Navigating the college admissions process can seem complex for students and families. To facilitate a smooth passage, we pair each student with a teacher advisor who will work closely with the student and family.
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Navigating the college admissions process can seem complex for students and families. To facilitate a smooth passage, we pair each student with a teacher advisor who will work closely with the student and family.
As a college preparatory school, Northern Academy initiates our students’ college planning process from middle school in life skill classes. The college planning at Northern develops an individualized road map to success for the student, which includes academic work, character development, special interests and skill sets, as well as the college application.
How is college planning being done at Northern?
Typically, a comprehensive service starts from 9th grade until graduation. All high school students will attend college planning classes each year that specifically addresses: course selection, college and career exploration and community service opportunities.
In addition to group lessons, students will receive individual sessions with a college counselor. Experienced counselors will seamlessly integrate Northern’s academic and extracurricular programs with their unique planning process, which utilizes social and corporate resources.
Through this process we are able to tailor the college process to the specific needs, abilities, and interests of each students. To keep parents better informed of the college process, we offer each year a Parent College Information Night at the end of September.
What can parents learn from college planning?
College planning can help break down myths about college, such as “my teen can make a good living without a college education”, or “I don’t have the money and my teen can’t afford to take out loans to pay for college”.
Parents can learn why they should help their children go to college and how they can encourage their children to apply. They can also find out about different types of colleges and choose those that are most affordable.
What is the goal of college planning?
The college planning adviser will coach the student on how to best utilize his/her time and resources during the 4-year high school experience. The adviser guides students toward developing a well-balanced and unique profile that can be competitive for the college of the student’s choice.
The student will be mentally and academically ready for college life through the planning. The process can also transform the student to be a responsible citizen with high moral standards.
Complete the online Transcript Request Form to obtain your official transcript.
Please contact the Registrar Office via registrar@northernacademy.org for a letter to verify your enrollment status.
Student clubs are an integral part of the community at Northern Academy. Clubs provide forums for discussion and opportunities for action, and they foster students’ leadership and business skills via consulting engagements, workshops, round-tables, conferences, and fundraisers.
Currently, the school has Student Council and more than a dozen student clubs including Math Olympiad, Model UN, Newspaper, Yearbook, Dance, Music, Cooking Club, Chess, Board Games Club, Meditation Club and Sports. Students sign up for their chosen clubs at the beginning of each semester.
Student leaders apply to form an organization by submitting an application and writing a constitution. Check with the Student Affairs Office if you’d like to apply.
In addition, students are encouraged to participate in field trips, special school events, such as basketball tournament, dance competitions, music performances, table tennis tournament, city cleaning, career fair, providing food to low income families, bake sales, etc.
Students at Northern Academy have plenty of opportunities to travel, explore, experience great culture, and have fun on weekend outings and class trips. Being conveniently located just north of New York city, and near the bordering states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, there are many options for our Student Affairs department, dormitory parents, and students to choose from.
We enjoy trips from Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, shows at Carnegie Hall, and Central Park, to gorgeous mountain ranges, waterfalls, and hikes in the Catskills of New York, and from Amish Country in Pennsylvania to the largest planetarium in the northern hemisphere and shopping malls in New Jersey.
We have a lot of fun at school too, and students have plenty of chances to show their talents. We celebrate with in school parties for Christmas and the Chinese New Year, complete with amazing food and hilarious acts and games by faculty and students, and beautiful performances from our classical music students and dance track.
Thanksgiving gets crazy with the Turkey Run, and student-led Clubs give you a chance to explore other interests and make great friends.
Weekends for dorm students, when not going on planned trips, mean getting to hang out together, go to the mall, bowling, movie nights, use of school facilities for dance and music studios, ping-pong, the cafeteria, library, and time to just relax.
Places we’ve visited so far:
Northern Academy provides several services to help students succeed in the academic world.
Throughout their time at Northern, students meet with faculty advisers to discuss course selection, ways to improve their academic experience, and long-term goals for their future. In addition, they work with their assigned homeroom teacher who also is assigned as a second advisor.
Learning specialists are a resource for students who have already sought help and could benefit from supplemental coaching in time management, organization, and general study skills.
Northern Academy offers English as a Native Language and academic tutoring.
At Northern, talented and gifted (TAG) students who master a subject significantly more quickly than their classmates will be exposed to some of the material covered by the next grade. For example, math TAG students in Middle School might take the equivalent of a High School-level algebra course. AP courses will also be provided for TAG students in high school.
Northern Academy provides students with an excellent comprehensive school counseling program that helps all students reach their full potential, and become lifelong learners and responsible citizens.
The counseling program delivers research-based curriculum, data-driven interventions and student-focused activities to promote academic achievement, career development and social-emotional growth. It aims to provide individualized counseling to meet the unique need of each student whether that be career and college guidance or social emotional support. We advocate for equity, access and success for all students.
A New York State licensed School Counselor, Ms. Cortese previously worked in the New York City Department of Education at PS 115, IS 119 and the Office of Student Enrollment.
Before working full-time as a counselor at the Northern Academy in February 2020, she had been teaching Etiquette in our school and coordinating the Ambassador team and the Senior Ball.
“As your School Counselor, it is my role to collaborate with all members of the school community and provide support services to students in the areas of personal-social development, academic achievement and the preparation for life/college/career after high school.
It is my goal to get to know all the students of Northern Academy, assist you with your goals, help you realize your potential and be a support to everyone in the school community – families, teachers and staff.”
Email: mng@northernacademy.org
Our mission is to nurture students to become cultured individuals of exemplary moral character. To this end, we provide an education drawn from the classics and the arts, one steeped in divinely inspired traditional values of the East and West.
We are accredited by the Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Institutions of the Middle States Association.
