BY DEAN OF ADMISSION TEDDY WENNER ’96
hat a year it has been! The Blair admission team faced quite a few challenges in 2020-2021 as we looked to recreate our warm and welcoming in-person experience in a virtual format. Thanks to technology and the assistance of so many in our community—students, teachers, parents and alumni/ae—we were able to offer new virtual experiences that authentically conveyed what makes our School so special. From digital panel discussions with faculty to physically distant golf cart campus tours, 2021 marked the birth of new and creative ways that our admission team shared our community with prospective families. I am pleased to report that it has been another record-setting year for Blair: In 2020-2021, we achieved an acceptance rate of 18 percent and received more than 1,480 applications for admission, the highest number in School history. There is no question that Blair’s reputation continues to grow and that prospective families understand the value of a Blair education. Our balanced approach to a student-centered, academically rigorous education with
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superior college outcomes remains the centerpiece of the Blair experience. Indeed, a Blair education is about the connection between our students and our faculty, about balancing the rigor of our curriculum with the warmth of our community. Students are at the forefront of all that we do, and we are purposeful about building deep connections among members of our community. We feel deeply that the education students receive outside the classroom is just as important as the education inside the classroom. This message clearly resonated with prospective families this year, and we saw demand for a Blair education rise across the globe. From Kazakhstan to Kansas, Nigeria to New York, Afghanistan to Alabama, Curaçao to California, and Bulgaria to Blairstown, we are pleased to share that, in 2021, the diversity of applicants reached new heights. The fact that we were able to live and learn together in person on campus for 28 weeks when so many other schools were unable to fully open is something that positively impacted our admission cycle. Prospective families were impressed by
Blair’s ability to be agile and adapt creatively to limitations imposed by the pandemic while, at the same time, continuing to offer their children a first-rate educational experience. This clearly resonated with parents and students alike, and the warmth families felt from every member of our community during their Revisit Day campus tours only deepened this sense of genuine care and connection. During March and April, more than 100 admitted families toured Blair, meeting a member of the admission team down on Park Street, picking up a golf cart with their child’s class year proudly displayed on the front, and following six feet behind an admission team counselor and a student tour guide as they drove around campus. Although families were unable to enter buildings, the smiles and waves they received as they toured our beautiful campus truly showcased the spirit of our community. As we look to reset to a typical admission cycle in 2021-2022, we are excited to carry forward many of the tools we utilized last year. We will continue to offer numerous virtual and in-person opportunities to connect with our community: live dorm and
