Bragging Rights: Shipley's College Counseling, Proud of Our Process
Melissa Tassoni
The college admissions process remains a hot topic for high school students, parents and guardians. Increasing levels of selectivity at colleges and universities across the country have added to the fervor. Frequently, college counselors are on the front line—advising students and parents about academic choices, service interests, and other activities in pursuit of the “best” college admission outcome. But amidst this cluttered and sometimes confusing landscape, Janet Kobosky, Director of College Counseling, has reason for hope.
A recent survey conducted by Shipley’s student newspaper, The Beacon, asked students about the things that influence their thinking about coursework and activities and revealed that college is not always the driving force behind their choices. “These findings please me,” said Kobosky, “because they indicate that a small but significant number of Shipley students value the authenticity of their academic and extracurricular choices. With so much pressure to choose courses and activities based on their perceived value in the college admissions process, it is rewarding to hear from students who recognize that good decision-making builds from the ground up and begins with the self and not with a college in mind.”
The self is at the heart of Shipley’s college counseling process, which is the culmination of our Pre-K through twelfth grade Social, Emotional, and Ethical Development (SEED) program. It is student-centered and focused on finding the college that is the “best fit” for each student. In contrast to the angst experienced by many students, our graduates report that the college process enhanced their self-reliance, confidence, and executive functioning skills. Now that’s something to be proud of.
Applying Early:
The early application trend in college admissions continues to grow, at Shipley and across the country.
90% of Shipley’s class of 2016 had submitted one or more college applications by Thanksgiving.
67% who applied Early Decision or Restricted Early Action were accepted.
Class of 2016 early accepts*
Berklee College of Music
Colorado College
Dartmouth
Gettysburg
Harvard
Howard
Johns Hopkins
Lake Forest
Lehigh
University of Miami
Muhlenberg
Northeastern
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton
University of Richmond
Salisbury
Skidmore
Syracuse
Trinity
Tulane
Yale
*This does not represent the full list of schools where students in the Class of 2016 who applied ED/REA/EA were offered admission.
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Students in Chris Oatts’ Advanced Music Composition and Production class don’t just learn about the theory and building blocks of writing music. Starting early in the year, the advanced music students compose songs that actually get played by Shipley’s music ensembles. Oatts, an experienced professional musician, knows that “The most fun part of being a composer is actually hearing your music playing.”
J.B. Loomis ’11 was one of the first women assigned to the USS Virginia, a nuclear-powered submarine at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The US Naval Academy graduate, who also earned a degree at the Naval Postgraduate School and completed training at Nuclear Power School, says Shipley gave her more than a solid academic foundation. Her teachers, she says, “held space for me to be unique. I was never siloed…”
During the summer after his junior year, Nathaniel Curtis ’98 decided to enroll in a pre-calculus course—a prerequisite for advanced physics. The decision would mark the beginning of the rest of his professional life, propelling him into a high-flying career as an engineer at Fortune 500 aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman. Learn more about Nathaniel Curtis and how Shipley helped shape his life.
Andrew Ramsey ’10 helped establish professional soccer club A.C. Milan’s Data Analytics Department. The experience inspired the founding of his own data analytics company, whose clients have consistently seen a 19 percent increase in point totals and have collectively won more than 100 trophies. The math program at Shipley provided a framework for solving and approaching problems, says Ramsey.
Steven Zhang ’18 is the Race Operations Engineer for the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, which has been designing, building, and racing the country’s fastest solar vehicles for the past 30 years. In his role, he oversees metals manufacturing and supply chain logistics for the 20-person team, which took third place in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Learn more about Steven Zhang.
When the Tiongco family moved to the Main Line, they were looking for a school with small class sizes, an individualized educational experience, a strong community, and, as a family of Filipino descent, a school culture that celebrates diversity. Shipley checked all of the boxes. Now with two kids enrolled at the School, Shipley continues to deliver on its mission of Educational Excellence.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.