--- title: | Jessica Smith description: Jessica Smith is Director of College Counseling at Westtown School. Previously, she served as Associate Director of College Guidance, faculty co-clerk, English teacher, and English department chair at Wilmington Friends School. She attended Mount Holyoke College and earned her M.S.Ed. at the University of Pennsylvania. --- [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/file-2454828850-png/Westtown-Feb2015/logo_graphic.png?width=68&height=68&name=logo_graphic.png)](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/file-2451508821-png/Westtown-Feb2015/logo_text.png) Spirited Quaker education since 1799](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1) # A Well-Lit Path: A Blog from Westtown School ## Jessica Smith Jessica Smith is Director of College Counseling at Westtown School. Previously, she served as Associate Director of College Guidance, faculty co-clerk, English teacher, and English department chair at Wilmington Friends School. She attended Mount Holyoke College and earned her M.S.Ed. at the University of Pennsylvania. ### Recent Posts ## [College Decisions: The Waiting is the Hardest Part](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-decisions-the-waiting-is-the-hardest-part) Posted by [Jessica Smith](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/jessica-smith) on March 8, 2022 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hubfs/ewc_WesttownSeniorParade_057.jpg)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-decisions-the-waiting-is-the-hardest-part) Spring is in the air and college is on the mind of many seniors across the country. Some seniors have made their college choices, some are waiting for more decisions, and many are comparing and awaiting financial aid offers. In the next three weeks or so, seniors should finish receiving college decisions. Then they will need to make their own choices. Here are a few things for seniors and their families to keep in mind.  [Read More](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-decisions-the-waiting-is-the-hardest-part) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-decisions-the-waiting-is-the-hardest-part#comments-listing) Topics: [Inspiring the Best in Kids](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) ## [’Tis the Season for College Application Tips](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-application-tips) Posted by [Jessica Smith](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/jessica-smith) on November 11, 2020 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hubfs/ewc_WesttownCollegeShirtDay2019%20500.jpg)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-application-tips) Now that we're safely past November 1, when almost all seniors have had at least one deadline, you may be wondering what happens next. Here are some tips for you.  1. **Relax and reboot!** Take a few college-free days if you're getting overwhelmed or if you don't have any deadlines for a while. Enjoy your friends and family. Sleep. Make healthy choices. Senior year is long and you need to take care of yourself. 1. **Keep going!** Many of you may have application deadlines on or before December 1. Reach out to your college counselors who are there to help you. **Note that December 1 falls just after Thanksgiving this year. Be sure to check your deadlines and make plans to see your counselor as needed before your Thanksgiving break. ** [Read More](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-application-tips) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-application-tips#comments-listing) Topics: [Raising Resilient, Healthy Teens](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-healthy-teens), [Communication and Children](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/communication-and-children) ## [College Prep: Tips for 9th and 10th Graders](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-prep-tips-for-9th-and-10th-graders) Posted by [Jessica Smith](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/jessica-smith) on February 25, 2020 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hubfs/blog%20-%20college.jpg)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-prep-tips-for-9th-and-10th-graders)   *If you are either a current 9th or 10th grader or the parent of one, it is likely that college prep has or will soon come up in conversations. Realizing this, Westtown School’s Director of College Counseling visited our ninth and tenth-grade students in early February and shared these thoughts about college.* At this point, our recommendations about college are always about how to make the most of high school. We want students to work hard and learn a lot, not just because strong grades look impressive to colleges, but because the learning you gain along the way will make you a better student and a more interesting person. Looking good is nice, but if you go through high school trying to merely look good (for college or anyone else) instead of being your full self, you won't have a very satisfying experience. [Read More](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-prep-tips-for-9th-and-10th-graders) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/college-prep-tips-for-9th-and-10th-graders#comments-listing) Topics: [Raising Resilient, Healthy Teens](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-healthy-teens), [Inspiring the Best in Kids](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) ## [AP Courses: Are They Necessary for College Admission?](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/ap-courses-are-they-necessary-for-college-admission) Posted by [Jessica Smith](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/jessica-smith) on January 25, 2019 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hubfs/Blog%20AP.jpg)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/ap-courses-are-they-necessary-for-college-admission) *This question comes up in our Admission office, College Counseling office, and even in our Lower School lobby. Parents and students alike worry about college preparation and bolstering transcripts. We asked our Director of College Counseling to shed some light on what colleges actually look for, what students need, and how a Westtown education prepares students for college.*   You might already know that Westtown School offers over 50 upper school courses with advanced designations, but you might be wondering why Westtown doesn’t offer *Advanced Placement* (AP) courses. In 2005, after a vigorous two-year curriculum review, the school’s Curriculum Committee recommended removing the AP designation from all Westtown courses because, as they found, “\[A\] Westtown Education is a religious endeavor, is rooted in community, educates the whole child, fosters an appreciation of racial, ethnic, economic and religious diversity, calls for a variety of approaches to pedagogy and assessment, encourages interdisciplinary learning, allows time for the present moment, and empowers students to create positive [change in the world](https://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1000109)...Our students’ growth as independent learners will be enhanced by teachers having room in their curriculum to create challenging laboratory and research experiences and to assign lengthy and difficult works of literature in English and in foreign language studies, to name just a few.” The committee found that neither AP nor International Baccalaureate (IB) programs allowed for the depth and richness Westtown prizes in its course offerings.   [Read More](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/ap-courses-are-they-necessary-for-college-admission) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/ap-courses-are-they-necessary-for-college-admission#comments-listing) Topics: [Raising Resilient, Healthy Teens](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-healthy-teens), [Inspiring the Best in Kids](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) ## [Summer To Do: College Prep](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/summer-to-do-for-your-teen-college-prep) Posted by [Jessica Smith](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/jessica-smith) on May 1, 2017 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hubfs/College%20prep%201-794761-edited.jpg)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/summer-to-do-for-your-teen-college-prep) --- Yes, summer is a time for students to relax, enjoy, and rejuvenate but also an important time for your teen to stay on track with their college prep. Wondering how to do this and where to focus your energy?  Here are a few simple reminders for you and your teen. - **Grades count.** Please don't believe the myth that grades don't matter until junior year. Colleges will look at applicants’ grades from freshman year onward, and the stronger the grades, the more choices your child will have. It's not just about having a good grade and looking good to colleges. Students need the skills they learn on the way to achieving those grades in order to do well in future courses. At the same time, remember that their best may change as they progress through high school. We are all hoping for authentic effort, not perfection. [Read More](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/summer-to-do-for-your-teen-college-prep) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/summer-to-do-for-your-teen-college-prep#comments-listing) Topics: [Building Self-Esteem in Teens](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/building-self-esteem-in-teens), [Raising Resilient, Healthy Teens](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-healthy-teens) [All posts](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/all) ### Subscribe to Our Blog ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [Inspiring the Best in Kids (46)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) - [Raising Resilient, Healthy Teens (29)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-healthy-teens) - [Help with learning (19)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/help-with-learning) - [Communication and Children (18)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/communication-and-children) - [Raising Resilient Lower and Middle Schoolers (7)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-lower-and-middle-schoolers) - [sustainability (4)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/sustainability) - [Building Self-Esteem in Teens (3)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/building-self-esteem-in-teens) - [How to get your teen to talk (3)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-get-your-teen-to-talk) - [How to Pick the Best Independent School in Philly (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-pick-the-best-independent-school-in-philly) - [How to manage the mood swings (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-manage-the-mood-swings) - [Student Life at Westtown (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/student-life-at-westtown) - [Westtown Picks (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/westtown-picks) - [Summer Camps (1)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/summer-camps) see all 975 Westtown Road West Chester, PA 19382 610.399.0123 [Contact Us](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=498#) - - - - [Apply Now](https://mbp.westtown.edu/SeniorApps/facelets/registration/loginCenter.xhtml?appId=AD) [Make A Gift](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=979) Westtown School, a Quaker Pre-K -12th grade co-ed, private, college preparatory day and boarding school, offers a challenging and diverse curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, service and social action. Since 1799, we have been committed to character education and innovation. We inspire and prepare our graduates to become stewards and leaders of a better world. [Apply Now](https://mbp.westtown.edu/SeniorApps/facelets/registration/loginCenter.xhtml?appId=AD) [Make A Gift](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=979) Westtown School, a Quaker Pre-K -12th grade co-ed, private, college preparatory day and boarding school, offers a challenging and diverse curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, service and social action. Since 1799, we have been committed to character education and innovation. We inspire and prepare our graduates to become stewards and leaders of a better world. 975 Westtown Road West Chester, PA 19382 610.399.0123 [Contact Us](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=498#) - - - - - [powered by finalsite](http://www.finalsite.com/)