The Circle of College Application Life

Joe Iuliano, Assistant Head of Academic Affairs
 
Here in New England at this time of year, we live the belief that, “if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.” However, the reality is often that March provides considerable roaring at both ends of the month and if we’re lucky the lamb shows up sometime not too much later. Baaa…
 
Still, while we need to be aware of the 'Prides of March' roaring all around us, it does bring forth thoughts of a certain Circle of Life—not the one with Simba and Nala, mind you, but the Circle of (College Application) Life that sounds a deep, prolonged guttural cry for Brimmer and May juniors and seniors during their last two years in the Upper School. Currently, that circle has almost closed up here at the end of March/beginning of April as the seniors are hearing final admissions voicing based upon their completed regular decision college applications and simultaneously juniors are jumping into cars and leaping onto planes to safari off for initial visits to college campuses near and far. Thus, we have juniors and seniors connected to each other by an infinitely short chord (or long, if we are thinking application process to-do list here) on the circumference of the Circle of (College Application) Life.
 
Over the school’s Spring Break our seniors were the recipients of admissions office missives bearing news of acceptance, denial, or waitlist statuses while our juniors had their first real peek at college campus wildlife. In the full bloom of April, seniors will take first or second trips to college campuses as well, to help them make final decisions about where they will stretch their intellectual muscles for the next four years. Roar!
 
Over the school’s Spring Break, juniors prowled the eastern seaboard searching out colleges and universities— think Emerson (Roar!) to Columbia (Roar!) and so many more—as they begin to hunt up those higher education environments that will quench their intellectual appetites and help them become confidently independent.
 
The Brimmer student’s Circle of (College Application) Life is ‘Rafikied’ by excellent teachers, challenging curriculum, knowledgeable counselors, and dedicated professionals who understand that circles have numerous arcs, sectors, and segments, and who happily inhabit the center that supports their students efforts. As March roars out, the School celebrates the members of the Class of 2024 who have reached their “endpoint” on the Circle and urge on the Class of 2025 who have just sprang upon the starting point of this exciting and rewarding journey.
As an inclusive private school community, Brimmer welcomes students who will increase the diversity of our school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or any other characteristic protected from discrimination under state or federal law, in the administration of our educational policies, admissions practices, financial aid decisions, and athletic and other school-administered programs.