School and College Counseling

"As an integral part of the Mount community whose motto is 'empowering young women,' we help our girls set individual goals to achieve their highest personal and academic potential."

Our integrated and inclusive counseling program empowers students to achieve their highest academic and personal potential. As our students find truth through knowledge in their time at the Mount, so too do they find themselves.

In our community of learners, we practice healthy decision making skills, self care and communication and conflict resolution to promote comprehensive wellbeing. Our counselors are a key link in the process, collaborating with faculty and staff throughout the school and community to assist each student’s personal, social and academic needs.

School and College Counseling Program

Integrated School Counseling

In each academic year, counseling seminars are woven into the curriculum. From providing special support to incoming freshmen, to preparing seniors for college and careers beyond, school counseling seminars are a valuable resource throughout the Mount journey.

Freshman Seminar helps students transition into high school. Discussions focus on how to develop a positive mindset, build healthy relationships with peers, set academic goals and develop organizational and study skills.

Sophomore Seminar focuses on developing career interests and learning about helpful resources. Academic planning, PSAT result interpretation, course selection and other topics are covered. Students begin to utilize Family Connection from Naviance to create a career interest inventory, explore resume building, and more.

In Junior Seminar, students begin to hone in on their college search and practice strategies for managing all that comes with it: the application process; identifying reach, target, and safety schools; interview techniques; and more. Simultaneously, they build on the foundations in academic and career planning first introduced in Sophomore Seminar.

Senior Seminar focuses on the college application process and life after high school. Counselors guide students through relevant matters - choosing prospective schools, application deadlines, and financial aid, for example - while empowering independence, accountability, and personal responsibility. Students learn strategies to help them transition to college, identify resources and opportunities, and develop life skills such as financial literacy.

College and Career Counseling

Our dedicated and experienced counselors help students, and parents, navigate the path toward college and careers. Online resources such as Naviance and CollegeBoard are utilized and built into the curriculum to assist with applying to and selecting schools and preparing for professional life.

Diverse college-focused programming includes Academic and College Planning Family Conferences, College Representative Visits, National College Fair Field Trip, College Admissions Panel Night, Junior and Senior College Planning Nights, Common Application Workshop, College Essay Workshop, and SAT/ACT Practice Testing.

Personal Growth

Counselors provide consistent services and build positive relationships with students and families. Individual counseling enables us to provide support for students to meet their unique goals. We evaluate and discuss individual strengths and provide resources for post high school planning. We help students develop study, critical thinking and organizational skills, and strategies for time and stress management. Like the rest of the Mount family, our counselors encourage students to see challenges as opportunities for growth.

Individual and family appointments are available throughout the year to meet each individual student’s academic, personal, social/emotional and career planning needs. Referrals for community mental health resources encourage wellbeing and self care.

Counseling Articles and Links

MSDA Counseling has selected articles and links to share with students and families.

Psych Hub Guided Meditation - Video here.

Getting Teenagers to Talk: 7 Helpful Tips to Loosen Lips - Read here.

Your Child's Daily Grind - Read here.

Five Coping Skills Teens Need to Know - Read here.

More Joy, Less Stress - Read here.

How to be Grateful - Read here.

How to Help Teenage Girls Reframe Anxiety and Strengthen Resilience - Read here.

Naviance

College Board

School and College Counseling Department

Mrs. Pauline Condon, MA
Director of School and College Counseling

973-226-0660 Ext. 1121
pcondon@msdacademy.org

Mrs. Ceil Marra
Administrative Assistant
973-226-0660
cmarra@msdacademy.org

Ms. Kayla Campanile, MA
School and College Counselor
973-226-0660 Ext. 1186
kcampanile@msdacademy.org

Mrs. Kristine Bisceglia

School and College Counselor

973-226-0660 Ext. 1186

kbisceglia@msdacademy.org