For Prospective College Applicants, Atkinson Is A “Wonderful” Addition to Choate
By Rebecca Sassoon ‘08
News Staff Reporter
It is a common belief that high school is essentially preparation for one greater purpose: college. New college counselor Jill Atkinson is well aware of this. Born and raised in Georgia, Atkinson attended University of Georgia for her undergraduate degree. Although she had aspired to be an elementary school teacher, she did not feel ready to enter the classroom, and instead continued her own education earning her masters degree from Eastern Kentucky University.
According to Atkinson, she wanted a job that would keep her active and allow her to have contact with students, but she was unsure what that was at the time. At Eastern Kentucky, she became involved in intramurals and campus recreation, and her journey in the field of admissions began.
For the past six years, Ms. Atkinson has worked in the admissions office at Kenyon College. Located in rural Gambier, Ohio, Kenyon has a small population of 1600 students and places a great deal of emphasis on community. Leaving Kenyon, Ms. Atkinson wanted to find a place with a similar supportive spirit. “What first got me interested in Choate was the fact that I knew the quality of the educational experience offered,” she explained. “I knew that Choate has a tremendous reputation [in the college world], and students are coming out very prepared for college.” Atkinson wanted an opportunity to work on the other side of the admissions process, and jumped at the chance to have the experience at Choate.
Ms. Atkinson sees herself as a “resource” and an “unconditional support system” for her advisees. She explains, “I think that the one thing my colleagues and I bring to students and their families is that there are a plethora of schools that all have something unique to offer, which make them wonderful options. We open those doors for the students to do further research.”
Her previous experience as a college admissions officer is certainly valuable because she is highly aware of the current standards for admission. In addition, she is most concerned with finding schools at which her advisees would be genuinely happy. As far as selecting a college, she does not believe in the “perfect fit” theory. Rather, Ms. Atkinson feels that students should like most aspects of a college and be able to see themselves happy there. So, however great the temptation, Atkinson believes students should not quickly discard a school for not having ‘everything.’
As an adjunct adviser to McCook, Ms. Atkinson is an involved member of the Choate community. “Certainly the main focus of my job is the college counseling aspect, but I also have dorm duty and participate in all of the other aspects of Choate life.” Thus far, she is enjoying her Choate experience, and has been welcomed warmly into the community by faculty and students alike.
