Record Number of MHS Students to Attend Ivy League Colleges

Scott White, director of Montclair High School's Guidance Department, called 2012 another exceptional year for MHS students in the college search process with nearly 90 percent of students attending college next year.

He said Monday that a record 20 MHS students are attending colleges in the Ivy League, including Brown (5), Cornell (7) Harvard, University of Pennsylvania (4), Princeton and Yale (2). More than a dozen are attending the “Little Ivies,” including Bates (2), Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Swarthmore, Trinity, Tufts (3) and Wesleyan (3). Six students are attending the “Seven Sister” colleges including Barnard (2), BrynMawr, Smith (2) and Vassar. Fifteen students are attending historically black colleges and universities, including Delaware State (5), Hampton, Howard, Morehouse (2), St. Augustine’s, Spelman (3) and Virginia State. More than 15 per cent of the class is attending Barron’s Most Selective colleges, including the University of Chicago, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Stanford and University of Virginia.

Close to 25 students are attending conservatory and professional schools. Students are pursuing music at Berkelee College, fine arts at Maryland Institute, Pratt, RISD, SUNY Purchase and University of the Arts, acting at American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Fashion Design at FIT and culinary arts at Johnson and Wales and the Culinary Institute of America. A number of students are pursuing military careers or trades, including cosmetology, HVAC, EMT, etc. Students are also attending international colleges in Canada, Scotland and Wales. Additionally, one student will be living on a kibbutz before enrolling in college.

“If there is a trend this year is that there is a continuing process of parents and students looking at either quality or cost in their eventual choices,” added White. “This was a contributor to us having a record over 75 students go to over 10 different in-state public colleges including Essex County College (19), Bergen County College (16) Rutgers University at New Brunswick (16) Kean (7) William Paterson (6) Montclair State University (5), The College of New Jersey (3).”