Academics
College Counseling
College Counseling at RE
Our College Counseling Office is staffed with 11 college counselors, an essay-writing specialist, a coordinator of student-athlete college recruitment and two office staff who assist our students and college counseling team. This group helps ensure that all Ransom Everglades 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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Class of 2023 heading to 83 colleges in 23 states and seven countries
[Updated May 16, 2023]: RE’s Class of 2023 will be matriculating at 83 colleges and universities in 23 states and seven countries in 2023-24. Ransom Everglades seniors not only will attend traditionally sought-after schools – including all of the Ivies, MIT and Stanford – they also will matriculate at highly selective liberal arts colleges, acclaimed research institutions, extremely competitive drama/music schools, highly regarded international institutions and universities with renowned specialty programs.Read More -
From the Executive Director of College Counseling: Slaying the Dragon
Read MoreI will always remember the chant, “Dragon, Dragon, Dragon; Oi, Oi, Oi!” In late March, the entire Cornell University community came together to celebrate a Cornell rite of spring – the storied Dragon Day tradition. As tradition goes, first-year architecture students construct a dragon and march it across campus to meet a phoenix built by first-year engineers. The culmination was a bonfire on the Arts Quad where the dragon was metaphorically slain. The celebratory atmosphere reflected both the excitement of a campus event drawing thousands of participants as well as a collective sense of relief that spring was just around the corner after a long, Ithaca winter. -
From the Executive Director of College Counseling: Many eyes, many voices – the REimagining
Read MoreTwenty years ago this spring, I was engaged in a “reimagining” initiative at Cornell University that is similar to what we are currently doing at Ransom Everglades. Dubbed the rebuilding initiative, this revitalization of our undergraduate admission office was driven by goals that called for greater efficiency in our work, targeted recruitment strategies, segmented communication plans, and enhanced use of technology. I remember the excitement, the hard work, and the awesome sense of responsibility I felt recreating the office at a storied institution. -
RE college counseling kicks off process with ninth-grade families
Ransom Everglades opened the college process for ninth-grade families with a college counseling night for ninth-grade parents on Feb. 7 and a class meeting for ninth graders on Feb. 9. The events led by RE Executive Director of College Counseling Jason Locke were designed to introduce students and their families to members of the college counseling office and provide information and guidance on what lies ahead.Read More -
From the Desk of the Executive Director of College Counseling: A time for reflecting and REimagining
The excitement has been palpable in the days that followed Interim Head of School Rodriguez’s announcement about the REimagining of college counseling at Ransom Everglades. Not only did we hear from many in the RE community, but the announcement generated an unexpected buzz in the national admissions and college counseling networks. This is indeed a bold move for Ransom Everglades School; an inflection point. As it turns out, it is also a moment for reflection and gratitude.Read More -
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
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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
Multiple sessions on financial aid and college costs offer 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.