School Opens With Highest Enrollment in its History

The school began its 173rd year with the highest enrollment in its history. The Gunn community welcomed a record 323 students, up from 315 students in 2021-22 and 310 in 2019-20. Overall, 75% of current students are boarding, 25% are day students; and 20% are international students. Our students hail from 22 countries and 25 states. “It’s the strongest enrollment in our history, and our most selective and competitive enrollment season,” said Suzanne Day, Director of Enrollment and Admissions. We sat down with Day in mid-October to find out more about the admissions process and our current student body.

What are you hearing from prospective students and families about what attracted them to The Frederick Gunn School?

There is increased interest in the boarding school experience. What I hear often is that families were disillusioned with how their previous schools responded to COVID, whether that was in a public or independent school setting. There is an interest in the 24/7 boarding school experience, and a sense of how nimble boarding schools were at the start of the pandemic, and their ability to respond with in-person learning. I think we are benefiting from an uptick many boarding schools are seeing. However, I also think it is the momentum our school has achieved despite the pandemic, bringing to life our Campus Master Plan. That includes facility enhancements like the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center, Graham House, Emerson Fitness Center, and the excitement around the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship. And it’s not only facility upgrades. It’s the people and programs that make those facilities worthwhile. It’s the investment in enhancing and broadening our program offerings, such as Gunn Outdoors, adding exciting offerings to our curriculum, for example, the multiple English courses upperclassmen can take, and science and history electives. There is excitement around the expansion of our entrepreneurship curriculum, and the establishment of an Entrepreneurship Center. In fact, one of the most popular faculty members requested during admissions visits last year taught Honors Entrepreneurship Seminar. I also think that our courage to change our name in 2020 gave us an opportunity to rebrand ourselves and better define who we are in the boarding school landscape, and that messaging, along with the coming to life of the Campus Master Plan, leaves us in a position of strength in the boarding school market.

You said this past enrollment season was selective and competitive. What is it that our Admissions Officers look for in ideal candidates?

What I always tell prospective families is that we are looking for students who are motivated and engaged in the community in multiple facets — in academics, in athletics, in the arts, in leadership, in clubs. We are looking for students who are going to bring something unique to our community, or contribute to the success of the community in some significant way. Another reason our enrollment is so strong is that our attrition is the lowest it has been in the last 10 years. I think that speaks to the fact that the students who are enrolling are the right fit for our school, and they’re thriving here.

What is driving the growth in our enrollment?

Our primary growth was in boarding enrollment, which grew by 5% compared to last year, and 11% from two years ago, and that growth was domestic boarding growth. International enrollment remained consistent at 20% and all of our funnel metrics were up across the board: inquiries were up 11%, interviews were up 14%, and applications were up 12%.

The school has a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. How is that reflected in terms of enrollment now and in the future?

We have seen a steady increase in the number of students of color in recent years as we have continued to broaden our connections with Community Based Organizations (CBOs), feeder schools such as Harlem Academy, educational consultants, and other partners who represent students from diverse backgrounds. This will continue to be a priority for the future.

How are current trends affecting the enrollment process?

We’re extremely busy. Our Admissions Assistants tell me the phones are constantly ringing. Completed and scheduled appointments are up 50% compared with this time last year. Our calendar is full and thankfully we have record interest in our Tour Guide program to meet the demand. People have been worried that in terms of international interest, we might see a downtick, particularly from China. However, our international inquiries were up last year and look strong yet again this year. Chinese students remain 10% of our overall enrollment. Caralyn Dea, Director of International Recruitment & Associate Director of Admissions, has been working to broaden our international student body and to more consistently attract students from new markets. She’s back on the road now, and in October logged 21 days of international travel, and 11 flights to seven different cities. She had a line out the door at the fair that she attended in Japan, reporting there was more interest in The Frederick Gunn School than any other school at the fair. I’m on the road, too, doing domestic travel. Before the end of October, I had visited Florida, North Carolina, Chicago, and Colorado. We have a really strong, professional, and enthusiastic team that works well together. At the start of the year, we welcomed Blake Hollinger to our team as Associate Director of Admissions and Assistant Coach for Boys Varsity Lacrosse. He is a product of a junior boarding school and boarding school and has 10 years of experience in the D.C. Metro Area.

What can you tell us about students at The Frederick Gunn School this year? What makes them unique?

We have 134 new students from more than 19 countries. New to the mix are Bangladesh, Lithuania, Zimbabwe, and Guatemala, and we have two students from Ukraine as well. Our new domestic students are from 24 states, and fresh to that mix is Hawaii. Among new students, 14% are students of color. Overall, we have 33 legacy students and 17 sets of siblings. One of our new students is a professional actress who has been in two Emmy-nominated TV shows. Another is an actress who has appeared on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and was a finalist on Master Chef Junior. We have student activists and volunteers, including one student who spent time in Poland with her father this summer, helping Ukrainian refugees; and an avid fisherman who ran an event to teach special needs students how to fish in Central Park. And the last two of the five Gleason children are now here (twins Ava ’26 and Abigail ’26 are the siblings of Madi ’19, Jack ’21 and Anna ’23).

Our Highlander Summer Connections (HSX) events were well attended this summer, including an in-person event on campus in July, on one of the hottest days of the year. We had 30 students who powered through a scavenger hunt on campus and a hike in Steep Rock. At one of the HSX virtual events for the upperclassmen, Paloma Vega Gonzalez-Ruiz ’13, the sibling of a new 12th grader, made an appearance. She came in to talk about her experience at Gunn and how it was a dream for her brother, Cosme Vega Gonzalez-Ruiz ’23, to attend the school. She also said she was about to get married with many Gunn alumni in attendance at her wedding in Spain. We have other talented performing and visual artists joining us this year as well, including trumpeters, saxophonists, violinists, and a flutist. One applicant was even brave enough to sing to me as part of his admissions interview on Zoom!