This year’s Miami Palmetto Senior High graduating class continues the school’s strong tradition of winning acceptance to many of the most highly-selective colleges and universities. Class of 2017 seniors have been invited to attend six of the eight Ivy League Schools, including Penn’s prestigious Wharton School of Business, engineering schools including MIT, Caltech and Renssalaer, selective liberal arts institutions such as Dartmouth, Wellesley, Swarthmore, and Carleton; and the country’s top-tier public universities including all the major California public universities, Michigan, UVA, and UNC Chapel Hill.
“Obviously, our teachers and our curriculum prepare our students exceptionally well,” said Miami Palmetto Senior High’s college counselor Harry Nerenberg. “This year’s class won acceptance to 44 of the top 50 schools on US News and World Report’s National Colleges and Universities ranking. And of course, we are well represented at all the Florida schools, including Miami-Dade Honors, and other options.”
Approximately 95 percent of Palmetto seniors go on to higher education, with about three quarters of all graduates headed to four-year colleges.
How did so many students get into the college of their dreams, even as admission is ever- increasingly competitive? Come find out Palmetto High’s “Secret Sauce” to college acceptances at a student-led panel on May 30 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. Graduating seniors headed to Harvard, Penn, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Swarthmore, Tufts, West Point, UNC School of the Arts and more will share their background, experiences and tips ranging from courses taken, extracurricular activities and the application process itself. Attendees can also expect frank discussion on how financial concerns affected decisions.
“All these kids took different paths in their high school years,” said Nerenberg, who will moderate the program. “If you think that only a certain stereotype of student gets in these schools, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Nerenberg adds that the discussion will be relevant for all college-bound students and their parents. “They are sharing how they were able to stand out in the admissions process, which is something all students need.”
This year’s panel presentation is back by popular demand. Held for the first time in last year, Class of 2016 seniors shared their secret ingredients for college admission success with a packed auditorium of over 600 students and parents.
“I know I’m biased, but Palmetto’s college admissions stats prove you don’t have to pay private school tuition to get an education that prepares your child for wherever he or she wants to go,” said Nerenberg. “Our kids get in all of the Ivies, and everything in between the other options to continue their education.” He adds that students should consider personal “fit” in their college search, not just school rankings, and the school counseling staff assists students with this.
The event is free and open to the entire community.
