On Friday, June 2, the 110 members of the Shady Side Academy Class of 2023 received their diplomas at the Commencement Exercises ceremony on the Senior School campus. With a broad range of academic interests and a genuine curiosity, these graduates leave SSA ready to make their mark on the colleges and communities they are about to join.
Some notable college matriculation statistics for the Class of 2023:
- 110 graduates will attend 64 colleges in 24 states plus D.C. and Canada
- Were admitted to 197 colleges
- 65% will attend college out of state
- 84% will attend a US News & World Report Top 100 National University or Liberal Arts College
- 61% will attend a Barron’s Most Competitive college
- 15% will play college athletics in 9 sports
- 2 will play junior hockey and 1 will take a gap year
But what's just as important as where they're going is how they got there. These graduates' college decisions are the culmination of an educational journey at Shady Side Academy that challenged them to think expansively, act ethically and lead responsibly. Through a rigorous and balanced curriculum of academics, arts and athletics, and a unique culture of faculty-student mentorship, SSA has ensured they have the discipline, drive and intellect to succeed wherever they go next.
A snapshot of the Class of 2022's SSA experience:
- Hail from 5 states and 3 countries
- 18% are “lifers” who attended SSA from grades PK-12
- 52% attended SSA Middle School
- 13% are boarding students
- 55% completed an independent study or senior project
- 35% participated in the performing arts (theatre production or musical ensemble)
- 18% earned a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from UPenn via the Social Innovators Program
- 9% were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship program
- Helped 7 SSA athletic teams win 10 league championships
SSA's College Counseling Office and its four full-time college staff members have partnered with these students and their families to maximize their college options and find "best fit" schools that will nurture their abilities and talents, while allowing them to realize their career aspirations.
The Class of 2023 College List
- Allegheny College
- American University
- Amherst College
- Arizona State University
- Barnard College
- Boston College
- Boston University
- Brown University
- Bucknell University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Case Western Reserve University
- College of the Holy Cross
- College of Wooster
- Cornell University
- Denison University
- George Washington University
- Hamilton College
- High Point University
- Howard University
- Juniata College
- Kansas State University
- Kenyon College
- Loyola University Chicago
- Marquette University
- New York University
- Oberlin College
- Occidental College
- Ohio State University
- Ontario College of Art and Design University
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park
- Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro
- Princeton University
- Purdue University
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Rollins College
- Saint Mary’s College
- Saint Vincent College
- Southern Methodist University
- Syracuse University
- Temple University
- Tulane University
- Union College
- United States Military Academy
- University of Alabama
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Florida
- University of Georgia
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- University of Maryland, College Park
- University of New Hampshire
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Richmond
- University of Rochester
- University of San Diego
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Toronto
- Utah State University
- Villanova University
- Wake Forest University
- Washington University in St. Louis
(as of 6/2/23)