Annual Hidden Ivies College Panel Presentation Held at Stuyvesant

Stuyvesant hosted its annual Hidden Ivies College Panel presentation in the Murray Kahn Theater on Wednesday, April 11. The event was organized by Director of College Counseling Jeffrey Makris and featured four panelists from the “Hidden Ivy” colleges. The presentation was open to all grade levels.

The panel was based on the book “The Hidden Ivies” by Howard and Matthew Greene, which features numerous selective schools outside of the Ivy League. This year, the panelists included Alex Bates from Lafayette College, Leslie Braat from Oberlin College, Arron Marlowe-Rogers from Wake Forest University, and Sarah Lyons from the University of Chicago.

Juniors Jane Rhee and Joshua Weiner moderated the presentation, which started with an information session about the admissions process specific to each school, and then transitioned into a question-and-answer session with the audience.

“The goal [of the panel is] to have deeper conversations about admissions, the higher [education] landscape, [and] the college experience,” Makris said. “[It’s important] that students and parents [who] attend, regardless as to whether they like those specific schools, learn [...] what’s going to be a good fit for them when their time comes.”

Weiner believes that the presentation did a good job of advising the audience. “A lot of students have this preconceived notion that they’re only going to apply to certain schools. I think that most students (and parents) who were there got to learn a lot about schools which they otherwise would have never considered,” Weiner said in an e-mail interview. “Even if people don’t apply [...], it’s worth learning about [...] what to look for that makes institutions unique,” he said, “and how to market oneself on their application.”

Despite this, many others felt that the event was lacking, and had hoped for more detailed insight on the college process. “Most of what the [panelists] discussed was general and basic: that you are consistent with extracurriculars and that you challenge yourself. But if [I didn’t] know anything about the college process, I see how this could have been informative,” sophomore parent Ida Zheng said.

The administration is eager to continue this yearly panel with a greater target on underclassmen in following years. “I think it would be really nice for [more] kids to hear [how] to be a bit calmer about the process and get a sense that there are so many options out there,” Makris said.