College Counseling

At St. Vincent De Paul, we provide comprehensive academic, college and wellness counseling services to meet the needs of our students.  Over the last five years, St. Vincent De Paul College Prep seniors have been admitted to over 150 different colleges and universities including MIT, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Yale and Notre Dame.

From the moment an incoming 9th graders arrives to campus through the entire college application and decision-process, we are working individually with each student.  Our offering is designed to be comprehensive, constant, in-depth and personalized — and we believe the most robust in the North Bay.  For many of our families, independent college counselors will not be necessary.  And for those who seek outside help, their advisors will find a helpful partner in our school.

9th and 10th Grade

St. Vincent De Paul students prepare for college counseling as early as 9th grade as they adjust to the expectations of a rigorous academic program. Relationships with academic advisors and faculty help to enhance independent learning. Curriculum choices ensure a solid foundation with ample opportunity for exploration into areas of interest.

11th and 12th Grade

We believe that the second semester of the junior year is the best time for families to begin focusing on the college process. At that point, students have the maturity needed to begin making decisions that will shape their application list. Students are more able to complete an honest self-assessment and perform thoughtful college research to find potential college “matches.” Students also have sufficient practice testing and academic grade reports to allow for a more accurate assessment of which colleges and universities would be the most reasonable to target.

Our college counselor begins to meet individually with juniors and families starting in the spring semester, continuing a dialogue with the student and the family that lasts until the end of senior year. Every student meets with our college counselor who will help them develop a well-balanced college list. The counselor will offer advice on testing, teacher recommendations, interviews, personal statements, and other aspects of the process. Our English department works with each senior on crafting their personal statement and supplemental essays.

The SVHS College Corner website is a robust site filled with helpful college admissions information.

School CEEB Code: 052455

School Profile >>

Counseling Resources

College Counseling:

See the information on this page.

Academic Counseling:

Visit our Academic Counseling page >>

You may be wondering if there is anything you should be doing to prepare in 9th and 10th grades for the college admission process.  Given the craziness of the college admission process in the media and beyond, it’s easy to feel like you’re already behind.

You are not.  The reality is this: for this process to go well, it must correspond to adolescent development and certain fixed benchmarks along the high school path.  Experience clearly shows that starting too early to prepare for college admissions results in a process focused on the wrong ideas.   “How do I get in?” becomes more important than “What am I looking for?”

At St. Vincent High School, we feel strongly that students are best prepared for the college process if they concentrate on learning and their high school education first, honing interests and developing passions.

Having said this, we agree that it is important for students and families to have a sense of what awaits on the college horizon to be ready for the next steps.  We have created the following guides to assist families in navigating the years ahead.

Timeline by Grade

Freshman Year >>

Sophomore Year >>

Junior Year >>

Senior Year >>

St. Vincent de Paul High School happily welcomes visits from college and university representatives.  We are a MaiaLearning school and schedule visits with MaiaVisits.  To schedule an appointment, please visit maialearning.com and click “Sign Up” if you do not already have an account.  For help with MaiaVisits, watch this short instructional video.

Please contact Nicole Kropelnicki, College Counselor at nkropelnicki@svhs-pet.org or 707-763-1032 ext. 141 with any questions or requests for visits outside the availability window.

School Profile >>

American University

Arizona State University

Auburn University

Baylor University

Belmont University

Boise State University

Boston College

Boston University

Brown University

California Lutheran University

California Poly, San Luis Obispo

California State Univ, Chico

California State Univ, Long Beach

California State Univ, Monterey Bay

California State Univ, Maritime Academy

California State Univ, Sacramento

Carroll College

Chapman University

Clark University

Colgate University

College of Marin

Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Colorado School of Mines

Cornell University

Creighton University

Dominican University of CA

Duke University

Elon University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Fordham University

George Washington University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Gonzaga University

Grand Canyon University

Hamilton College

Harvey Mudd College

Hawaii Pacific University

Hofstra University

Indiana University

Johns Hopkins University

Lewis and Clark College

Loyola Marymount University

Marquette University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Miami University

Michigan State University

Montana State University

Montclair University

New Mexico State University

New York University

Northeastern University

Northern Arizona University

Oberlin College

Occidental College

Ohio State University

Oregon State University

Otis College of Art and Design

Pace University

Pacific Northwest College of Art

Pacific University

Pennsylvania State University

Pepperdine University

Purdue University

Reed College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhodes College

Rutgers University

Saint John’s University of New York

Saint Mary’s College of California

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University

San Jose State University

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Clara University

Santa Rosa Junior College

Sarah Lawrence College

Seattle University

Seton Hall University

Sonoma State University

Southern Methodist University

Syracuse University

Texas A&M University

Texas Christian University

Tulane University

University of Alabama

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

University of Arizona

University of British Columbia

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Merced

University of California, Riverside

University of California, San Diego

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Cruz

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Denver

University of Maryland

University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of Mississippi

University of Montana

University of Nebraska

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

University of Nevada, Reno

University of Notre Dame

University of Oregon

University of Portland

University of Puget Sound

University of Redlands

University of Rochester

University of San Diego

University of San Francisco

University of Southern California

University of Vermont

University of Washington, Seattle

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Villanova University

Washington State University

Western Oregon University

Whitworth University

Willamette University

Yale University

St. Vincent de Paul High School offers a 21st-century education in a small but diverse learning community.  The best way for you to learn more about us is by visiting our campus.  For inquiries, please Contact Admissions

We are currently accepting applications for the 2023-2024 School Year.  Please apply before November 18, 2022 for Priority Registration.  To apply, there is a Direct Link to Application

For Admissions, please contact:
Kerry Pedersen (SVHS, Class of ’89)
Director of Admissions
(707) 763-1032, ext 113
kpedersen@svhs-pet.org

For Counseling, please contact:

Nicole Kropelnicki
College Counselor
(707) 763-1032, ext 141
nkropelnicki@svhs-pet.org