A Season of Gratitude: College Counseling at Mullen High School

Seniors have all made their way through our offices this Fall, getting help on essays, filling out forms, or just wanting to share their moment of clicking “Submit” on their first college application. We often equate the college process in the Fall with taking on an extra elective course in terms of the time and workload required. And while we don’t give grades for this metaphorical course, we would’ve given out a lot of “A’s”. The seniors handled this responsibility with high levels of competence, time management, and grace under pressure. There is still the excitement to come as most admissions decisions have not yet been made, but for now, we say, thank you, Seniors, for all your hard work this Fall and for putting yourselves in a position to get some great news by the Spring. 

Many of the adults in their lives supported seniors in their process. Parents and guardians were along for the ride, and, at times, this ride may have felt like it was careening into oncoming traffic. There was no shortage of thrills, some spills, and probably more than one case of arguing over the directions. However, the families of our seniors were indispensable passengers as they provided support at home for their children to keep their wits about them and know that whatever happened, they are loved. For all you do for your students, we thank you, parents, and families of Mullen seniors. 

On campus, it took more than just the College Counselors to support and cheerlead our students in this process. Mullen teachers wrote over 300 letters of recommendation for our seniors, putting great care into their writing and finding the time to complete these letters over their summer vacations, in the evenings after grading papers, or during their lunch breaks at school. Many individual teachers wrote upwards of 20 letters, each one providing invaluable insight into our students, their strengths, their personalities, and little stories that showed just how well the Lasallian educators at Mullen can truly “see” their students. Thank you, teachers, for going above and beyond to support your seniors and champion them with your words. 

This Fall, Mullen welcomed over 140 colleges to campus, more than we’ve ever had before. Colleges came from all over the United States and the world. They came from Ireland, Italy, France, and Switzerland. They came from California, Hawaii, Florida, and Maine. In total, schools from 36 states and 8 countries made the time to put Mullen High School on their travel itineraries. All three College Counselors previously held positions as admissions counselors at universities and we understand the toll it can take when visiting multiple high schools in a day, living out of a suitcase, and being away from home for weeks on end. Thank you to the admissions counselors for making it a point to include Mullen in your recruitment.

We now shift our focus to the Class of 2026, the current juniors. We’ve met with them in small groups and in large groups already this Fall, but are now beginning one of our favorite things: our first individual meetings. Getting to know our students for the first time is one of the true privileges of working in College Counseling. As we learn about their interests, aspirations, and fears, we are reminded why the work we do matters. Every student is unique and their process so individualized. The only way to truly offer counsel is to be given the gift of time to spend with them. We are grateful for Mullen, where College Prep is not an afterthought, but a priority. As dedicated College Counselors, we are allowed to meet multiple times a year with our students and be there alongside them as they author both an ending and beginning in their educational journey.