College Counseling

When you walk into the Office of College Counseling, you can’t miss all the banners from universities around the world that our graduates have attended. Our students get to fulfill their dreams at  those places of higher learning with the help of a team of counselors led by Director Kurt Schmidt.

Mr. Schmidt has spent thirty years as either a student or faculty member at Jesuit institutions across the United States, including working in admissions at Le Moyne College in New York. “I visited Saint Ignatius frequently when I was a recruiter. Saint Ignatius students were exactly the type we wanted at our college - bright, well-rounded and ambitious.”

Mr. Schmidt’s role encompasses much more than aiding with admissions. “I love working directly with our students,” he shares. “To help a student select a college is to help them discover who they are, who they want to become when they have to leave Roosevelt Road. My door is always open for those conversations.”

The autumn is crunch time in Mr. Schmidt’s office, and a visit during these months reveals a festive and lively atmosphere. The class of 2025 has 358 Seniors who will collectively send out more than 4,000 applications. Mr. Schmidt and his team write letters of recommendation for each student, meet one-on-one with students and parents, welcome universities to campus, and organize events throughout the year to help guide students in all four years to the college of their dreams.

“It’s an exciting job,” he reflects. “ It’s also rewarding. Over my career I continue to run into  many Ignatian alums for whom I was their College Counselor. Whether they’re doctors, teachers or business leaders, they’re successful in their careers and personal lives. I can see they still keep our core values of service and leadership right in their heart.”