Skip Navigation

Preparation for Life

Finding Your Calling

Finding your calling after high school is an exciting process. A Classical Christian education prepares any student for life-long learning, but whether a student aspires to college or a trade, Rockbridge Academy is devoted to helping launch them wherever the Lord leads. For most students, this means applying to college, so we walk alongside families as they pursue the Lord's calling in the school they select.

Our Goal

Applying to college is a multi-step journey and our goal is to be both guide and advocate. Our college counseling staff works closely with each student and their parents throughout the college selection and application process. We want all students to take ownership by prayerfully identifying and applying to colleges in which they can continue to grow in their faith, meet their academic and career goals, and prepare for a successful future in whatever calling God places before them. We also strive to help families understand the financial aid and scholarship processes while assessing school affordability. Some of the many items that need to be considered include finding Christian ministries on campus in which they can participate, visiting campuses and local churches, and completing and submitting the necessary applications. Students are encouraged to consider all of these important criteria when they select a college so that they will be content, joyful, and challenged as they live out their faith at college.

The Process

The college selection process typically begins with the PSAT and College Night in the fall of the junior year. Until then, the best advice we can give students is to work hard in school, read extensively, and serve their churches and communities. Between College Night and the Grand Tour (which occurs immediately at the end of the junior year of high school), students are encouraged to take the SAT/ACT twice and visit some colleges to begin the process of finding the “right fit.” The college counseling staff will meet with each student and his or her parents during the summer between Grand Tour and the senior year to discuss and align college expectations and goals. During these meetings, the entire admissions process is explained, and the lessons and principles introduced at College Night are reviewed and applied to the needs of the individual student.

The school will keep students and parents informed of important college deadlines, AP exams, and testing dates, and will help students to navigate missing class in order to visit colleges. We will also assist by tracking the process for each student and keeping copies of every transcript, letter of recommendation, and other forms submitted from the school.

Applying to college is a challenging process that requires a lot of work, but countless students successfully navigate it every year. If students and parents carefully manage and track their applications and subsequent financial aid decisions, stress and frustration will be minimized. Finally, it is important that the students and parents ground the process in prayer, and we will do the same. The college application process is an exciting journey because it is the gateway to the next stage of life for many of our students. We look forward to sharing this journey with you!

Director of College Counseling: Mr. Jerry Keehner
Assistant to Director of College Counseling: Mrs. Cindy Davis

SPRING TICKETS