Courtesy of KMS
Jud Bartlett speaks at the KMS guidence evening.
KILLINGTON — Killington Mountain School hosted a College Guidance Night on Friday evening, Feb. 12, led by Middlebury College Admissions Officer, Karen Bartlett, who spoke about the college process from an admissions perspective. Karen Bartlett was joined by her husband, Jud, an alum of both KMS and Middlebury, who shared his insight about how his KMS experience uniquely prepared him for life beyond high school and also about his college ski racing experience.
Karen Bartlett spoke to the students about the importance of visiting a variety of colleges, and being mindful of whether or not the “feel” of a campus is one that appeals to them. She commented, “When you are visiting a school, take a moment to be mindful of whether or not you can see yourself at that school, noting if it feels like a community you want to be a part of. Do people smile and offer help to you, or do they just keep walking past you without making eye contact?”
She also reminded KMS students that they are coming from a very small high school, and to be mindful of size when choosing a college.
She noted that the Middlebury admissions office is well-aware that some applicants have families who may choose to direct a significant amount of money toward making their child’s application “polished and perfect.” She said they aim to sift through all of that perfection and find students who really have something unique to offer, who stand out, and who will offer special to the Middlebury community. She noted that often, things like holding a “non-cushy” summer job, catch the attention of application readers as they reflect that the candidate possesses grit and dedication.
Jud Bartlett shared that his KMS experience prepared him for various aspects of college that his freshman peers who had not attended a school like KMS found challenging. Things like managing a checking account, juggling school work and athletics, even doing laundry came easily, thanks to his KMS experience, too. He also gave insight about how best to contact coaches and chart a path to ski in college, sharing some “insider knowledge” gleaned from his brother, former KMS coach and student, Stever Bartlett, who is currently Middlebury’s Alpine coach. Stever was unable to join his brother and Karen Bartlett as he was at the Dartmouth Carnival with his Middlebury alpine athletes.
KMS Head of School Tao Smith spoke to parents about the new SAT, debuting this March, and about the support KMS provides with the college application process both winter-term and full-term students. He, as well as Karen Bartlett, also spoke about the importance of the college essay and teacher recommendations. At the end of the evening, the Bartletts and Tao responded to a variety of questions from both students and parents, bringing the informative night to a close.
