The Shipley Magazine
Bragging Rights: Shipley's College Counseling, Proud of Our Process
The college admissions process remains a hot topic for high school students and parents. 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.
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.
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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Re-Defining Educational Excellence at Shipley
Michael Turner is leading Shipley in an effort to define and measure Educational Excellence—one of the three pillars of the School’s Strategic Plan. He hopes to provide a “compass to help navigate a complex and dynamic educational landscape.” Read more to understand why we're undertaking this effort, what Educational Excellence at Shipley looks like, and how we're delivering it to students.Read More -
Meeting of the Minds: Compassionate Participation in the World
Shipley’s mission commits us to “develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.” What is compassionate participation in the world and how does Shipley teach it to students? How do we make sure that learning is part of our service work? Our panel of service learning leaders explores these questions and more in this roundtable discussion.Read More -
Sustainable Shipley
Sustainability is an institutional priority at Shipley. We are proud of the significant measurable impacts we have made to reduce waste and energy consumption through a series of facilities upgrades and a transformation of school practices in recent years. The efforts reflect our commitment to individual and collective well-being, and our dedication to inspiring our students to be global citizens.Read More -
Head of School Michael Turner: Redefining Educational Excellence at Shipley
Michael Turner was installed as Shipley’s 10th Head of School in September, 2019, and is already making a positive impact at the School. His profoundly positive experience as a lifer at Germantown Academy inspired him to pursue teaching after a few years of working in the business world, and he hasn’t looked back since. Learn more about Michael Turner and how he is making a difference at Shipley.Read More -
Shipley Innovations: Faculty Master the Craft of Teaching
At Shipley, developing a Love of Learning is part of our Mission and extends beyond students to our teachers and non-teaching colleagues. We believe that great teachers must be avid learners and consistently work on their craft in meaningful ways. To that end, Shipley has established three programs in recent years to help support teachers in their efforts to be the best they can possibly be.Read More -
Academic Spotlight on 8th Grade History: Unlocking A Trove of Untold Stories
Read MoreFor eighth grade history teacher Mark Stetina, studying history is about more than just memorizing dates. Instead, he says, "I want my students to acknowledge their responsibility in integrating the voices and experiences of those who have been excluded from historical narratives.” Read more to learn about his class's study of the Revolutionary War and how students gave voice to the Conestoga Indians. -
Academic Spotlight on Lower School Math: Building a Mathematical Understanding
In Shipley’s Lower School, math class just isn’t what it used to be. Using the Singaporean math curriculum “Math in Focus,” students learn to grasp mathematical concepts by literally grasping objects (cubes, place value chips, fraction bars, and so forth) with their hands. The approach emphasizes working collaboratively and explaining process-in addition to giving numeric answers.Read More -
Academic Spotlight on Music: Writing for the Band & an Audience
Read MoreStudents 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: Solving Problems for the United States Navy
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…”Read More -
Nathaniel Curtis ’98: Engineering Antennas for the Armed Forces
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.Read More -
Andrew Ramsey ’10: Analyzing the Mathematics behind Soccer
Read MoreAndrew 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: Racing Toward a Career in Engineering
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.Read More -
What's Your Shipley Story: The Tiongco Family
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.Read More
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.
