On Saturday, June 8, the 133 members of the Shady Side Academy Class of 2024 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 2024 include:

• 133 graduates will attend 90 different colleges in 27 states plus D.C. and Canada
• 12% will play college athletics in nine different sports, with five student-athletes committing to NCAA Division I athletics programs
• 73% of the class will attend a 2024 U.S. News & World Report Top 100 ranked National University or Liberal Arts College
• 51% will attend a 2019 Barron’s Most Competitive college
• 37% will attend a “very selective” school (acceptance rate less than 25%)
• 3 students will pursue leadership through a military pathway: One will attend U.S. Naval Academy, one will attend U.S. Air Force Academy, and one received an ROTC Scholarship to attend RIT
• 4 students will attend HBCUs: Coppin State, Hampton, Morehouse, and Morgan State
• 3 will attend top Women’s colleges: Barnard, Smith, and Wellesley

SSA's College Counseling Office has 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.

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.