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College & Academic Counseling

Our Philosophy And Approach

The college admissions process becomes more complex and competitive year after year.  But don’t that let intimidate you from pursuing the next step in your academic journey. The purpose of the College Counseling Office at MCDS is to make the college admissions process as manageable for you as possible.  We believe in a hands-on, personalized approach that seeks to maximize the admission opportunities of our students.  
 
As part of our program, we provide our students and their families with services such as researching admission opportunities, career exploration, personality self-inventory, and preparing an authentic application with the goal of matching each student to a college or university that’s a great fit for them.
 
Beginning in the 10th grade, full-time College Counselors are assigned to all MCDS students to guide them through the college admissions process. 

    • Our Philosophy And Approach 

      college

College Matriculation Stats

2018—2022

List of 3 items.

  • 63%

    out-of-state

     
     
    TOP 10 STATES
    • 1. MA 68
    • 2. NY 64
    • 3. IN 32
    • 4. CA 25
    • 5. MI 18
    • 6. NC 18
    • 7. PA 16
    • 8. DC 13
    • 9. CO 13
    • 10. LA 12

  • 33%

    in Florida
     
    universities
    • University of Miami 45
    • University of Florida 25
    • Florida International University 21
    • Florida State University 21
    • University of South Florida 11
    • Nova Southeastern University 10
    • Lynn University 9
    • University of Central Florida 5
    • Miami Dade College 3
    • Florida Atlantic University 3
    • Stetson University 3
    • The University of Tampa 3
    • Florida Gulf Coast University 2
    • St. Thomas University 2
    • Broward College 2
    • The College of the Florida Keys 1
    • Rollins College 1
    • Florida Southern College 1
    • Indian River State College 1
    • Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 1
    • Barry University 1
    • University of North Florida 1
    • Everglades University 1
    • Flagler College 1
    • Eastern Florida State College 11

  • 3%

    international
     
     
    Countries
    • Spain 6
    • United Kingdom 5
    • Italy 2
    • Canada 2
    • Israel 1
    • Japan 1
    • Switzerland 1

Program Overview

We believe in a personalized approach. Full-time College Counselors are assigned to all MCDS students to guide them through the college enrollment process. 

List of 4 items.

  • Grade 9

    • Orientation to the College Counseling Program
    • Introduction to SCOIR, Transcripts and GPA Calculations
    • Grade-specific “College Knowledge” Programming for Students and Parents
    • Special Program for International Families
    • Advising on Sophomore Course Selection

    Timeline

    August/September:
    • Orientation to the College Counseling program for the year – understanding factors colleges evaluate when making admissions decisions
    • Introduction to SCOIR – the online platform and application we use to facilitate all aspects of the college counseling process
    October/November:
    • Introduction for international families to the college and university admission process in the United States
    January/February:
    • PSAT8/9
    • Review of 1st semester grades and GPA calculation
    • SCOIR assessments launched
    • Seminar with college admissions experts for parents of students in 9-11
    • Assistance with applications for academic summer programs
    March/April:
    • PSAT 8/9 results distributed and explained
    • Advising on course selection and registration for tenth grade
    May/June:
    • Advanced Placement Tests
    Calendar

  • Grade 10

    • Further Exploration of SCOIR
    • PSAT Administration
    • Grade-specific; College Knowledge; Programming for Students and Parents
    • Special Program for International Families
    • Advising on Junior Course Selection
    Sophomores are assigned to their official college counselor in 2nd semester

    Timeline

    August/September:
    • Orientation to the College Counseling program for the year – beginning the college search journey
    • Further exploration of SCOIR – the online platform and application we use to facilitate all aspects of the college counseling process
    • Review of transcript and final freshman grades
    October/November:
    • PSAT
    • Introduction for new international families to the college and university admission process in the United States
    January/February:
    • PreACT
    • Review of 1st semester grades and GPA calculation
    • Seminar with college admissions experts for parents of students in 9-11
    • Assistance with applications for academic summer programs
    March/April:
    • PSAT and PreACT scores distributed and explained
    • Advising on course selection and registration for eleventh grade
    May/June:
    • Advanced Placement Tests
     Calendar

  • Grade 11

    Juniors and their parents start individual meetings with their college counselor in 2nd semester.
    • Active College Search begins
    • PSAT/NMSQT Administration
    • Individual Meetings with Junior Families
    • Grade-specific “College Knowledge” Programming for Students and Parents
    • Special ACT and SAT Test Administrations for MCDS juniors only in 2nd semester
    • Advising on Junior Course Selection

    Timeline

    August/September:
    • Orientation to the College Counseling program for the year – Preview of the college application process
    • Active engagement with SCOIR – the online platform and application we use to facilitate all aspects of the college counseling process
    • Review of transcript and cumulative GPA
    • Programs with college admissions representations – on campus and virtual begin
    October/November:
    • PSAT/NMSQT
    • Introduction for new international families to the college and university admission process in the United States
    January/February:
    • “Research and Writing for College Success” elective offered specifically for juniors
    • Official visits to college campuses encouraged
    • Seminar with college admissions experts for parents of students in 9-11
    • Assistance with applications for academic summer programs
    • Initial meetings with individual students and parents
    March/April:
    • Individual meetings with juniors
    • Initial ACT and/or ACT exams taken
    • PSAT scores distributed and explained
    • Advising on course selection and registration for twelfth grade
    • AIMS (Association of Independent Miami Schools) College Fair – attendance required
    May/June:
    • Advanced Placement Tests
    • College essay workshops
     Calendar

  • Grade 12

    The intensive application process for seniors begins August 1st.
    • Application workshops in August
    • Special ACT and SAT Test Administrations for MCDS seniors in 1st semester
    • Grade-specific “College Knowledge” Programming for Students and Parents
    • Completion and Submission of College Applications
    • Guidance on Financial Aid Applications
    • Celebration of Acceptances and Final College Choice

    Timeline

    August/September:
    • Common Application Workshops – attendance required
    • Orientation to the College Counseling program for the year – Applications, Admissions Decisions, Financial Aid, Bright Futures, etc.
    • Regularly-scheduled individual meetings with seniors and their counselor
    • Managing the application process in SCOIR
    • Programs with college admissions representations – on campus and virtual begin
    • Senior Parent College Program
    October/November:
    • Early Decision, Early Action, and Priority deadlines for application submission
    • AIMS (Association of Independent Miami Schools) College Fair – attendance optional
    • Official visits to college campuses encouraged
    • Mid-semester grade reports sent for early/priority decision applicants
    • Assistance with financial aid applications (FAFSA and CSS Profile) begins
    December:
    • Early Decision and some Early Action admissions decisions released
    January/February:
    • Final application submissions
    • Early Action and Priority decisions released
    • First semester grade reports sent to colleges
    • Senior Circle celebration of Early Decision acceptances
    March/April:
    • Final decisions released
    • Admitted student programs hosted by colleges
    May/June:
    • May 1st National College Decision Date Celebration in Senior Circle
    • Graduation!!!
    Calendar

Contact Us

List of 8 items.

  • Derek Jay DuBose

    Director of College & Academic Counseling
    305.779.7326 Contact Derek

  • J. ROBERT SPATIG

    Dean of Student Advancement
    305-779-7356 Contact J. Robert

  • Martha Falls

    9th Grade Dean
    305-779-7253 Contact Martha

  • Antonio Serrano

    Associate Director of College & Academic Counseling
    786-687-4807 Contact Antonio

  • Walter Pineda

    Associate Director of College & Academic Counseling
    305-779-7233 Contact Walter

  • Marisol Sardina

    Upper School Humanities Teacher & College Counselor
    (305) 779-7277 Contact Marisol

  • Kyle Doyle

    Associate Director of College Counseling
    (305) 779-7200 Contact Kyle

  • Amelia Lee Conlon

    Associate Director of College & Academic Counseling
    786.408.7888 Contact Amelia

Matriculation Lists

Our graduates are attending colleges and universities all across the country. Take a look at where they’ve chosen to continue their studies.
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Class of 2026

  • Allegheny College
  • American University
  • Appalachian State University
  • Arizona State University
  • Arizona State University (Downtown Phoenix)
  • Auburn University
  • Austin College
  • Babson College
  • Barnard College
  • Barry University
  • Bates College
  • Baylor University
  • Belmont University
  • Bentley University
  • Bocconi University
  • Boston College
  • Boston University
  • Brandeis University
  • Brown University
  • Bryant University
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Case Western Reserve University
  • Chapman University
  • Claremont McKenna College
  • Clark Atlanta University
  • Clemson University
  • Colby College
  • College of Charleston
  • Colorado State University
  • Columbia University
  • Cornell University
  • Dartmouth College
  • Davidson College
  • DePaul University
  • Drexel University
  • Duke University
  • Durham University
  • Eckerd College
  • Ecole Superieure des Agricultures
  • Elon University
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach)
  • Emerson College
  • Emory University
  • Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas
  • Fairfield University
  • Fisher College
  • Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
  • Florida Atlantic University
  • Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Florida Institute of Technology
  • Florida International University
  • Florida Polytechnic University
  • Florida Southern College
  • Florida State University
  • Fordham University
  • Franklin and Marshall College
  • Franklin University Switzerland
  • George Mason University
  • George Washington University
  • Georgetown University
  • Georgia Tech
  • Gnomon
  • Goucher College
  • Harvard University
  • Harvey Mudd College
  • High Point University
  • Hillsborough Community College
  • Houston Community College
  • Howard University
  • Hult International Business School
  • Hult International Business School (London)
  • IE University
  • Illinois Institute of Technology
  • Indiana University (Bloomington)
  • Indiana University Indianapolis
  • Instituto Maragoni (D)
  • Iona University
  • Ithaca College
  • John Cabot University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Johnson & Wales University (Charlotte)
  • King's College London
  • Lafayette College
  • Lehigh University
  • Long Island University (Brooklyn)
  • Louisiana State University
  • Loyola Marymount University
  • Loyola University Chicago
  • Loyola University New Orleans
  • Lynn University
  • Manhattan School of Music
  • Marist University
  • Marquette University
  • Marymount Manhattan College
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • McGill University
  • McPherson College
  • Mercer University
  • Miami Dade College
  • Michigan State University
  • Minerva University
  • Morehouse College
  • Neumann University
  • New York University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Northeastern University
  • Northwestern University
  • Nova Southeastern University
  • Oberlin College
  • Ohio University
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Pace University (New York City)
  • Parsons School of Design at The New School
  • Penn State University
  • Penn State University (Abington)
  • Penn State University (Altoona)
  • Penn State University (Behrend)
  • Penn State University (Berks)
  • Penn State University (Harrisburg)
  • Pepperdine University
  • Pitzer College
  • Providence College
  • Purdue University
  • Queen Mary University of London
  • Queen's University
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Richmond American University London
  • Rider University
  • Ringling College of Art and Design
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Rollins College
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
  • Rowan University
  • Rutgers University (Camden)
  • Sacred Heart University
  • Saint Louis University, Madrid
  • San Diego State University
  • Santa Clara University
  • Santa Fe College
  • Sarah Lawrence College
  • Savannah College of Art and Design
  • Scripps College
  • Simmons University
  • Smith College
  • Southern Methodist University
  • Stanford University
  • Stetson University
  • Stevens Institute of Technology
  • Stony Brook University
  • Suffolk University
  • SUNY Buffalo
  • SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
  • Swarthmore College
  • Syracuse University
  • Tallahassee State College
  • Tel Aviv University
  • Temple University
  • Temple University, Japan Campus
  • Texas A&M University
  • Texas Christian University
  • The American University of Paris
  • The Catholic University of America
  • The Citadel
  • The London School of Economics and Political Science
  • The New School
  • The Ohio State University
  • The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University
  • The University of Warwick
  • Thomas Jefferson University
  • Troy University
  • Tufts University
  • Tulane University
  • Union College
  • Universite Paris Dauphine
  • University College London
  • University of Alabama
  • University of Arizona
  • University of California (Berkeley)
  • University of California (Davis)
  • University of California (Irvine)
  • University of California (Los Angeles)
  • University of California (San Diego)
  • University of California (Santa Barbara)
  • University of California (Santa Cruz)
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Colorado (Boulder)
  • University of Connecticut
  • University of Delaware
  • University of Denver
  • University of Evansville
  • University of Florida
  • University of Florida-Online
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Louisville
  • University of Maine
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
  • University of Massachusetts (Boston)
  • University of Miami
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Mississippi
  • University of Nevada (Las Vegas)
  • University of New Hampshire
  • University of New Haven
  • University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
  • University of North Carolina (Charlotte)
  • University of North Carolina (Wilmington)
  • University of North Florida
  • University of Notre Dame
  • University of Oregon
  • University of Oxford
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • University of Puerto Rico (Mayaguez)
  • University of Rhode Island
  • University of Richmond
  • University of Rochester
  • University of San Diego
  • University of San Francisco
  • University of South Carolina
  • University of South Florida
  • University of South Florida (St. Petersburg)
  • University of Southern California
  • University of St Andrews
  • University of Tampa
  • University of Tennessee
  • University of Texas
  • University of Texas (Rio Grande Valley)
  • University of the Pacific
  • University of Utah
  • University of Vermont
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Washington
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Villanova University
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Virginia Military Institute
  • Virginia Tech
  • Wake Forest University
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology
  • Wesleyan University
  • William & Mary
  • William Paterson University
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • Yale University
Expand

Classes of 2019-2024

Alfred University
American University 
Auburn University 
Babson College 
Bakersfield College 
Bard College 
Barnard College 
Barry University 
Bentley University 
Berklee College of Music Birkbeck
University of London Bocconi University 
Boston College 
Boston University 
Bradley University 
Brandeis University 
Broward College
Brown University
Bucknell University 
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Carleton College 
Carnegie Mellon University 
Case Western Reserve University
Clark University 
Clemson University 
Colgate University 
College of Charleston
Colorado State University
Columbia University
Concordia University - Canada
Cornell University 
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice 
Dartmouth College 
Davidson College 
Drexel University 
Duke University 
Eastern Florida State College
Eastern Kentucky University 
EHL Hospitality Business School
Elon University 
Emerson College
Everglades University 
Flagler College 
Florida A&M University 
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida Southern College 
Florida State University 
Fordham University 
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Hawai'i Pacific University 
High Point University 
Hult International Business School
Huntingdon College 
IE University - Spain 
Indian River State College
Indiana University
Bloomington lstituto Marangoni 
John Cabot University- Italy 
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
Lehigh University 
Lenoir-Rhyne University 
Les Roches University- Spain
LIM College 
LIU Post 
Louisiana State University
Loyola University New Orleans
Lynn University 
Marist College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mercer University
Miami Dade College
Michigan State University
Monmouth University 
Mount Holyoke College 
Nazareth College
New York University 
Newcastle University - United Kingdom
Northeastern University
Northwestern University 
Nova Southeastern University
Occidental College
Oglethorpe University 
Pace University (New York City)
Parsons School of Design 
Penn State University
University Park
Queen's University
Purdue University 
Rollins College 
Rowan University 
Rutgers University
Salve Regina University
Saint Louis University 
Santa Clara University 
Sarah Lawrence College 
Savannah College of Art and Design
Seattle University 
Siena College 
Smith College 
Sophia University - Japan 
Southern Methodist University 
St. Thomas University 
Stetson University 
Stevens Institute of Technology
Suffolk University 
Syracuse University 
Tel Aviv University - Israel 
Temple University 
Texas A&M University 
The College of the Florida Keys 
The College of William and Mary The New School 
The Ohio State University 
The University of Edinburgh - United Kingdom 
The University of Tampa 
The University of Texas at Austin
Tufts University 
Tulane University of Louisiana
University of Arizona 
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los -Angeles 
University of California, Santa -Barbara 
University of California, Santa -Cruz 
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Kentucky
University of Maine
University of Maryland, College Park 
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Nebsraska-Lincoln
University of North Carolina at­Chapel Hill 
University of North Florida
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern -California 
University of St Andrews - United Kingdom 
University of Vermont
University of - Wisconsin-Madison
Vanderbilt University 
Vassar College 
Villanova University 
Virginia Tech 
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. -Louis 
Williams College 
Yale University

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MCDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by Federal, State, or local laws.
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601 NE 107th Street | Miami, FL 33161

PH: 305.779.7200 | F: 305.397.0370