2024-25 College Admission
Students enrolled in PreK-12
Students in Upper School
Students of color
Receive financial aid
Members of the senior class
Accredited by
Member of
Academic Year Calendar
NOVEMBER 8, 2024
Fall interim grades sent to colleges
JANUARY 27, 2025
Mid-year grades sent to colleges
JUNE 13, 2025
Graduation
College Counseling Team
Karen A. Mason, Director
karen.mason@germantownacademy.org
Daniel Evans, Senior Associate Director daniel.evans@germantownacademy.org
Joaquim Hamilton, Associate Director joaquim.hamilton@germantownacademy.org
Jonathan Na, Associate Director jonathan.na@germantownacademy.org
Anne Leonard, Assistant to the Director anne.leonard@germantownacademy.org
CEEB/ACT Code 393321
Germantown Academy was founded in 1759 as a school for the community of Germantown, in Philadelphia. Today, GA in nearby Fort Washington sits on 126 acres and is comprised of 1,218 students in grades PreKindergarten through 12th, learning and growing in a non-sectarian, coeducational college preparatory environment. Our mission to inspire students to be Independent in Thought, Confident in Expression, Compassionate in Spirit, Collaborative in Action, and Honorable in Deed is a daily part of educational life. With talented and caring faculty, honest and curious students, and a beautiful environment, Germantown Academy is where students can become their best selves.
GA Graduates Excel in College
Each graduating class typically attends a four-year college
5-year College Graduation Rate (Class of 2018)
National 6-year graduation rate at four-year colleges
86
4-year College Graduation Rate (Class of 2019)
Faculty
70 Upper School Teachers 51 have advanced degrees; 9 hold the highest degree in their field
Admission
Admission to GA is highly selective and determined by: school record; standardized test scores; an interview; teacher recommendations
Athletics
84% of Upper School students play at least one sport each year
1/4 of the class typically goes on to play their sport in college
Arts
375+ students annually play an instrument
The oldest high school theater group in the country stages 2 performances each year
GAXP
The GA Experience Program funds immersive learning experiences for students in the areas of service, outdoor education, and the arts. In recent years, students have canoed and camped in the backwoods of Maine, helped create mural artworks in Philadelphia, and helped rebuild homes in New Orleans and Birmingham, Alabama.
Harkness Method
Rooted in the Socratic method of stimulating critical thinking through continuous exchange of questions and answers, students and teachers in English and history classes gather around Harkness Tables where each participant contributes to discussions, challenges one another, and defends viewpoints.
The Preserve
Committed to environmental education and stewardship, GA restored six acres surrounding the Wissahickon Creek to wetlands and meadow and designed school buildings with a green roof, courtyard gardens, and an apiary. As a certified Audubon Society Bird Habitat, the Preserve is home to a wide range of wildlife and plant species that provide ample hands-on opportunities for students in disciplines from the sciences to the visual arts.
House System and Prefects
Three seniors are chosen each year for the significant leadership role of leading one of the seven Houses as Prefects and partner with nine faculty to plan activities and competitions for the House.
Science Research Program
The Upper School Science Research Program provides GA’s inspired scientists opportunity to become leaders in science research. Each year, about two dozen motivated students undertake year-long independent research projects and represent GA in regional and state science competitions. Under the direction of Upper School Science Chair and teacher, GA students have accrued numerous first-place finishes and thousands of dollars in scholarship money.
International Experiences
GA holds the distinction of being the first Confucius Classroom in Pennsylvania, made possible through a partnership with Hanban, the Chinese National Office of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, and Capital Normal University in Beijing. GA Upper School students and faculty also travel to England, China, Japan, and Spain for cultural and educational exchanges through partnerships with specific high schools in those countries.
Academy Scholars Program
Students with a passion for scholarship or the arts apply to participate in a three-year independent project, culminating in a presentation of original work in 12th Grade. Examples of recent Academy Scholars projects include examining Asian American womanhood through Japanese folklore and Chinese symbolism; writing a collection of short stories with a focus on mixed-race identities; and creating artworks that explore the concept of Black joy as a form of resistance and resilience.
Grading System
Germantown Academy includes all courses in which homework is required in its calculation of students’ weighted cumulative grade point averages. GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale with 1 GPA point of weighting for Honors and AP courses, which are of comparable rigor.
Most Rigorous Course Offerings
All GA courses are college preparatory. Students are expected to take a minimum of 5 major courses per semester. Minimum graduation requirements include 20 academic credits plus 2.5 elective credits with 5 semesters of physical education and .5 of health. In Grades 9 and 10, the typical course load consists of 5 year-long academic courses plus 2 semester-long courses in the visual or performing arts. Students in Grades 11 and 12 typically take 5 year-long academic courses plus at least 1 elective. Germantown
AP AND HONORS AP and Honors courses are comparably rigorous, have limited seat availability, require recommendation from the department faculty, varied pre-requisites, and in some cases, an additional placement exam. Students in AP courses are required to take the AP exam.
{ENGLISH After completing the two-year sequence of English 9 and English 10, students are equipped with the foundational skills, core knowledge, and independence of mind to explore their passions and interests in the English seminar program. Designed by our expert department faculty, our English seminars foster in-depth learning, varied writing experiences, creative experimentation, and more opportunities for experiential and project-based learning, transcending the confines of the AP exam curriculum.
HISTORY After a required foundational course, World History 1, rising 10th Graders may apply for Honors World History II and rising 11th Graders may apply for Honors US History. Organized around compelling inquiry questions, out Honors courses differ from AP courses in that students engage more fully with recent texts by historians, journalists, and public intellectuals and locate and evaluate sources of information, rather than working solely with material provided by an AP curriculum. Our assessments prioritize longer-form responses to inquiry questions, including essays, sustained engagement in discussion, research papers, and presentations.
The Curriculum
4 Years Honors Seminar Courses (11/12)
3 Years
Honors Algebra II
(require the AP Exam)
designated AP courses
AP Calculus AB (11/12)
Honors Geometry AP Calculus BC (11/12)
Honors Precalculus/Diffential Calculus
Honors Statistics
Honors Advanced Mathematics (12): Requires an A in AP Calculus BC + completion or simultaneous enrollment in AP Physics
LANGUAGES
3 Years Honors Chinese I, II, III, IV, V
Honors French I, II, III, IV, V
Honors Latin I, II, III, IV, V
HISTORY
AP French Language and Culture (12)
AP Spanish Language and Culture (12)
AP Spanish Literature and Culture (12)
Honors Spanish I, II, III, IV, V (Spanish APs offered alternating years)
3 Years with World Honors World History II (10)
No designated AP courses History I, II, and U.S. Honors U.S. History (11) History required Honors History electives (12)
SCIENCE
3 years with one year
Honors Physics (9)
AP Biology (12) of Physics, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry (10)
AP Chemistry (11/12) and Biology required
Honors Biology (11)
Honors Engineering
Honors Organic Chemistry
Honors Computer Science I
Honors Advanced Topics in Computer Science
Honors Independent Science Research (9-12)
AP Physics C (11/12)
AP Environmental Science (12)
AP Computer Science Principles (10-12)
PERFORMING ARTS
1 year required of either MUSIC - Honors Music Theory
No designated AP courses Visual or Performing Arts Honors 1759 Singers
Honors String Orchestra
Honors Symphonic Band
THEATER - Honors Acting
Honors Audition and Performance
Honors Technical Theater Production
VISUAL ARTS
1 year required of either Honors Digital Media I & II
Visual or Performing Arts
Honors Digital Songwriting and Audio Production I & II
Honors Photography
Honors 2D Drawing and Painting I & II
No designated AP courses
Requirements
significant extracurriculars per year hours of service-related activity on or off campus
30 Hours
During the month of May, seniors participate in SENIOR PROJECTa capstone project that takes place off campus. Students are required to find a sponsor and to design their own projects, identifying an essential question that will drive their learning goals. Past projects include shadowing a neurosurgeon, working for an architecture and design firm, volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center, conducting research with a professor at a local university, and producing a variety show for young children.
High Honors/Honors and Cum Laude
High Honors distinction requires 4 major course grades at A- or above and all grades at B or above. Honors distinction requires 3 major course grades at B+ or above and all grades at B or above.
Germantown Academy does NOT rank its students or select a Valedictorian, but does provide a weighted, cumulative GPA. The Cum Laude Society recognizes up to 10 percent of seniors for academic excellence at the beginning of their senior year based on GPA calculation, rigor of curriculum, and a faculty selection committee.
Class of 2025 Testing Profile
The Class of 2025 is comprised of 143 students. The test results reported below are through August of 2024 ACT and SAT administrations and do not include final tests results for many seniors.
122 Students
50% Evidence-Based Reading & Writing
36 students in the Class of 2025 completed 85 AP exams with 94% earning a 3 or above. In the classes of 2024 and 2025, 13 students were named AP Scholars, 4 were AP Scholars with Honors, and 12 were AP Scholars with Distinction.
Honor Code and Discipline Reporting Student conduct is guided by an Honor Code. Violations are presented to the Honor Council made up of student leaders, select faculty, and the Dean of Students. GA reports to colleges disciplinary incidents if a college specially asks or if an offense results in expulsion.
Grade Distribution for courses completed by the Class of 2025 During the 2023-24 Academic Year
Matriculations for the Classes of 2020-24
(If multiple students are attending the same college, the number is noted in parentheses after the college name.)
American University
Amherst College
Arcadia University (2)
Arizona State University (3)
Auburn University (7)
Babson College
Barnard College
Baylor University (2)
Bentley University
Binghamton University
Boston College (5)
Boston University (5)
Bowdoin College (2)
Brown University (4)
Bryn Athyn College
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University (11)
Carleton College
Case Western Reserve University (2)
Clark Atlanta University
Clemson University (5)
Colby College (2)
Colgate University
College of Charleston (8)
College of the Holy Cross
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Columbia University (2)
Commonwealth University
Connecticut College
Cornell University (3)
Dartmouth College
Denison University (2)
Dickinson College (6)
Drew University
Drexel University (17)
Duke University (2)
Duquesne University
Eckerd College
Elizabethtown College (2)
Elon University (21)
Emerson College (3)
Emory University (2)
Fairfield University (3)
Florida A&M University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida State University (2)
Fordham University (2)
Franklin and Marshall College (14)
George Mason University (2)
George Washington University (11)
Georgetown University (10)
Georgia Tech
Gettysburg College
Hamilton College (4)
Hampton University
Harvard University (3)
Haverford College (5)
High Point University (2)
Hobart and William Smith (4)
Hofstra University
Howard University (2)
Illinois Institute of Technology
Indiana University (5)
Ithaca College
James Madison University (4)
Johns Hopkins University (3)
Kutztown University
La Salle University (2)
Lafayette College (5)
Lehigh University (25)
Long Island University (2)
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Maryland (5)
Marquette University
Maryland Institute College of Art
Miami University-Oxford
Middlebury College (2)
Millersville University
Monmouth University
Montana State University
Montgomery County Community College
Moore College of Art and Design
Morehouse College
Mount Holyoke College
Muhlenberg College (4)
Neumann University (2)
New York University (9)
North Carolina A&T State University
Northeastern University (16)
Northwestern University (3)
Oberlin College
Occidental College (2)
Ohio State University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University (34)
Pennsylvania Western University
Pepperdine University
Princeton University (2)
Providence College
Purdue University (5)
Queens University of Charlotte
Rhodes College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rowan University (2)
Rutgers University
Saint Joseph's University (5)
Saint Michael's College
Salisbury University (2)
San Diego State University (2)
Savannah College of Art and Design (2)
Seton Hall University
Southern Methodist University (5)
Spelman College
St. John's University
St. Lawrence University
Stanford University (3)
Stetson University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Swarthmore College (2)
Syracuse University (18)
Temple University (11)
The Catholic University
The New England Conservatory of Music
The New School
The University of Alabama (4)
The University of Tampa (7)
The University of Tennessee (7)
The University of Texas at Austin
Thomas Jefferson University
Trinity College (3)
Trinity College Dublin
Tufts University (2)
Tulane University (11)
United States Military Academy
United States Naval Academy (3)
University of Arizona (2)
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Diego (2)
University of California-Santa Barbara
University of Chicago (4)
University of Colorado (6)
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware (3)
University of Florida (3)
University of Hartford
University of Illinois
University of Kentucky (2)
University of Maryland (3)
University of Massachusetts (2)
University of Miami (10)
University of Michigan (11)
University of Mississippi
University of New Hampshire (2)
University of Pennsylvania (27)
University of Pittsburgh (17)
University of Rhode Island (2)
University of Richmond (4)
University of Rochester
University of Scranton
University of South Carolina (4)
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews
University of Utah
University of Vermont (10)
University of Virginia (2)
University of Wisconsin (7)
Ursinus College (12)
Vassar College (3)
Villanova University (17)
Virginia Tech (7)
Wagner College
Wake Forest University (7)
Washington University in St. Louis (3)
Webb Institute
Wesleyan University (3)
West Chester University (7)
West Virginia University (2)
Widener University
William & Mary (2)
Xavier University
Yale University (2)