As I write this blog, the members of the Lycée Class of 2019 are just beginning their first year in colleges and universities across North America and in several countries around the world. What a remarkable group of scholars! We have writers, artists, future diplomats, doctors, lawyers, teachers and data scientists whose contributions to society will distinguish them and their Lycée education.
Eighty-two members of the Class walked across the 92nd Street Y stage in June to receive their diplomas. Leading up to that momentous occasion, the College Counseling team worked with them for several years developing their college plans. Were there last-minute changes of heart as an Early Decision deadline loomed? Was there disappointment when one door closed before another opened? Were there numerous exchanges as counselors reviewed essays and made suggestions to strengthen a thesis? Were there at least a few struggles to get students to meet deadlines? And was there elation when the responses arrived—even if the ultimate destination was different from what had been imagined? The answer is YES to all of these questions. It’s an annual rite of passage on the college-going journey.
We are enormously proud that 100% of our students passed the Bac this year, 90% with mention. What an incredible accomplishment! Students are attending university in the US, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, UK, France and Spain. Two students elected to take a break between earning their Bac and university to work and travel. Of the others, 47% will study in the US; 17% in Canada; 16% in France (including Classe Prepa); 10% in the UK; and 6% in other colleges around the globe. The pattern is a familiar one at the Lycée. Close to 80% of our students enrolled in world-class Anglophone universities, a clear signal that their bilingual and bicultural experience is highly valued in the admission process.
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF 2019 MATRICULATIONS.
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF 2019 MATRICULATIONS.
Of the 39 students studying at US institutions, several were admitted Early Decision. Their destinations include Amherst, Babson, Barnard, Cornell, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Rensselaer, Tulane, University of Chicago, and Yale. Other students chose to apply Early Action, leaving them the time to review all options and commit by May 1 along with Regular Decision students. Those students earned admission to the University of Michigan, University of Illinois, California College of Art; and Berklee College of Music—to name a handful. The students who held out for Regular Decision earned top opportunities at Brown, Boston University, Columbia, Northeastern, George Washington, and Wesleyan. The Lycée list includes members of the Ivy League, two Big 10 schools, two NESCACs, and a score of highly competitive and ranked colleges and universities across the United States.
What contributes to these successful outcomes? First and foremost, it’s the hard work on the part of our students. Their achievements in and out the classroom earn them admission. But their work with the College Counseling Office throughout their last three years of secondary also matter.
That work is supported amply by the Advisory program and our stellar teachers. We offer valuable programs to expose students to the array of university choices before them. We bring university partners to the Lycée through college fairs and individual visits to meet our students. We work with students and families in earnest starting in Y11 to build college lists that include those which are aspirational as well as likely. We consult with students on their co-curricular programs and summer plans. We review their essays and provide constructive criticism. We host a college planning “boot camp” in June to continue the momentum until they return in September. How would I best summarize what makes our program as good as it is? It’s the fact that we really know our students and build a strong mentor relationship with them.
Our students bring a world view to their post-secondary institutions. Their achievements in and out of the classroom earned them top results, and we expect the Class of 2020 to follow admirably in their footsteps!
About the Author :
Gail Berson comes to the Lycée with more than 35 years of experience in college admission and counseling. A magna cum laude graduate of Bowdoin College, she earned her master’s degree at Emerson College. She served as Vice President for Enrollment/Dean of Admission at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges, as Director of Admission at Mills College (CA), interim college counselor at Rocky Hill School (RI), and has consulted widely at a variety of colleges and independent schools. Gail, who has been a frequent speaker on college admission, is a former trustee of the College Board and currently volunteers for the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA) where she presented sessions at their summer programs in Shanghai, Jeju Island, Seoul and Prague. She also served as a past president of the Bowdoin Alumni Council. During vacations, she enjoys spending time with family and friends at her home on Nantucket.