The typical thought process of a SM student: Freshman year- it’s high school, Sophomore year-I got this down. Junior year-will I survive? Senior year-where do I want to go?

After adapting and completing high school, the next step that comes to a student’s mind is the thought of college. The college process is scary and overwhelming, but stress no more, Christa Crafts is here. SMCHS’ new Director of College Relations is available to communicate her college admissions advice and information to your counselors.

As a graduate from University of Virginia, Crafts excelled in her academics in grad school at the University of Southern California. Her job at SMCHS is to positively represent our school and build strong relationships with universities and their admissions department/counselors.

“Each school has a unique offering where our students can thrive,” said Crafts. “There are so many ideas I have for years to come.”

Crafts favorite part of her job is hearing about the diverse community and academic life at the wide range of U.S. colleges. Crafts mostly works with counselors, but would love to work with students who have any specific questions regarding a college or a school’s admission process. Crafts is currently traveling around Indiana and Chicago, meeting with SMCHS alumni to discuss what they love most about their college’s atmosphere. Alumni tell her what a normal day on campus is like and how students can take advantage of all the opportunities their university has to offer.

“Colleges love Harry Potter.. almost every school I visit or hear a presentation from talks about their “Quidditch” team or they have a building that resembles Hogwarts! Crafts said.

Along with meeting alumni, Crafts also met Monday, 9/26 with the Director of Admissions at Notre Dame. Crafts is excited to bring back all of the things she has learned to help the students at SMCHS.

Crafts is not just a counselor, outside of school and work she loves reading suspenseful, page turning books. She has many favorites, but if it is a classic she loves “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott. She also loves to watch a good musical (Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain, My Fair Lady) which may sometimes coincide with her favorite food/drink, buttery, salty popcorn with an ice tea. Her favorite stress-free place is the library with a good book! Crafts is also married to class of 1992 SM alumni, Sean Crafts, and has six kids, along with their cute beagle, Ricky.

Crafts’ College Advice Per Grade Level:

• Freshman-

Enjoy the introduction to high school! Explore clubs, sports, activities that sound interesting and pick the ones you most enjoy (not the ones you “think” you should do).

• Sophomore-

Stay involved in your activities. Visit some local colleges to see if you like the “big” school or “small” school feel.

• Junior-

Do your best academically! Keep a journal or notes on your experiences, thoughts or ideas…this will be helpful when you start writing your college essay.

• Senior-

Only apply to schools you REALLY want to go to and make your list of schools based on what you personally like, not based on the list of schools your friends are applying to. Also, be a little daring and look at schools out of state or schools you may not have considered before.

Advice on how to face your college acceptance/rejection fears?

• Remember that at all the schools you  apply to, you are capable and able to do the work and ace the education. College admissions is  a subjective process of selecting a class with no secret formula. It is a group of human beings making an educated guess on a group of students who will enjoy and attend that particular school. You end up in the right place and most graduating college students would never change their experience. This past summer I attended a college admissions institute at Harvard. We went through mock admissions workshops daily with the actual Deans of Admissions at an assortment of schools. It was interesting to see how they read applications and the different opinions and decisions they have to make. Don’t take college rejections too personally! They are looking for reasons to accept you, not reject you!