This year was filled with challenges. College tours were virtual, test scores became optional, and the news was filled with reports about record applications and low acceptance rates. While we are always confident that, in spite of twists and turns, students end up where they are meant to be, everything felt a little more uncertain this year.

It was also filled with wonderful surprises. As always, some students began with a clear goal in mind, and they remained focused on that outcome throughout the process. Others explored their options as well as their own unique qualities, commitments and values. Like many of us during this pandemic, they had time to do some self-reflection and tap into what really mattered to them, and their choice of colleges and academic interests evolved as they got to know themselves better. The result is a matriculation list that fills us with tremendous pride and satisfaction.

What we observed this spring is our students made decisions confident they are headed to a school where they can be challenged, find their community and move forward with their own personal goals. While some students did beat the odds, denials allowed others to more clearly examine all their options and opened their eyes to the amazing opportunities they had in front of them, which often led to an even better fit. We are overwhelmed by our students’ success in what has truly been one of the most challenging college admissions seasons ever. What an amazing year.

We are excited to report:

• 100% of our students applied to some colleges by the early action deadline and heard back from colleges before winter break
• 20% of our students applied Early Decision/Restricted Early Action
• 75 % of our students who applied to highly selective colleges were accepted
• 94% of our students will attend out-of-state colleges (whereas nationally approximately only 11% venture further than 500 miles from their hometown)
• 95% of our students will attend their first choice or a high-interest college

Drawing on our knowledge and experience, we recommended an eclectic mix of colleges, many of which were unfamiliar to our clients. In fact, it’s possible some students never would have considered the colleges they chose without comprehensive and thoughtful discussions about finding the right fit – our guiding philosophy. This year, for the first time, we have students attending colleges they were never able to visit in person. Since we have visited hundreds ourselves, we were able to help them make a decision with confidence that the college they chose was right for them. As a result, 100% of our students have a college plan for this fall.

Our Class of 2021 students will matriculate to colleges across the country and around the world. As you can see in our matriculation list, we have many students going to some of the most selective colleges in the country. We also have students going to national universities, engineering schools, small liberal arts colleges, colleges out of the country, hockey academies, research universities, Big Ten Universities, and colleges with in-state tuition, and we are especially proud of one student who will be training to be a medic. We have aspiring musicians, recruited athletes, activists, actors, nurses, engineers, business majors, researchers, doctors, writers and much more. We strive to help families find ways to afford college tuition, and we were overjoyed with the merit scholarships, grants, and aid awarded to our students and were especially happy that several even received full tuition and room and board scholarships.

We were honored to help prepare the Class of 2021 for the next chapter and will always remember the challenges and surprises we experienced together during this extraordinary year. We wish our seniors all the best with the journey ahead. Please keep in touch!

Below is our College Matriculation List for our Class of 2021: