Menlo News October 11, 2016

Meet Matt Mettille, Our New Director of College Counseling

Here’s a short Q&A to give you an opportunity to get to know Matt a little better and hear about his first couple of months in our college counseling office.

Menlo’s new director of College Counseling, Matt Mettille, grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, and lived in the Midwest until he left for graduate school in Philadelphia at age 24. He spent ten years on the East Coast working in the College Counseling offices of Georgetown Day School and Pine Crest School and excitedly made the move to the West Coast this past summer. He’s happy to be in the Bay Area and at Menlo. We wanted you to have an opportunity to get to know Matt a little better, too, so here’s a short Q&A with him about his first couple of months in our college counseling office.

What are three things people might not know about you?

  1. I’m a triplet. I loved growing up with two automatic buddies. Today, my brothers remain two of my closest friends and biggest supporters.
  2. Before I started graduate school at Penn, I moved to Alaska for a summer and worked for a cruise ship company.
  3. My favorite job in the world is being an uncle to my niece, Lucy. She just turned 1 and has brought more joy and love into this world than I thought possible. I will show people pictures of her at any time…just ask.

How did you get into College Counseling?

“I was a tour guide during college and after graduation worked in the Office of Admissions at Grinnell and Beloit Colleges. I loved working with students and families and as much as I loved those institutions, I was mindful of the fact that there are hundreds of amazing colleges and universities in our country. After graduate school, I decided I wanted to work in college counseling because I wanted to have more contact with students and talk about all colleges (not just one) and the opportunities that await students after high school. I’ve loved having a small sliver of influence in the trajectory of high school students over the past ten years. It’s exciting to watch them develop and mature through the college process.”

Why Menlo?

I had always heard about Menlo from my admission colleagues who traveled to California, and I knew it was one of the top independent schools on the West Coast. So when I first learned about the opportunity, I knew it was one I wanted to peruse. When I came for my interview last February, Menlo quickly felt like home to me, and I immediately wanted to be a part of this outstanding school and community.

“When it came time to share the news publicly, it was clear that my admissions and college counseling colleagues shared my enthusiasm for Menlo. Friends that work or have worked at Emory, Harvard, USC, Pomona, Duke, Sarah Lawrence, Swarthmore, Vanderbilt, Bates, and Brown, among other colleges, confirmed what a special place Menlo is. I heard comments from colleagues about loving to read Menlo applications and how interesting Menlo students are as well as what a great school Menlo is, what a beautiful campus we have, how awesome our college counseling team is, and the list went on. And, after being here for three months, I truly love coming to work each day. The students are welcoming, smart, ambitious, kind, and eager to make their mark on the world.” 

What do you think are the biggest strengths of Menlo’s College Counseling program?

“I was so excited to join the team of college counselors, who I knew to be experts in the field. Combined, the college counselors have over 40 years of experience in college counseling and college admissions. We’ve read thousands of applications and college essays and are eager to help Menlo students share their authentic story. Menlo provides excellent programming for families that allows us to share the latest trends in this field. I love that we start working with students in 10th grade so can really develop strong and meaningful relationships with students through this process. I know from my connections to colleagues on the admissions side of the desk that they love getting applications from students at Menlo, which excites me.” 

What are some of your initial goals for the program?

“I want to make sure our program is the strongest it can possibly be for our students and fill any gaps that are needed. I want to make sure student athletes and performing artists feel supported in the process through our expertise but also programming. I also want to continue to widen the list of schools where Menlo students apply and matriculate. There are hundreds of amazing colleges and universities in this country and abroad, I want everyone to know about the great things happening at Menlo.” 

What can parents do to help their children through the college process?

“Parents can be really helpful with the organizational piece of the colleges processfiguring out college visit road trips or making checklists of which schools offer interviews, or helping to organize which schools have supplemental essays, etc. 

“However, perhaps most importantly parents need to be their child’s biggest cheerleader through this process. Students will feel a lot of pressure and anxiety during junior and senior year, so parents need to be the solid, calming force in their life that continually assures them things will work out, that they are proud of their child, and that they are loved.” 

How can students become stronger self-advocates in the process?

“The college process can be challenging for some students because it forces them to reflect on their four years of high school and then makes them assess what they are looking for in a college and what makes them a strong, compelling candidate in an admissions pool. The College Counselors ask these questions and try to open their eyes to the outstanding higher education options throughout the United States. 

“It’s an exciting time for students and the college counselors work to empower students to move into the next phase of life with confidence and excitement by taking ownership of this process from visiting colleges to meeting admissions officers to submitting applications. The college counselors are with them every step of the way, but for me, it’s really fulfilling to see students at graduation knowing that they made it and are ready to tackle the world.”

At the end of the day….

“My hope is that every student completes the college admissions process and graduates from Menlo feeling happy and celebrated about what is next. I hope each student has felt supported and encouraged.”