The Derry School

Somehow it is suddenly June once again and as students dig into final exams and prepare to sit for the SAT this weekend, it seems appropriate to take a step back and do a comprehensive review of the year in the college counseling office.

First, I would like to congratulate our seniors on their impending graduation and on their exciting decisions for life beyond Derryfield. A handful of students have deferred their acceptance for a year to allow for some exciting interim year opportunities, ranging from equestrian competition to white water rafting. The rest of the class will be headed off to orientation in two short months. Listed below are the many fine colleges and universities in which members of the class of 2012 have enrolled. While some may argue that this list represents the final exam for the School, our faculty and the College Counseling Office, I encourage a more holistic assessment of the year in review.

Both the college acceptance and matriculation lists are reflective of the many strengths and talents in Derryfield’s senior class. Members of the class will be studying everything from engineering and architecture to languages and social science. Some students will compete athletically in college and others will take to the stage. There is no doubt that Derryfield will be well represented on college campuses from Maine to Florida to California and Colorado. As I reflect on the year, I continue to be impressed by the balance and grace with which our seniors navigated this process. While students across the country submit increasing numbers of applications, as in years past, Derryfield students continue to average 6 applications per student. This reflects the thoughtfulness and intentionality with which our seniors research and apply to colleges. Other numbers that we are pleased with as we review the year show that 73% of the class of 2012 report being accepted to their first choice college and 94% were admitted to one of their top three choices. The significant amount of merit aid offered to this class as a whole ($1,331,400 per year) is also an astounding indication of how sought after Derryfield students are.

In short, we are pleased with the year in college counseling and continue to feel fortunate to work with such inspiring young people and their families who bring so much dedication and energy to this community. Of course, there is always room for improvement and so we are asking for your help in evaluating our process in the form of a very brief survey. Please click on the following link and share your thoughts:

The survey will close on Wednesday, June 20, the first day of summer. Our office is open all summer, so please feel free to call or email if you would like to arrange for a time to meet.

Zachary A. - Dickinson College

Elizabeth A. - Eastern Nazarene College

Sarah B. - The University of Tampa

Celine B. - University of New Hampshire

Michael B. - Rochester Institute of Technology

Cassandra B. - Northwestern University

Alexander C. - St. Lawrence University

Cameron C. - Stanford University

Kelsey C. - Roger Williams University

Scott C. - University of Richmond

Margaret C. - Middlebury College

Jamie C. - Tufts University

Gus D. - University of Colorado at Boulder

Luke D. - Bentley University

Leah D. - Cornell University

Matthew D. - Syracuse University

Abigail D. - Gordon College

Kerri F. - College of the Holy Cross

Rachel F. - University of Vermont

Molly F. - Case Western Reserve University

Jesse F. - St. Lawrence University

Caitlin G. - Stonehill College

Adam G. - Vassar College

Tessa G. - Colorado College

Allison H. - University of New Hampshire

Jared H. - University of Vermont

Margaux J. - Bates College

Maxine J. - Brown University

Bethany K. - Northeastern University

Peter K. - The University of Tampa

Emmie L. - University of Virginia

Rachel L. - Fordham University

Tianbao L. - Northeastern University

Eleanor L. - Pitzer College

Rebecca M. - University of Southern California

Kenan M. - University of New Hampshire

Rachel M. - Johns Hopkins University

Matthew M. - Rochester Institute of Technology

Alexander M. - Yale University

Mathieu M. - Mount Allison University

Benjamin M. - Boston University

Breanna N. - Sarah Lawrence College

Carla N. - Colby College

Andrew P. - Saint Michael's College

Nathaniel P. - New York University

Brittany P. - Endicott College

Rebecca P. - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Alyse R. - Colby College

Katherine R. - New York University

Saniya S. - Boston University

Matthew S. - The University of Tampa

Taylor S. - The Ohio State University

Jake S. - University of Chicago

Mia S. - Harvard University

Nevin S. - Saint Michael's College

David S. - Emory University

Amanda V. - Quinnipiac University

Andrew V. - Bates College

Madeleine W. - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Abbey W. - Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Morgan W. - Northeastern University

Nan Z. - Florida Institute of Technology