In the wake of the Supreme Court’s UNC/Harvard decision to overturn the use of race-conscious affirmative action policies in college recruiting, many have bemoaned the end of what was seen as a panacea...
West has a history of academic excellence — a fact that is well-known and often appreciated by students. Ranked fourth out of all public high schools in Missouri, West consistently scores above the...
With the pressure of success on every student’s back, it’s sometimes hard to imagine that inner peace can exist. Looming college decisions and selective scholarships are just the beginning; the state...
Common App. Essay Writing. ACT Optional. Applying to the college of your dreams can span months. Students don’t have to figure out this world alone. Counselors are readily available.
Dedicated to...
Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief
• March 9, 2022
Before the pandemic, students around the country participated in the test score rat race, hoping it would enhance their college application enough to get into their dream school. But that was two years...
Susie Seidel, Convergence Media Editor
• October 4, 2019
Students stay after school hoping their teacher hasn’t left before their question is answered, teachers working at multiple schools fly into the parking lot to make the bell and members of off-campus...
![A board in the Parkway West counseling department displays pennants of selective universities. With a wide range of students interested in attending, it’s important that these schools have clear priorities when deciding who to admit. “[Washington University] had the major that I wanted, psychology, philosophy, neuroscience. That's a holistic study of the brain, and [WashU is] the only college in the world that offers that. That's the main reason I wanted to go; I got into that program,” senior Dima Layth said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Flag-1.png)
![Like many students, sophomore Medina Nanic experiences pressure to do well in school. Through continuous success and achievements, West has developed a high academic standard for students. “Because we’re seen as one [of] the better schools, we have higher standards than the [schools] who aren’t ranked as high. There’s a lot of pressure on students to do [well] and live up to those standards,” Nanic said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0029-2-1200x800.jpg)
![Explaining how to request high school transcripts for the college application, college counselor Chris Lorenz leads a senior class meeting for English teacher Diana Lurkins’ AP Literature class. West High transitioned the counseling department to create a single college counselor, following in the footsteps of the other four Parkway high schools. “I love working with high school [students], coming of age, moving from being a child to an adult. I’m helping individuals through that transition, which encompasses an understanding of themselves and their passions are as they leave high school and go off to do bigger and better things,” Lorenz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lorenz-900x600.jpg)
