Dawson School’s Class of 2026 Logs 269 College Acceptances

Dawson School says its 44 graduates posted 269 college acceptances in a highly competitive 2026 admissions cycle, with a 64% admit rate versus the 48% national average. The results stretched across 30-plus states, eight countries and three Ivy and Ivy Plus institutions, underscoring the school’s counseling model and student outcomes.

Why it matters: - Dawson School’s Class of 2026 stood out in one of the toughest college admissions cycles on record. - The 44 graduates earned 269 acceptances, a volume that signals broad reach across selective colleges at home and abroad. - The results matter because they reflect both admissions success and the strength of Dawson’s counseling model.

What happened: - Dawson School said its 44 graduates secured 269 college acceptances for the Class of 2026. - The class posted a 64% admit rate, compared with the 48% national average. - Acceptances reached more than 30 states and eight countries. - The class landed 3 Ivy and Ivy Plus acceptances.

The details: - Dawson graduates were accepted to 47 Colleges of Distinction. - The class earned 11 acceptances to Top 50 National Universities. - Students received 9 acceptances to Best Value/ROI institutions. - The class also picked up 10 acceptances to Best Student Experience institutions. - Dawson reported 7 acceptances to Most Innovative Universities in America. - Notable U.S. acceptances included Cornell, Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania, Williams, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Rhodes, Tufts, Northeastern, Wake Forest, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Oregon. - International offers included Imperial College London, Trinity College Dublin, the University of St Andrews, the University of Amsterdam, McGill and the University of British Columbia. - Dawson’s college counseling program runs at a 30:1 student-to-counselor ratio. - Personalized counseling begins in 9th grade. - Students get one-on-one support through college counseling coursework, essay boot camps, PSAT coaching, on-site testing and meetings with more than 100 admissions representatives who visit campus each year. - Dawson says students also build applications through rigorous academics, the Connections internship program, community service, leadership, dual enrollment with CU Boulder and specialized programming in a chosen field. - The counseling team also works with athletic recruiting and specialized pathways in the arts and military service. - The Class of 2026 had a middle 50% weighted GPA of 3.81–4.20. - The class posted a middle 50% SAT range of 1240–1440. - The middle 50% ACT range was 27–33.

Between the lines: - Sarah Morissette, Dawson’s Director of College Counseling, tied the results to long-term relationships between students and adults on campus and to students presenting themselves authentically. - Morissette also said 93% of graduates were accepted to at least one of their top three schools. - The data suggests Dawson is pushing fit-based counseling rather than a pure prestige chase. - The range of outcomes, from Ivy Plus to international universities, points to a broad application strategy.

What’s next: - Dawson’s model points toward continued early college planning, with counseling starting in 9th grade. - The school’s next admissions cycle will likely build on the same mix of individualized advising, academic rigor and extracurricular depth. - Dawson School says students leave campus ready for what’s next, suggesting college placement will remain a central measure of the program’s value.

The bottom line: - Dawson School’s Class of 2026 translated early, individualized counseling into a wide spread of selective college acceptances in a year when many applicants faced unusually steep odds.