College Repor t Class of 2021
Fr om t he Head of School I n 1964, The Miami Valley School was founded as Dayton's only nonsectarian, independent college-prep school. Over the past 50 years, MVS has stood proudly on its stellar reputation. I n addition to our commitment to our mission to build self-sustaining learners and compassionate global citizens, The Miami Valley School graduates students who are more than ready for the universities and colleges they attend. This is a direct result of our excellent teachers as well as the thoughtful guidance of our Director of College Counseling. I t is with pride that I share the document attached to celebrate the acceptances and matriculations of the Class of 2021. We wish them well in college and beyond! Sincerely, Elizabeth F. Cleary Head of School
Class of 2021 AT A GLANCE Total students
Class Averages
GPA: 3.73 37 ACT: 30 SAT: 1353 5:1 Regi onal Di st r i but i on of Graduat es 14% 35% Student/faculty ratio
National Merit
of the class of 2021 was recognized in the National Merit Scholarship Program as finalists, semi-finalists, and commended scholars.
Highly Selective
51% of seniors were admitted to a college with an acceptance rate below 35% .
wi ll att end pr i vat e i nst i t ut i ons
59% 49% 46%
wi ll att end publi c i nst i t ut i ons wi ll r emai n i n-st at e wi ll mat r i culat e out -of-st at e
Students don't just come here.
Here, they become. College Accept ances and M at r i culat i ons Names in bol d indicate colleges to which members of the Class of 2021 will matriculate. Agnes Scott College
Col umbi a Uni ver si t y
Chicago
Saint Louis University
University of Akron
Connecticut College
Macalester College
Sarah Lawrence College
Allegheny College
Cornell College
University of Maryland
Simmons University
American University
Uni ver si t y of Dayt on
Bard College
Denison University
University of Massachusetts
Sout her n M et hodi st Uni ver si t y
Bel l ar mi ne Uni ver si t y
University of Denver
M i ami Uni ver si t y
Syracuse University
Belmont University
DePaul University
Uni ver si t y of M i chi gan
Temple University
Beloit College
Dickinson College
Northeastern University
University of Toledo
Bentley University
Earlham College
Ober l i n Col l ege
Bost on Col l ege
Eckerd College
The Ohi o St at e Uni ver si t y
Sewanee: The University of the South
Bost on Uni ver si t y
Elon University
Ohi o Uni ver si t y
Bowling Green State University
Florida Southern College
Ohio Wesleyan University
Furman University
Ot t er bei n Uni ver si t y
Butler University
Geor ge Washi ngt on Uni ver si t y
Pennsylvania State University
University of California-Davis
Goucher College
University of Pittsburgh
Vander bi l t Uni ver si t y
I ndi ana Uni ver si t y-Bl oomi ngt on
Purdue University
Washi ngt on Uni ver si t y i n St Loui s
Brandeis University
Uni ver si t y of Cal i f or ni a-I r vi ne Capital University
Juniata College Kent St at e Uni ver si t y
Case Western Reserve University
Uni ver si t y of Kent ucky
Centre College
Kenyon College
Uni ver si t y of Ci nci nnat i
Lehigh University Loyola University
University of Richmond Rhodes Col l ege University of Rochester Rose-Hulman I nstitute of Technology Uni ver si t y of St Andr ew s (Scot l and)
Trinity College Tulane University of Louisiana Union College Uni ver si t y of Ver mont Uni ver si t y of Vi r gi ni a
University of Washington University of Wisconsin Wittenberg University The College of Wooster Wr i ght St at e Uni ver si t y
2021 College Admi ssi ons Recap & Tr ends Due to a variety of factors, including the COVI D-19 pandemic, this year's college admissions season was unique compared to previous classes: -
Shi ft t o t est -opt i onal admi ssi ons: 73% of four-year institutions went to some form of test-optional admissions to respond to students who weren?t able to sit for multiple exams (vs. 46% the year before) Advent of ?t est -bli nd? poli ci es: now up to 69 schools, including all public universities in California (by court ruling). A test-blind policy means that a college or university will not review any standardized test scores from any candidate for admission. Appli cat i on volume: This year saw an immense increase in the number of applications at highly selective universities, ranging from 20-40%. This trend was also true for Early Decision binding rounds. I ncr eased st rat i fi cat i on among colleges: the most selective get a disproportionate number of applications, while others struggle to meet enrollment goals I ncr eased focus on di ver si fyi ng i ncomi ng classes: admissions officers placed increased emphasis on racial, socioeconomic, and gender diversity for incoming freshman classes.
Class of 2021 Appli cat i on St at i st i cs -
Class of 2021 Academi c Pr ofi le
37 seniors 325 applications to 134 colleges Will attend 25 different colleges and universities Average of 8.8 apps/student Early admit rate of 76% Overall admit rate of 56% Wider spread: 27% of the class admitted to ultra-selective schools (less than 20% admit rate)? only 4 were ED applicants 51% of the class admitted to schools with admit rate less than 35%
-
This year's class was, statistically speaking, academically strong compared to previous years (see historical comparison below). Average and median GPA were highest for MVS since 2014. Average and median standardized test scores were also highest for MVS since 2014. Despite strong academic background, class admit rate was 57%, the lowest for MVS since 2014. This both aligns with national trends in college acceptance and signifies that this year's seniors took on greater reaches in choosing where to apply.
Comparat i ve Dat a by Class Class
St udent s
Avg. GPA
M edi an GPA
Avg. SAT 1600
Avg. SAT 2400
Avg. ACT
Tot al Apps
Apps per St udent
Admi t Rat e
2014
48
3.44
3.55
1230
1841
28
276
5.7
63%
2015
41
3.34
3.36
1215
1802
28
267
6.5
67%
2016
48
3.35
3.35
1240
1823
27
302
6.3
67%
2017
48
3.52
unavail.
1300
2012
28
339
7.1
76%
2018
52
3.52
3.77
1280
N/A
28
352
6.8
65%
2019
47
3.57
3.64
1324
N/A
28
368
7.8
65%
2020
44
3.58
3.74
1295
N/A
28
386
8.8
66%
2021
37
3.73
3.87
1353
N/A
30
325
8.8
57%
Regi onal Di st r i but i on of Graduat es 35% (4 in-state, 9 out-of-state) will attend private institutions 59% (14 in-state, 8 out-of-state) will attend public institutions 49% (18) are remaining in-state 46% (17) are matriculating out-of-state 5% (2) - Gap year or other
The M VS College Pr ocess The Miami Valley School is unique in the Dayton region for its individualized college counseling program, headed by our full-time Director of College Counseling, Sarah Jones. Through a variety of class meetings and one-on-one conferences, Ms. Jones guides students and their families through the process of preparing a college application, writing a personal essay, selecting a list of schools, and seeking out financial aid. A crucial part of any MVS student's college portfolio are letters of recommendation from faculty members. Due to MVS' low student-faculty ratio and emphasis on individual instruction, MVS teachers are singly qualified to craft recommendation letters that are personal, effective, and focused on the whole person. I ndeed, many college admissions representatives that work closely with MVS comment that MVS faculty recommendations are key components that set MVS students apart and help admissions officers see the student as more than just a transcript. Students at MVS are paired with faculty recommenders in the fall semester of their senior year. I n addition to a robust college counseling program and a personalized faculty recommendation process, the strong academic program at MVS helps students stand out.
M VS Pr ogram of St udy Cour se Requi r ement s for Graduat i on MVS students must be enrolled in six courses, limited to two advanced courses per semester. - English (4 credits) - Mathematics, through Precalculus (3 credits) - Science (3 credits) - Visual & Performing Arts (1.5 credits) - World Languages, through Level I I I (3 credits) - Social Science (3 credits) All students must also take Health and satisfy a Physical Education requirement, either through Physical Education electives or through involvement in athletics. Standalone honors courses are available in Mathematics and Science. For the 2021-22 school year, the English department will include an Embedded Honors program. While this table outlines the minimum number of credits in each department, many students go beyond these requirements, particularly in areas of deep passion. Each academic department offers a variety of electives each semester to encourage motivated students. Ot her Graduat i on Requi r ement s I n addition to their traditional academic requirements, all MVS graduates must satisfy the following: - Communi t y ser vi ce r equi r ement (80 hours over four years in the upper school) - I mmer si on Ter m cour ses (one for each year in the upper school) - Ar i es Pr oject : a capstone senior research project based on a student-selected topic. Students must perform original fieldwork as well as primary and secondary source research to support a hypothesis and defend it. Aries Projects are presented to the community in an annual colloquium.