole process, including counseling on the selection of what college or university ultimately to attend. To that end, college counseling will seek to highlight important opportunities and scholarships. A college counselor at True North will work to continuously build relationships and opportunities with the public and private universities as well as with national ones. Since our mission of providing a strong liberal arts foundation prepares students to enter any type of post‐secondary institution, the college counselor’s focus on career counseling is a secondary consideration and only a stepping stone to helping students identify the best college fit.
Counseling at True North
An important question to ask is how college counseling at True North is distinct from that of other high schools. The central focus on the liberal arts curriculum and the importance of the classroom experience being one of active engagement, asking the “ultimate” questions have been carefully selected as True North’s method to educate students, not merely to be critical thinkers who perform well on tests, but as human beings who know how to think, who they are and how to live well. Therefore, as an integral part of the school, the True North college counselor will spend time in classrooms to learn more about the Western Civilization tradition and True North pillars that the Academy fosters. True North Classical Academy is in dialogue with a rich tradition and history, carrying civilization forward by passing down its culture to our society’s future leaders.
College counseling at True North will never lose sight of this mission, and will encourage it in ways that support the student in his / her studies, development, and ultimate selection of post-secondary studies and career. This task will not be taken lightly at True North.
