Vanguard offers comprehensive college admission information and preparation for all students, both middle school and high school students.

Cindy Graves serves as Director of College Counseling and guides Vanguard students as they begin to explore their options for admission and potential scholarships at colleges and universities of interest to them. She is a member of the Heart of Texas Counseling Association, The Texas Association for College Admission Counseling, and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Mrs. Graves holds a Master of Arts degree in counseling from Southern Methodist University. She has served as president of the Heart of Texas Counseling Association (HOTCA), was named Outstanding HOTCA High School Counselor in 1997, and was named Outstanding HOTCA Middle School Counselor in 2007. She received the William W. Fleming Award for Counseling Excellence by the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling in 2003.

With 17 years of college counseling experience, Mrs. Graves is the lead instructor for College Prep Seminar, a Vanguard course that is required for every student in the 11th grade. She makes frequent visits to college campuses around the nation and attends state and national conferences to network with college admissions personnel.

College Prep Seminar is a required course that hones each student’s skills for taking college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT. Members of Vanguard’s English and math departments team teach the course with Mrs. Graves. Students learn effective techniques for filling out applications for college admission and for college scholarships.

College preparation information meetings for parents are held at every grade level.

Admissions representatives from colleges and universities come to Vanguard regularly for information sessions with all juniors and seniors.

Juniors participate in mock interviews to help them prepare for admission to competitive colleges and military academies which recommend or require interviews.

Vanguard has produced 41 National Merit Semifinalists in the past 17 years. Forty of them were selected as National Merit Finalists.

The 28 members of the Class of 2010 have an SAT average score of 1255 (critical reading and math combined.) The average score in Texas is 992. The 61 members of the combined graduating classes of 2008 and 2009 received more than $8.4 million in academic scholarship offers to colleges and universities around the nation.

100 percent of Vanguard graduates attend a college or university, many of which are highly selective institutions such as Rice University, New York University, Princeton University, the University of Chicago, Stanford University, Georgetown University, Duke University, and the United States Naval Academy.

Cindy Graves
Dean of Students / College Counselor
email: cindy_graves@vanguard.org

Phone & Fax
Phone (254) 772-8111
Fax (254) 772-8263

Address:
Vanguard College Preparatory School
2517 Mt Carmel
Waco, Texas 76710