Posted
October 22, 2026
Rising costs and pressure to stand out can make college admissions feel overwhelming for students and parents alike. The College Counseling Department begins working with Edsmen freshman year, getting to know each student and helping families explore colleges that fit his interests, strengths, and goals.
Department Chair Alicia Watts brings experience from both sides of the process, having reviewed applications at Ohio University before joining St. Edward. Drawing on that experience and the department’s work with students, she shares eight things families should know.
1. Colleges want to understand what you care about—and what you’ve done about it.
“Students sometimes think they have to do everything to appear well-rounded,” Watts says. “But a long list of activities doesn’t tell a college as much as understanding what you care about and how you have pursued it. What did you try? What made you want to learn more? Where did you take that interest next?”
Freshman and sophomore year are opportunities to explore an unfamiliar class, join a club, and discover what catches a student’s interest.
“That is what I love about St. Ed’s. There is so much to try here—engineering, agriculture, music, entrepreneurship, filmmaking,” Watts says. “You can actually make a movie or develop a business plan to see what you think. Maybe you love it. Maybe you realize it’s not for you. Either way, you have learned something about yourself.”
As interests emerge, students can build on them throughout high school, connecting coursework with activities, independent projects, service, or experiences beyond campus.
“Colleges want to see that progression,” Watts says. “You found something that interested you, took initiative, and kept growing. That tells them much more than joining another club just to put it on an application.”
2. GPA matters (and so do the courses behind it).
Colleges consider both a student’s grades and how he has challenged himself within the opportunities available at his school. Watts encourages students to consider honors and IB courses that stretch their abilities and deepen their interests.
“Colleges want to see that you are curious and willing to push yourself,” Watts says. “When you enjoy a subject, are you taking that next step? Those choices tell them something about how you approach learning.”
The full IB Diploma demonstrates a sustained commitment to demanding work. Independent research, sustained writing, and competing deadlines also build habits students will use in college.
“I describe it as a doorway,” Watts says. “A strong academic record lets you knock. The full IB Diploma gives a college a compelling reason to answer. It doesn’t guarantee you’ll get in, but it demonstrates the kind of curiosity and academic preparation highly selective colleges are looking for.”
3. Campus visits tell you what a website can’t.
“We are lucky in Ohio—you can see very different colleges in one long weekend,” Watts says. “I often suggest Cincinnati and Xavier: a large public university and a smaller Catholic university, both in a large city. Then try Miami for a college-town experience and Dayton for a Catholic university in a smaller city. You start to figure out what you like.”
She encourages families to arrange official tours and explore academic departments. When a student becomes serious about a college, she often connects him with a recent St. Edward alumnus who attends it.
“Our alumni love connecting with fellow Edsmen and their families,” she says. “They can give you a feel for everyday life there—the things you might not hear on the tour.”
Even a disappointing visit provides direction.
“Sometimes a student says, ‘I hated every school you suggested.’ Okay, tell me why!” Watts says. “That helps us decide where to look next. The visits are how you figure it out.”
4. Look beyond the sticker price.
A college’s published price does not tell a family what opportunities may be available. Scholarships and financial aid can make a significant difference, and Watts helps students explore possibilities they might otherwise dismiss.
She remembers a student who hoped to attend college but wasn’t sure how his family would pay for it. Together, they worked through the lengthy QuestBridge application process. He ultimately received a full scholarship to Notre Dame.
“He had so much to offer, but he didn’t know how it was going to work financially,” Watts says. “Seeing that opportunity come together for him was wonderful. That is why I encourage families to investigate before deciding a college is out of reach.”
A practical first step is the net price calculator on each college’s website. Families can enter financial information to estimate costs after grants and scholarships. Although it is not a financial aid offer, it can reveal options worth exploring.
Students are thinking carefully about those options, too.
“They are talking about ROI at 17, which I certainly wasn’t doing,” Watts says. “They are asking, ‘What would I gain by spending more here? If I want to go to graduate school, does it make sense to spend less now?’ I am glad they are thinking those decisions through.”
Her goal is to help every student build a list with several appealing possibilities, including colleges his family feels comfortable paying for.
5. Taking the SAT or ACT and submitting a score are separate decisions.
Testing policies have shifted repeatedly. Many colleges made scores optional during the pandemic; some have reinstated requirements, while others remain test optional. Scholarship and program requirements can differ, too.
Watts encourages students to test so they have options—and explore which test suits them. The digital SAT combines reading and writing in one section and math in another; the ACT offers paper and online options, separate English, reading, and math sections, and an optional science section.
“Some students do better on the SAT, and others do better on the ACT,” she says. “We can help students compare practice results, talk through the format and pacing, and decide where to focus their preparation.”
During junior year, counselors help students plan time to prepare and test again if appropriate. Some practice independently; others benefit from a class or tutor.
“Taking a test doesn’t mean you have to submit the score everywhere,” Watts says. “We look at each college’s requirements and whether that score will strengthen the application—that is part of our job.”
6. Yes, admissions officers read the essays.
Essays help admissions officers understand the person behind the transcript. Beyond the personal essay submitted through the Common Application, selective colleges often require supplemental essays about a student’s interests and potential contributions to their community.
“Those supplemental questions deserve real attention,” Watts says. “Tell them why that college makes sense for you. If you could send the same answer to five colleges by changing the name, we probably need to work on it.”
7. Approach athletic recruiting as a student-led effort with a team behind it.
St. Edward’s athletic tradition carries weight with college coaches. Its record of success, demanding preparation, and established recruiting relationships help student-athletes earn consideration at the next level.
The NCAA transfer portal has added uncertainty to high school recruiting, but Watts says opportunities remain strong for St. Edward athletes.
“College coaches know how our students have been prepared and the work ethic they bring,” Watts says.
Coaches and the athletic director help students evaluate opportunities and navigate recruiting relationships, while college counselors guide them through academic requirements, applications, and outreach. Some athletes draw attention early. Others take a more active role in introducing themselves to coaches, sharing film, and sending competition schedules.
The school's new Business of College Sports elective helps student-athletes understand the changing college sports landscape, including transfer issues, and prepare for decisions they may face after graduation.
Throughout the process, the team encourages students to weigh academics, cost, and campus life alongside the opportunity to compete—and choose a college that supports their ambitions beyond athletics.
8. The right college may be one you haven’t considered.
College counseling at St. Edward begins in ninth grade, giving counselors time to understand students beyond their transcripts: how they build friendships, where they contribute, and what brings out their best.
Watts remembers one student who pictured himself at a large, highly selective university. After watching him grow throughout high school, she saw something he had not yet recognized about himself.
“He loved knowing people and being involved,” she says. “I kept thinking, ‘Look at what you have enjoyed here. You love being part of a community where people know you.’”
She encouraged him to consider St. Edward’s University in Austin, a smaller Holy Cross university. He was skeptical. It did not have the size or name recognition he had imagined. Watts persisted, pointing him toward a scholarship opportunity and encouraging him to visit.
“I pushed him a little,” she says. “I knew why he was looking at those bigger schools, but I also knew him. I wanted him to give this place a chance.”
He received the scholarship, visited, and chose to attend. Still, Watts remembers wondering whether she had pushed too hard. Then he returned to visit.
“He told me, ‘I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.’ He was a tour guide, he was involved, and he had found his community,” she says. “All the things I could picture him doing, he was doing. That made me so happy.”
“You get to watch these boys grow into young men,” Watts says. “Then they come back happy, doing things they love. That is the best part of the job.”
Meet the College Counselors
Alicia Watts leads the College Counseling Department with insight, care, and a deep belief in each student’s potential. Since joining St. Edward in 2019, she has drawn on her six years of experience in the Admissions Office at Ohio University, where she reviewed Honors College applications and developed a sharp understanding of what colleges truly value. Watts approaches her work as more than college counseling—she sees it as future counseling, walking alongside students as they discover their interests, clarify their goals, and grow into confident young men ready for what comes next.
Keith Lofton brings big energy, real-world perspective, and clarity to the college search process. After more than two decades at The Ohio State University, he offers students an insider’s understanding of admissions—shaped by witnessing OSU’s rise into one of the nation’s most selective public universities. Whether an Edsman is dreaming of becoming a Buckeye or exploring a wide range of options, Lofton’s enthusiasm, honesty, and practical guidance help students navigate an increasingly competitive landscape and find the college fit that’s right for them.
Equal parts strategist and steady guide, Maria Mueller brings clarity, precision, and reassurance to the team. A former accountant with a college counseling certification from UCLA, she is known for her organized, data-driven approach and her ability to make a complex journey feel manageable. She also brings the insight of being a St. Edward parent to the team, having guided her own sons—Josh ’11, Corey ’14, and Dylan ’16—to Penn, Northwestern, and Miami of Ohio.
