Woodlands Academy seniors celebrate their college decisions

Members of Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart’s Class of 2025 have had some difficult decisions to make – and most had done so by May 1, the traditional college decision day across the country. In all, 158 college admission applications submitted by Woodlands’ 34 seniors were accepted by U.S. and European institutions. So, which of them will they ultimately attend in the fall?

Class of 2025 members who had made that decision by May 1 were encouraged to wear some of their college-themed clothing to school that day. And faculty/staff members were asked to wear their alma mater’s gear to show their support for those students.

Among those committing by the traditional deadline was Woodlands Academy’s 2025 National Merit® Scholarship Finalist. Claire Smylie will attend Bowdoin College – a “historic and selective” institution in Maine. The same school was selected last year by Woodlands’ 2024 National Merit® Finalist, Gianna Keuer.

Other seniors will be taking the all-girls education they received at Woodlands to the next level by attending prestigious institutions of higher learning, such as William & Mary, Dartmouth, New York University, Villanova University, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Notre Dame.

Members of Woodlands Academy’s Class of 2025 also have committed to attending institutions from those nearby such as Marquette University, the University of Illinois/Chicago and Beloit College, to ones as far away as the University of Glasgow, Tulane University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Santa Clara University and Florida Gulf Coast University.

Several in-between destinations for Woodlands Academy seniors this fall include the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign, DePauw University, St Mary’s College, Knox College and the University of Minnesota.

As of May 1, Woodlands’ seniors had been awarded some impressive scholarships, including Dyana Santoyo’s Western Golf Association Evans Scholarship to the University of Illinois/Chicago. This prestigious award is a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies.

“The Woodlands Class of 2025 has a bright future ahead of them,” said Woodlands Academy Director of College Counseling Brendan Bond. “The diverse and excellent group of colleges and universities they will attend in the fall reflects the hard work and growth they’ve shown during their time at Woodlands, along with the support from our wonderful faculty and staff and our students’ families. I am proud of the Class of 2025. They have taught me a lot and are ready to succeed in college and beyond.”

Woodlands Academy’s comprehensive College Counseling program is an important reason why Woodlands has a robust college-preparatory culture. Its students get accepted into colleges and universities across the country and the world that offer them the opportunity to grow as scholars and individuals. The program features Woodlands’ unique College Skills class in which the college counselor works with students through the college process during their junior and senior years in a classroom setting. It is a prime example of how Woodlands Academy provides the support students and parents need in the ever-evolving college process.

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Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, Woodlands is part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents. To learn more, visit woodlandsacademy.org.