College Counseling - Bellarmine College Preparatory
Source: https://www.bcp.org/academics/college-counseling
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:12
College Counseling - Bellarmine College Preparatory
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College Counseling
The college admissions process is lengthy, competitive, and oftentimes opaque. Bellarmine is proud to offer
the most robust counseling program of any Bay Area High School,
executed by a staff of seven personal counselors and six college counselors: more than any other school in the area.
Of Bellarmine's six College Counselors,
five have worked in college admissions offices. All six are members of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (two of whom are former Presidents), and all six are members of the National Association of College Counseling (NACAC). Our Director of College Counseling is the former President of NACAC, and several of our counselors are members of college counseling advisory boards at universities across the country! In addition to full-time College Counselors, prospective college athletes also have access to a highly qualified Recruitment Counselor on campus twice per week.
In the spirit of
cura personalis,
the members of our College Counseling department are committed to helping students identify and apply to colleges that align with their aspirations, achievements, priorities, and needs.
Grade 9: Explore & Adjust
Grade 10: Discover & Grow
Grade 11: Plan & Prepare
Grade 12: Apply & Transition
In grade 9, students are assigned to Personal Counselors who help them transition to high school with academic, personal, and emotional support. This includes guidance on:
Clubs, sports, and service opportunities to explore.
Study and time management habit development.
Identifying academic strengths.
Building a four-year academic plan based on goals.
In addition to meeting each semester with their assigned Personal Counselor, freshmen at Bellarmine also attend CURA with the support of their Big Brothers and faculty.
In grade 10, students continue working with Personal Counselors on deepening extracurricular involvement, exploring leadership and service roles, aligning academic course selection with future goals, and early understanding of the college admissions process.
In addition to meeting each semester with their assigned Personal Counselor, sophomores at Bellarmine:
Meet as a class with College Counselors to learn about qualities sought by college admission officers as well as the
realities of college admissions:
grades, test scores, accomplishments, etc.
Have the opportunity to attend
120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine
in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
Take the
PSAT.
Attend CURA sessions designed to prepare them for career searches, to understand social-emotional health, and to develop their leadership and communication skills.
In grade 11, students are assigned to College Counselors who focus on:
Meeting with students individually and with their families.
Curating a balanced school list.
Preparing for standardized testing.
Ideating, drafting, and revising application essays.
Organizing college visits.
In addition to their one-on-one work with their College Counselors, juniors at Bellarmine:
Continue to meet with their assigned Personal Counselors.
Attend CURA sessions to continue
career exploration,
to understand how to work through challenges, and to continue developing their leadership skills and commitment to service.
Attend CURA sessions with College Counselors to learn about the timeline, vocabulary, and characteristics of colleges as well as the
realities of college admissions and financing.
Take the PSAT.
Have the opportunity to attend
120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine
in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
Have the opportunity to take a
School Day SAT
in March.
Have the opportunity to attend the South Bay Area Case Studies with their parents, which gives them insights into how colleges make admission decisions and access to
talk with 100+ college admission officers
from around the country.
Attend
College Launch Part One
in late May with their parents to confirm their understanding of vocabulary, college application and admission options, and the results of the current seniors’ applications and enrollment decisions.
Begin drafting
college application essays.
Meet with their College Counselor and family to review their college preferences and plan college visits for the summer.
In grade 12, students continue working with College Counselors on:
College lists.
Securing Letters of Recommendation.
Editing college application essays.
Finalizing and submitting applications.
Applying for scholarships and financial aid.
Navigating deferral and appeal options as needed.
Making an informed college decision.
In addition to their one-on-one work with their College Counselors, seniors at Bellarmine:
Attend
College Launch Part Two
with their parents to learn the logistics of the college application process and review trends from the previous admissions cycle.
Attend two CURA sessions with College Counselors to complete data for applications and review options for college decision making.
Have the opportunity to attend
120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine
in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
Attend
College Financial Aid Night
in late September.
Attend Application Workshops to complete the Common Application, UC and CSU Application Forms (written guides are provided).
Have the opportunity to take a
School Day SAT
in October.
Our College Counseling isn't limited to students.
Bellarmine hosts several presentations each year for
parents of sophomores, juniors, and seniors,
as well as individual meetings on campus. We also provide resources to help map out students' successful application process. These include:
Evening assemblies for parents.
Two Sophomore Parent nights:
one focused on vocabulary, process, timeline, and the other with presentations from admission officers from the UC, CSU, Santa Clara, and Colleges That Change Lives
Two Junior Parent College Nights:
one focused on recent admissions data, realities, and the college application process, and the other including a presentation from a Dean of Admission. Recent years featured speakers from Boston College, USC, Georgia Tech, UCLA, and Notre Dame.
College Guidance classes throughout junior year, covering topics like testing, financial aid, and finding the right college fit.
Individual student and family meetings from February of junior year through senior year.
A robust senior orientation program at the beginning of senior year, covering application procedures.
Counseling for Athletic Recruitment
Bellarmine Athletics has partnered with College Counseling to support student-athletes pursuing collegiate sports at the DI, DII, DIII, or NAIA levels. Doug Locker, our part-time Athletic Recruitment Specialist, meets with athletes to guide them through the recruitment process, including NCAA requirements, course planning, and communication with college coaches. Available on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays, Doug complements our existing college counseling services and provides individualized advice to help athletes make informed academic and athletic choices.
College Counselors
Katy Murphy
Director of College Counseling
kmurphy@bcp.org
Madeline Duckhorn
College Counselor
mduckhorn@bcp.org
Sneha Kohirkar
College Counselor
skohirkar@bcp.org
Marc McGee
College Counselor
mmcgee@bcp.org
Joe Romano
College Counselor
jromano@bcp.org
Jenny Uribe
College Counselor
juribe@bcp.org
Doug Locker
Athletic College Recruitment Specialist
dlocker@bcp.org
For College Admissions Officers:
We value our relationship with colleges and universities across the country, and we host over 150 college admissions officers on campus every fall. Scheduling visits begins in August each year, and for information on how to get on our schedule, you can email Cindy Dunn at
cdunn@bcp.org
. One of our six College Counselors attends every presentation.
Class of 2026 Profile
Visit Instructions
We have a parking structure on the corner of Stockton Avenue and Emory Street. It is on the other side of campus from our Reception Office and the address of our school (960 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95126). Please do not use this address in your GPS app — you will end up on the wrong side of the campus.
Enter the campus from Stockton Avenue and stay in the left lane as you turn left on Emory Street, turn left to enter the parking structure and make an immediate left once inside. Park anywhere that is available, it is OK to park in an EV space.
Enter campus through the metal gates and follow the signs to enter the gym. Please wear your official name tag when on campus — no need to register with the receptionist. Walk through the Hall of Honor, turn left, and there is an elevator to the second floor of the Ryan/Shinney Student Life Center (Part of the Schott Athletic Center building next to the Gym on Emory Street).
See Campus Map Here
Skip To Main Content
College Counseling
The college admissions process is lengthy, competitive, and oftentimes opaque. Bellarmine is proud to offer
the most robust counseling program of any Bay Area High School,
executed by a staff of seven personal counselors and six college counselors: more than any other school in the area.
Of Bellarmine's six College Counselors,
five have worked in college admissions offices. All six are members of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (two of whom are former Presidents), and all six are members of the National Association of College Counseling (NACAC). Our Director of College Counseling is the former President of NACAC, and several of our counselors are members of college counseling advisory boards at universities across the country! In addition to full-time College Counselors, prospective college athletes also have access to a highly qualified Recruitment Counselor on campus twice per week.
In the spirit of
cura personalis,
the members of our College Counseling department are committed to helping students identify and apply to colleges that align with their aspirations, achievements, priorities, and needs.
Grade 9: Explore & Adjust
Grade 10: Discover & Grow
Grade 11: Plan & Prepare
Grade 12: Apply & Transition
In grade 9, students are assigned to Personal Counselors who help them transition to high school with academic, personal, and emotional support. This includes guidance on:
Clubs, sports, and service opportunities to explore.
Study and time management habit development.
Identifying academic strengths.
Building a four-year academic plan based on goals.
In addition to meeting each semester with their assigned Personal Counselor, freshmen at Bellarmine also attend CURA with the support of their Big Brothers and faculty.
In grade 10, students continue working with Personal Counselors on deepening extracurricular involvement, exploring leadership and service roles, aligning academic course selection with future goals, and early understanding of the college admissions process.
In addition to meeting each semester with their assigned Personal Counselor, sophomores at Bellarmine:
Meet as a class with College Counselors to learn about qualities sought by college admission officers as well as the
realities of college admissions:
grades, test scores, accomplishments, etc.
Have the opportunity to attend
120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine
in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
Take the
PSAT.
Attend CURA sessions designed to prepare them for career searches, to understand social-emotional health, and to develop their leadership and communication skills.
In grade 11, students are assigned to College Counselors who focus on:
Meeting with students individually and with their families.
Curating a balanced school list.
Preparing for standardized testing.
Ideating, drafting, and revising application essays.
Organizing college visits.
In addition to their one-on-one work with their College Counselors, juniors at Bellarmine:
Continue to meet with their assigned Personal Counselors.
Attend CURA sessions to continue
career exploration,
to understand how to work through challenges, and to continue developing their leadership skills and commitment to service.
Attend CURA sessions with College Counselors to learn about the timeline, vocabulary, and characteristics of colleges as well as the
realities of college admissions and financing.
Take the PSAT.
Have the opportunity to attend
120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine
in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
Have the opportunity to take a
School Day SAT
in March.
Have the opportunity to attend the South Bay Area Case Studies with their parents, which gives them insights into how colleges make admission decisions and access to
talk with 100+ college admission officers
from around the country.
Attend
College Launch Part One
in late May with their parents to confirm their understanding of vocabulary, college application and admission options, and the results of the current seniors’ applications and enrollment decisions.
Begin drafting
college application essays.
Meet with their College Counselor and family to review their college preferences and plan college visits for the summer.
In grade 12, students continue working with College Counselors on:
College lists.
Securing Letters of Recommendation.
Editing college application essays.
Finalizing and submitting applications.
Applying for scholarships and financial aid.
Navigating deferral and appeal options as needed.
Making an informed college decision.
In addition to their one-on-one work with their College Counselors, seniors at Bellarmine:
Attend
College Launch Part Two
with their parents to learn the logistics of the college application process and review trends from the previous admissions cycle.
Attend two CURA sessions with College Counselors to complete data for applications and review options for college decision making.
Have the opportunity to attend
120 college admission officer visits to Bellarmine
in the Fall as well as two college fairs.
Attend
College Financial Aid Night
in late September.
Attend Application Workshops to complete the Common Application, UC and CSU Application Forms (written guides are provided).
Have the opportunity to take a
School Day SAT
in October.
Our College Counseling isn't limited to students.
Bellarmine hosts several presentations each year for
parents of sophomores, juniors, and seniors,
as well as individual meetings on campus. We also provide resources to help map out students' successful application process. These include:
Evening assemblies for parents.
Two Sophomore Parent nights:
one focused on vocabulary, process, timeline, and the other with presentations from admission officers from the UC, CSU, Santa Clara, and Colleges That Change Lives
Two Junior Parent College Nights:
one focused on recent admissions data, realities, and the college application process, and the other including a presentation from a Dean of Admission. Recent years featured speakers from Boston College, USC, Georgia Tech, UCLA, and Notre Dame.
College Guidance classes throughout junior year, covering topics like testing, financial aid, and finding the right college fit.
Individual student and family meetings from February of junior year through senior year.
A robust senior orientation program at the beginning of senior year, covering application procedures.
Counseling for Athletic Recruitment
Bellarmine Athletics has partnered with College Counseling to support student-athletes pursuing collegiate sports at the DI, DII, DIII, or NAIA levels. Doug Locker, our part-time Athletic Recruitment Specialist, meets with athletes to guide them through the recruitment process, including NCAA requirements, course planning, and communication with college coaches. Available on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays, Doug complements our existing college counseling services and provides individualized advice to help athletes make informed academic and athletic choices.
College Counselors
Katy Murphy
Director of College Counseling
kmurphy@bcp.org
Madeline Duckhorn
College Counselor
mduckhorn@bcp.org
Sneha Kohirkar
College Counselor
skohirkar@bcp.org
Marc McGee
College Counselor
mmcgee@bcp.org
Joe Romano
College Counselor
jromano@bcp.org
Jenny Uribe
College Counselor
juribe@bcp.org
Doug Locker
Athletic College Recruitment Specialist
dlocker@bcp.org
For College Admissions Officers:
We value our relationship with colleges and universities across the country, and we host over 150 college admissions officers on campus every fall. Scheduling visits begins in August each year, and for information on how to get on our schedule, you can email Cindy Dunn at
cdunn@bcp.org
. One of our six College Counselors attends every presentation.
Class of 2026 Profile
Visit Instructions
We have a parking structure on the corner of Stockton Avenue and Emory Street. It is on the other side of campus from our Reception Office and the address of our school (960 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95126). Please do not use this address in your GPS app — you will end up on the wrong side of the campus.
Enter the campus from Stockton Avenue and stay in the left lane as you turn left on Emory Street, turn left to enter the parking structure and make an immediate left once inside. Park anywhere that is available, it is OK to park in an EV space.
Enter campus through the metal gates and follow the signs to enter the gym. Please wear your official name tag when on campus — no need to register with the receptionist. Walk through the Hall of Honor, turn left, and there is an elevator to the second floor of the Ryan/Shinney Student Life Center (Part of the Schott Athletic Center building next to the Gym on Emory Street).
See Campus Map Here