Academics
College Counseling
College Counseling at RE
Our College Counseling Office, staffed with four full-time college counselors and a coordinator of student-athlete college recruitment, works to ensure all students matriculate to a college or university suited to their personalities and passions.
Timeline
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Freshmen & Sophomores
Beginning in the ninth grade, a series of class meetings for students and evening programs for parents is offered to inform families about the college search and application processes.Freshmen students and parents attend “The Road Ahead” program during the spring semester where college planning resources are introduced laying the foundation for a successful college admissions journey. During sophomore year, multiple “Nuts & Bolts” programs educate families on a variety of topics designed to jumpstart their college search including an introduction to Naviance, our college planning technical tool.
The College Counseling Office is open to underclassmen on an as-needed basis. Common questions concern standardized testing, summer programs and course scheduling. Through partnerships with advisory, college counselors are available to all underclassmen to answer any and all questions during the first two years of high school. -
Juniors
Individual college counseling assignments occur during the fall semester of junior year. The kickoff event, our College Admissions Symposium, provides juniors and their parents in-depth insights into the admission process. The 18-month process will include frequent meetings between counselors, students and parents, along with continued class meetings, workshops and evening programs.Juniors are provided the opportunity to meet with college admissions representatives during fall visits to RE and in the spring at the AIMS College Fair, where over 250 colleges gather. -
Seniors
The College Counseling Office holds a series of senior workshops aiding students in all aspects of the college application process including composing effective personal statements and supplemental essays, completing the Common Application and applying for financial aid and scholarships. Mock alumni interviews and an application submit-a-thon are also signature events held during the fall semester.Throughout September and October, RE welcomes more than 100 admissions officers to campus, allowing students to learn about colleges in an intimate setting.
College Counseling News
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A REimagined college counseling office at RE
Message from Interim Head of School Rachel Rodriguez to the RE community on Jan. 20, 2023:Read MoreIt is my great pleasure to announce the unveiling of a reimagined college counseling office at Ransom Everglades, a goal of Executive Director of College Counseling Jason Locke since he arrived to RE this past summer. With the support of Ransom Everglades’ dedicated board of trustees, we have appointed seven new college counselors and an essay writing specialist, moves that not only will more than double the size of our current office to 12 counselors, but also will transform the services and opportunities we provide to our families to ensure that we elevate RE students in the college process. -
College admission officials share insights with RE families
A trio of university admission officials offered guidance on the college process to RE juniors and their families during the College Admission Symposium Jan. 7 at the Lewis Family Auditorium. The morning-long program, called "Reimagining the College Search Process," featured presentations by Angela Herrera Canfield of Cornell University, Rob Springall of Penn State University and Art Rodriguez of Carleton College, and it concluded with a roundtable led by RE Executive Director of College Counseling Jason Locke. Locke and Director of College Counseling Patrick Tassoni introduced the event, one of many programs at Ransom Everglades designed to assist the Class of 2024 and their families as they journey through the college search process.Read More -
Collegiate alumni visit campus, meet with juniors
Read MoreFive collegiate RE alumni participated in a frank and wide-ranging – and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny – panel discussion about the college application process with RE's juniors, helping the Class of 2024 kick off their college search process. Olivia Byrd '20 (Southern Methodist University); Jack Fitzpatrick '20 (Wake Forest University); Yasmina Haddad '20 (University of Michigan); Marlon Ly '20 (Vanderbilt University); Connor Sahs '20 (Bates College) told stories, offered advice and most of all urged RE juniors to support one another through the process and enjoy their senior year.
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A matter of perspective
Read MoreI would look at the clock – it was almost 4:30 p.m. and already dark in the Northeast. I remember that uneasy feeling that I would get at this time of year during my years overseeing university admission and enrollment. One would think that announcing the early admissions class would be a time of tremendous celebration. It was, for some, but it also meant that several thousand students would learn that they had been deferred to Regular Decision or, for some, denied admission during the early round. In the immediate moments after we released decisions we would hear from students and families who were elated with their admissions decisions. Social media would light up with expressions of excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to join the next class of students. -
From the Executive Director of College Counseling: Questions and admissions
For so many of our seniors, this time of year represents a moment in the educational journey when they showcase their many accomplishments with colleges and universities. From any rational perspective, it seems absurd that we attempt to reduce years of extraordinary moments and individual accomplishments to just a couple of essays, a few short responses, and some recommendations. Even so, over the past few months, I have watched our seniors approach this process with a seriousness and sense of purpose that more than meets the moment. The essays that I have previewed have been nothing short of brilliant. With hard work and courage, a few tears, some chocolate (lots of chocolate, actually!), and always a bit of humor, the Class of 2023 has arrived at the “hit submit” moment in this wonderful educational journey. I am so very proud of each of our RE seniors.Read More -
It starts with a memory
One of the joys of my role is discussing potential admissions essay topics with students. Much like finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, students often believe they have very little of interest of which to write about. Some have even been moved to tears describing the struggle that they are having with the personal essay. My response is always the same – tell me about a memory or moment from your life. My request is usually met with a blank stare. I typically ask that students take a few days to come up with a dozen or so memories that we can discuss. It probably seems like an unusual request, but it is one of the most effective ways to develop essay topics. So why is it so effective?Read More -
College counseling office offers guidance during Senior Parent Night
Senior parent received guidance about the college process and insight into new approaches at Ransom Everglades from RE's Executive Director of College Counseling Jason Locke and Director of College Counseling Patrick Tassoni during a Senior Parent Night on August 31 at the Lewis Family Auditorium.Read More -
Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary
It has been nearly eight weeks since I stepped onto campus in my new role as Executive Director of College Counseling here at Ransom Everglades School and the one word that keeps coming to mind is extraordinary. Having spent 23 years in Ithaca, New York, I find it remarkable, if not somewhat disorienting, that I pass by palms on my way to work each morning. Driving onto the RE upper school campus each day and seeing the Biscayne Bay in the distance is also a rather astonishing view even as I consider the gorgeous views of Cayuga Lake that I had from my office at Cornell. It is hard to believe that this extraordinary backdrop fades to the recesses of my mind the more that I learn about the exceptional educational opportunities available for Ransom Everglades students.Read More -
New directors arrive to RE college counseling
Jason C. Locke has accepted the newly created role of Executive Director of College Counseling at Ransom Everglades, and Patrick R. Tassoni, Jr., has agreed to become Director of College Counseling. Jason joins Ransom Everglades after more than two decades working in the admission and enrollment office at Cornell University, and Patrick arrives from the American School of Dubai. This dual appointment brings decades of experience, strong leadership and strategic thinking to the helm of Ransom Everglades' college counseling office.Read More -
Class of 2022 heading to 81 colleges in five countries
Ransom Everglades seniors planted colorful mini flags to mark their college destinations on a map posted in the Ansin Breezeway on May 2, lighting up locations around the nation and globe. With a few of RE’s 156 seniors still deciding, the Class of 2022 is heading to 81 colleges or universities in five countries and 24 states and the District of Columbia.Read More
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James Weaver ’90, member of Ransom Everglades board of trustees
“Some of my greatest lessons at Ransom Everglades were just as much outside of the classroom by engaging with my peers and teachers in an informal and inclusive environment. These skills developed as a student at RE continue to influence me today as a global business leader working in a global economy.”
List of 6 items.
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College Admissions Symposium
The annual and highly anticipated College Admissions Symposium in January offers our students and their families insights on the college process from a panel of admissions deans and directors. The event follows the release of college counselor assignments and acts as a kickoff to individualized college counseling for juniors. -
Standardized Testing
Annually, through class meetings and evening sessions, college counselors provide students and parents with tools to best prepare for taking the SAT and/or ACT. All juniors sit for the PSAT in October. RE provides a test prep program free of charge for all students. -
College Case Study Night
Admission representatives from various colleges and universities guide Ransom Everglades parents and students through a mock college admission process in April, taking them behind the curtain to help them prepare for their own forays into the college process. -
Senior Workshops
RE's college counseling team leads a series of senior workshops and bootcamps from May through December, offering sessions on college applications and application writing (personal statements, supplemental essays) as well as detailed suggestions for how students can organize their time to reduce college-application stress during the senior year. An application submit-a-thon is offered at the end of October to aid students with final details before they click submit. -
Athletic Recruitment
Student athletes and families looking to navigate the college athletics landscape are provided resources through the college counseling office including individual appointments with a coordinator of student-athletic recruitment. -
Financial Aid and College Costs
This special session on financial aid and college costs offers students and parents a comprehensive primer on financial aid, FAFSA, the CSS Profile and much more.
Resources
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College Counseling Resource Page
A comprehensive college counseling resource page is available to all enrolled students and their parents via the myCOMPASS login.
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Methodize
Methodize is a proven ACT and SAT test prep program through Method Test Prep. All Ransom Everglades students have access to Methodize resources for free.
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.