A Warm Welcome to Our Newest Grotonians, After an Admission Season Like No Other

Groton School is celebrating its outstanding ninety-six newly enrolled students—and the culmination of an unusual and record-breaking admission season.

 

Applications to Groton were up 20 percent, a record number at 1,505, and only 9 percent of applicants were admitted, a drop from last year’s 11 percent admit rate. Forty-four percent of the new students will receive financial aid—a reflection of Groton’s commitment to enroll the most qualified students, regardless of their families’ financial standing. Of 141 admittees, the 96 who chose Groton—68 percent—represent a record yield for the school and a yield about 10 percentage points higher than fifteen years ago.

 

In this competitive season, the school's mission and values remained at the heart of the process. “We focused on drawing students who exhibited the qualities of kindness, perseverance, and intellectual engagement,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Ian Gracey.

 

The number of full-pay applicants from the United States increased by 38 percent, a notable rise even in a year when pandemic-related school closings drove more families to consider independent schools. The new Grotonians come from eight countries and eighteen states, and each one is remarkable. Among them are artists, athletes​,​ and musicians​;​ dedicated volunteers and activists​;​ ​restaurant employees, podcasters, ​and ​debate champs​;​ numerous class presidents; and a​n incoming​ Second Form chess master. Of those newly enrolled, 22 percent self-identify as Black or Latinx, including biracial and multiracial students.

 

The Admission Office interviewed a total of 1,432 applicants—12 percent more than last year—and all of the meetings were virtual. Pre-pandemic, in 2020, only 106 applicants interviewed virtually, and 1,172 came to campus.

 

In this unusual pandemic era, the outstanding admission season reflects the hard work and creativity of the admission team, faculty, coaches, and most of all, Groton students. Students acted as tour guides and created videos for a unique Groton “drive-in” tour, in which families got a glimpse of campus buildings without leaving their cars. Admitted families attended virtual events, from cooking classes to history paper presentations to athletic captains' meetings to a Spanish class.

 

“We held over forty webinars and Zoom meetings over the past year. These sessions featured students first and foremost, but also teachers, parents, and alumni," said Mr. Gracey. "In a year when applicants could not visit the Circle due to the pandemic, I think we succeeded in enrolling students who understood the essence of Groton.”