College Counseling

Every student at AIM is on a path to college. Every aspect of our program prepares them for it.

This preparation includes a rigorous college prep curriculum, an understanding of their learning style and the accommodations needed for success, ACT preparation, and dual enrollment college courses for a better understanding of collegiate expectations.

We start the conversation early in order to keep the pressure low.

In 9th and 10th grades students start to explore a variety of potential careers and college programs enabling them to begin to develop a vision of their future.
In 11th and 12th grades, we provide more developed and targeted programs assisting students with resumes, essays, portfolios and interviewing techniques.

Cooper graduated from AIM and I always felt proud of him and the school but him getting into his first choice college was an amazing moment!

- Nina Neel P'20

Meet Our College Counseling Team

Amanda Tingle-Oline

Director of College & Career Counseling / AIM Advantage Coordinator

Samantha Wilensky

College & Career Counselor

College Counseling Resources

CEEB Code: 393401

AIM College Profile

Alumni Transcript Request

Our College Guidance program is personalized, supportive, comprehensive, strategic and grounded in a collaborative relationship between counselors, students and their parents. Through the college application and acceptance process, students learn decision-making and goal-setting skills that will serve them well throughout life.

AIM Graduates Have Boundless Futures

Thriving Beyond AIM

375

Graduates Since 2012

Broad Access. Real Choice.

110

Colleges & Universities Accepting the Class of 2025

Redefining Outcomes

70%

Alumni College Completion Rate

Alumni Spotlights

2025 Alumni Panel

On January 15, 2025, six AIM alums joined us for our annual Alumni panel to share their experiences and some of the ways AIM prepared them for college.

Special thanks to - Simone Levy '24, Grey Bowen '23, Ben Ziegler '22, Katya Pryschenko '21, Shayna Pellen '20

4 Threads to the Future

The 4 Threads

9th grade students begin their high school careers participating in a 4 Threads to the Future course taught by our college counselors. The class incorporates a strong executive functioning component designed to teach students how to effectively manage their own time. Students investigate professionals in a variety of fields within the 4 Threads and explore their own interests. The non-academic porition of the class is focused on skills and information that support our students outside the classroom and are transferable to their future lives.

The Six A's

The College Counseling team at AIM Academy provides an organized, informative and individualized program that guides our Upper School students and families through the intense preparation and application process surrounding college selection.

With more than 4,000 postsecondary institutions in the United States, our College Counseling team works closely with families to ensure students find the right fit for their life after AIM.

Academically Rigorous Upper School Programming

In AIM’s Upper School, students engage in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum that begins in the earliest days of Freshman year. Anchored by the 4 Threads to the Future framework, students have options to explore a focused array of electives while building a 21st century skills to showcase throughout the college application process. The college counseling team works closely with students to help students present their skills, articulate their distinguishing experiences and key personal traits, and transitioning their Upper School experience into their postsecondary life.

Accommodations – The Key To Success In College

Throughout their Upper School experience, AIM students are exposed to and taught to understand the accommodations they receive based on their learning profile. Guided by members of our psychology team, and accompanied by experts in the field of college accommodations, students are able to glimpse into the workings of accommodation applications, acquisition, and advocacy. In their final years in the Upper School, the college counseling team puts a laser focus on how each student’s specific learning profile will affect their experience post-AIM. This includes teachings about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA – 1990), confidentiality, student rights in college, and the necessity of advocacy as a core component to accommodation acquisition.

ACT Test Preparation

Built into the Upper School curriculum is an intensive ACT Test Prep program in partnership with local professional tutors and educational consultants. Instructors work with Juniors and Seniors over a eight-week course prior to each exam sitting. These sessions are designed to provide much-needed confidence, test-taking strategies, and knowledge of accommodations necessary for success.

Access to Dual Enrollment Classes at Partner Universities

A pioneer of one of the region’s most innovative dual enrollment partnerships, AIM provides all of its senior students with accessible and highly supported college class options at area universities. Students take classes on the university campuses and earn up to six transferrable college credits. They gain valuable exposure to the workings of a collegiate Disabilities Services program and practice college-ready advocacy and executive functioning skills all with the support of the college counseling team.

Current Partner Schools:

Arcadia University, Chestnut Hill College, Montgomery County Community College, Temple University, Eastern University, and Penn State Abington.

Courses our Class of 2026 is currently enrolled in:

Intro to Psychology, Intro to Exercise Science, Intro to Criminal Justice, Marketing Principles, Ethics, Intro to Media & Communication, Intro to Business, Basic Nutrition, College Writing, American Government, Intro to Engineering, Calculus & Analytical Geometry

Application & Acceptance – Putting The Pieces Together

Once Seniors have begun the process of narrowing their college selections, the college counseling team guides them and their families through the application process – from list development, to collecting and submitting application materials, to understanding and preparing financial aid documents. When students receive their acceptance letters, they have individual consultations with our team to help them make their final decision. This includes guidance in scrutinizing college Disabilities Support Services programs, degree option considerations, and overall college fit. On College Signing Day, the entire school celebrates the futures of our soon-to-be grads.

AIM Advantage – Persistent Pursuit Of Success

For all students, being successful during their first year of college is a daunting task. They enter a complex college system and are expected to balance time management, study skills, dense readings, essays, library research, deans, registrars, and much more.

The AIM Advantage provides weekly sessions for alumni with an AIM College Coach to confirm that they are and building and practicing successful college habits. Together, the coach and the college student generate a time schedule, analyze upcoming assignments, and talk about each course. These meetings allow the AIM College Coach to both track each student’s progress and provide them with a better sense of what needs to be accomplished.

Learn More About AIM Advantage

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