A Four-Year Journey towards launch

Our students have been accepted to top colleges and universities across the United States and internationally, with Pacifica students going on to top graduate programs in law, philosophy, astrophysics, and the arts. It all begins their freshman year of high school.

The four-year college counseling process is an extension of the school-wide mission challenging students to think critically and wisely about their college decision’s and cultivating their interest in learning while encouraging lives of faith, character, and service to the glory of God. The college counseling philosophy centers on the idea that this is not a “one size fits all” process. The conversations will change from student to student, and success will be measured by the appropriateness of college placement and the quality of experience once the students matriculate to their respective schools. That being said, we want to ensure that students are competitive in the college admissions process.

“Pacifica was the best decision my family and I could make for high school. It prepared me to overcome challenges, live a balanced life, and be involved. I was so well prepared for college classrooms and have continued doing what I love in Chicago.”  – Faith, ’19, University of Chicago

The grade-by-grade process

9th grade

One-on-one student and parent meetings

Freshman group meetings

Freshman college day at Pepperdine

Freshman college night

PSAT exam

10th grade

One-on-one student and parent meetings

Sophomore group meetings

Sophomore day at USC

Sophomore college night

College day trips

Meeting with college representatives

PSAT exam

11th grade

One-on-one student and parent meetings

Junior group meetings

Junior college day at UCLA

Junior college night

Junior college retreat – workshops, seminars, alumni panel

College day trips

Meeting with college representatives

PSAT/SAT exam – test preparation

College essay workshops

East coast college trip

12th grade

One-on-one student and parent meetings

Senior group meetings

Senior application Bootcamp

Senior college night

Financial aid night

College day trips

Meeting with college representatives

SAT exam – test preparation

College essay workshops

Transition to college workshops

College celebration day

college tours and visits

A Best Fit Approach

The four-year process is detailed in nature and is tackled over time in small bites. Students and parents meet with the counseling team consistently to determine college interests, share ideas for growth, craft a multi-year academic and college plan, and learn the details of the college process while fostering a smooth transition from Pacifica to college. The journey takes a relatively unfamiliar freshman and produces a confident senior with options, who is ready to launch.

A Pacifica college-bound student should feel that the path they have taken has been supportive and celebratory, ultimately arriving at a college perfectly suited to who they are and where they can fulfill their next-chapter aspirations. This is a journey that is all about the process but will culminate in amazing destinations perfectly suited to our students.

PACIFICA PROFILES
Alumni Spotlight

College Acceptances

Amherst College logo

Boston University Logo

Cal Poly logo

Caltech logo

Carnegie Mellon University logo

Chapman University logo

Colgate University logo

Cornell University logo

Dartmouth College logo

Duke University logo

Emerson College logo

Emory University logo

Fordham University logo

Loyola logo

New York University logo

Northwestern University logo

Occidental College logo

University of Pennsylvania logo

Penn State logo

Pepperdine University logo

Point Loma Nazarene University logo

Princeton logo

Rutgers University logo

San Diego State University logo

San Francisco State University logo

Scripps College logo

Seattle Pacifica University logo

Syracuse University logo

Tulane University logo

UC Berkeley logo

UC Davis logo

UCLA logo

UC San Diego logo

UC Santa Barbara logo

University of Chicago logo

University of Notre Dame logo

University of Southern California logo

University of Virginia logo

Westmont College logo