College Acceptances

Meet Annie Gu ’23, a Wardlaw+Hartridge lifer who will be matriculating to Yale University. Annie intends to major in Molecular Biology and Applied Mathematics. She’s also the proud recipient of very prestigious scholarships offered by the Ivy League school.

“Yale wasn't originally on my radar as a destination for the next four years, but soon after applying I was notified that I had received the YES and Hahn Scholarships from Yale given to 10 people every cycle, along with likely admission due to excellence in STEM disciplines,” Annie said. “After receiving these honors, I started looking into Yale's undergraduate experience and found that it was simply unmatched. The combination of interdisciplinary education, vibrant extracurricular life, and friendly community attracted me to choose New Haven as a home for the next four years. I love the unity in Yale's community and its dedication to the undergraduate experience through its residential college system and mentorship resources for students.”

Annie has spent her entire life at W+H and has embraced many opportunities to shine. She first became known to many in the community as an amazing young pianist who performed in school recitals back in her Lower School days. Annie has grown up at W+H and become a leader. She served as Student Council and Senior Class President  and also played key leadership roles in many of the school’s extracurricular activities.

“Student Council, Model UN, AAPI Affinity, and Peer Tutoring have given me valuable experiences in leadership that I will take to Yale as I try to enhance their learning and social communities,” Annie said. “I have to thank Sra. (Maggie) Reiter, Mrs. (Justine) Borzumato, and Mr. (Brian) Staub for helping me inside and outside the classroom as a mentor in their respective disciplines and for life in general, and I will carry their wisdom with me to college and into the future.”  

Meet Loveleen Sindhar ’23, who is thrilled to be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. She is enrolling in the College of Arts and Sciences and will be majoring in Health and Societies. Loveleen began her college search with schools located in Northeast cities. She found a wonderful match in UPenn, which maintains a traditional college campus feel within the bustle of a city.

“It is difficult for me to put into words what a privilege it is for me to have been admitted into UPenn as a first-generation Sikh American,” Loveleen said. “Without the support of my parents and teachers, all of this would not have been possible. I am excited to see what the future holds for me, and I am excited to attend UPenn this fall!”

Loveleen made the most of her opportunities and became extremely active in the W+H community. She participated in many clubs and athletics, which cultivated her time management skills.

“My participation in W+H athletics taught me the importance of learning to balance both extracurriculars and academics,” she said. “I learned to manage my time to ensure I was performing well in my sport and most importantly, maintaining excellent grades. In addition, by learning to balance leading Desi Club and preparing for Peer Leadership meetings on top of sports and academics, I have acquired the skills necessary to succeed at UPenn.

“I have been able to learn and understand the responsibilities that come with being a leader, manage my time, and the importance of interacting with others. Specifically, the Peer Leadership program has played an immense role in my development as a person because I have acquired the skills necessary to instruct and engage in thoughtful discussions.”

Loveleen will be forever grateful to the W+H College Counseling Director Sarah Honan for her advice and everything she did to make her dream come true. She’s looking forward to her college years with great optimism.

“I am most excited about forming relationships with UPenn’s world-renowned faculty and conducting research that will help me gain hands-on experience,” Loveleen said. “In addition, UPenn has countless clubs and extracurricular activities I cannot wait to join in the fall!”

Meet Giselle Lee ’23, who is excited to be attending the University of Rochester in the fall. While Giselle plans to major in biology, she is looking forward to exploring Rochester’s open curriculum.

“There is no core curriculum, which allows me the freedom to discover what I am interested in by building my own way of study, as well as giving me opportunities to explore other areas of study to help me decide what I would like to do in the future,” Giselle said.

Giselle enjoyed the small class sizes, challenging academics and extracurricular opportunities at W+H and chose Rochester because she feels it will provide a similar balance of activities and programs.

“W+H has allowed me to become a more well-rounded person as I was able to explore all areas and not be limited to one thing,” Giselle said. “I’ve been able to participate in athletics, performing arts, fine arts, and join student groups. I was able to continue to push myself to the next level in other areas that I had interests in which I believe shaped me into someone who is able to have some skills in every area to help me in the future.”

She plans to continue swimming on the University of Rochester club team after a solid W+H career in the pool. She also hopes to study abroad in the future.

Giselle is grateful for the student-teacher relationships she forged during her W+H years and believes her comfort and ease interacting with faculty will help her find success in college. She also appreciates the support and guidance from the W+H college counselors throughout the application process.

Meet Aayushi Singh ’23, who is looking forward to continuing her education at the University of California’s Berkeley campus in the fall. She has not declared a major but plans to study physical sciences and mathematics within the STEM disciplines.

Aayushi chose Berkeley for its culture, robust course offerings in the STEM fields, and proximity to Silicon Valley. She’s excited to explore Berkeley's beautiful college town and the sunny side of California. With an adventurous spirit and many years of strong academic preparation, Aayushi is ready for the next challenge.

“W+H definitely  encouraged me to explore new topics, especially as someone who wasn't as interested in STEM before. W+H gave me the opportunity to explore new concepts and have a more interdisciplinary approach to my education and now I am excited to pursue a STEM field in undergrad and hopefully go to law school,” she said.

“Being in the W+H Student Ambassador Leadership Council amongst other clubs and extracurricular activities definitely helped me build on my public speaking skills and allowed me to forge new relationships, which is something I will forever be grateful for. This aspect of my W+H experience is definitely one I hope to continue in college.”

Aayushi credited W+H college counselors Sarah Honan and Alayne Birnhak with providing “an immense amount of guidance” throughout this process. She’s extremely grateful for their support, especially when choosing between the University of Southern California and Cal-Berkeley.

“Going to college in a city with strong academic and extracurricular programs and being in California were all important factors for me when applying to college, and Ms. Birnhak definitely helped me curate a list that aligned with my interests,” Aayushi said. 

Meet Aastha Patel ’23, who will be matriculating to Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, where she plans to major in Business Administration with a concentration in Global Business.

Aastha earned Early Decision II admission to BU and is thrilled to be enrolling at “the one school that stood out due to its diversity, location and business program.”

While she was impressed by the multitude of concentrations available, especially the Global Business program, it was the diversity that made the biggest impact.

“Through my three years at W+H, I have thoroughly enjoyed cross-cultural experiences such as International Family Fun Night and Holi with my peers, so I hope to build on my cultural awareness by interacting with different people at BU,” Aastha said. 

Aastha thoroughly enjoyed and made the most of her three years at W+H. She greatly appreciated the small class sizes and the tightly knit community. Being in smaller classes helped her gain the confidence to ask questions, share her thoughts, and get involved, all of which are tools which will be beneficial at BU.

“The supportive community at W+H has inspired me to do things I would never have imagined before such as running for JBoard president, applying for peer leadership, and being the girls' basketball captain during junior and senior year,” said Aastha, who added special thanks to Ms. Safia Haddam, Dr. Raechel Lutz, Señora Claudia Gonzalez, and Mr. Maxime Sinal for contributing to her confidence in the classroom by always being there to answer questions and to support her academic and extracurricular endeavors. 

Aastha has become very skilled at time management, which allows her to dedicate time to activities such as Model UN, The Beacon, Project Plainfield, and Desi Club.

“The supportive community has given me the confidence to pursue various different leadership positions and even start my own initiatives, such as the W+H Service Leadership Team (WHSLT). The support of my peers also motivated me to apply for Peer Leadership, which I believe was one of the highlights of my time at W+H. Having the opportunity to lead clubs and interact with different people has allowed me to develop both as a student and as a person,” said Aastha, who also praised W+H college counselors Sarah Honan and Chris Teare for going above and beyond during the application process.

“My biggest takeaway from attending W+H has been to have confidence in myself. As I get ready to embark on a new journey at a large university, the confidence I have gained at W+H will be applied to a larger community at Boston University. I know that I am well-equipped to confidently ask questions, engage in thoughtful discussion, and get involved in student orgs at Boston University,” Aastha said.  

Meet Sydney Racine ’23, who will attend The University of Pennsylvania and major in biology next fall. Sydney was looking for the best science, research and pre-med programs with a close eye on which institution would best match her social and extracurricular interests. She is thrilled to be continuing her journey at a place known as “the social Ivy.”

“UPenn's various clubs and organizations cater to my diverse interests outside the classroom,” Sydney said. “While visiting campus, I could feel how lively the student body was, from students vouching for their clubs to showing their Penn school spirit. Another thing I love about Penn is its pre-professional culture. Penn’s research opportunities and pre-health advisors will allow me to make a seamless transition into medical school.”  

Sydney has grown accustomed to enjoying the best of many worlds at Wardlaw+Hartridge. She’s made the most of her W+H years, exceling in a variety of areas including academics, athletics and the arts.

“W+H catered to the exploration of my diverse interests including performing arts, athletics, and STEM, allowing me to take away vast experiences and identities from each extracurricular,” she said. “These diverse experiences have allowed me to make connections with so many different kinds of people, teaching me the diversity of perspectives and showing me that everyone in this world truly looks at life through a different lens.”

She also values Wardlaw+Hartridge’s tight-knit community, her connection with teachers and a college counseling program that provided “unlimited support and guidance in navigating the college application process.” Sydney is confident this preparation will fuel her success in the future and “make Penn’s larger community feel smaller and allow me to take full advantage of all the opportunities available.”

Meet Sasha Chernyak, who will attend Rutgers University (Newark) in the fall and major in business with a possible minor in film studies.

Sasha chose RU-Newark for its wide range of opportunities, connections, and affordable tuition. She initially considered applying to schools far away to get a fresh start on life, but loves the location of the university and realizes that she won’t need to be far away from home to begin anew.

“If I learned anything from W+H, it’s that it is important to stay true to yourself,” Sasha said. “It is by being yourself that you'll find true, real friends and connections.”

Sasha has made a name for her on the W+H stage as a performer in school plays. She also loves film, which she started studying at JP Stevens before transferring to W+H.

“I am most grateful to W+H for the opportunity to express myself in the art of film.  I am lucky that I got to produce my own passion film last year, work on a new film this year, and hopefully make more films in the future,” she said.

She credits the W+H college counselors for recommending Rutgers and is thankful to Mr. Chris Teare, Mrs. Rande Brown and Ms. Alayne Birnhak for helping guide her through the college process.

“I am looking forward to both studying and enjoying myself in college, and returning to W+H to visit the underclassmen, teachers, and possibly as a film festival judge,” Sasha said.

Meet Angelina Vargas ’23, who will matriculate to Brown University, where she plans to study psychology and take sample courses in nutrition. Angelina also will continue her soccer career at Brown. She chose Brown University because of the strong academic culture, the welcoming atmosphere, the beautiful and safe campus, the liveliness of Providence, and the close-knit soccer team that has had a history of success.

“I love that Brown is in a city but also has a campus which gives me the luxury of going out into the city and coming back to a quiet peaceful campus where I will have a place to socialize and start new friendships. I also love that Brown has an open curriculum because it gives me the freedom to explore other interests instead of being required to take a set of core classes that would not have anything to do with my major,” Angelina said.

Angelina credits the small class sizes, diversity and service opportunities at W+H as key aspects in her development as a more confident and well-rounded student. She’s enjoyed the opportunity to meet many people from different backgrounds in her Upper School years.

“I have gained more confidence to answer questions in class and ask a teacher for help, which will benefit me greatly in college since I will have more of a responsibility to reach out when I am struggling especially because I will be a student-athlete with a lot to balance,” she said.

Angelina is grateful for the tremendous support and guidance of the W+H college counseling program, which has helped her find a wonderful fit.

“I am very eager to start a new chapter in my life at Brown University because I think it is truly the perfect fit for me,” Angelina said. “Brown’s atmosphere will help me push myself every day to make me an overall better person while also having fun and making unforgettable memories. Its strength in both academics and soccer makes me confident that Brown will help me accomplish my dreams and I could not be happier that I found a second home for the next four years.” 

Meet Amy Sun ’23, who is matriculating to Rhode Island School of Design, where she will be majoring in illustration.

Amy, a talented fine artist, caught her first glimpse of RISD during the holiday season in 2021 while spending a week in Rhode Island. She really liked the environment and atmosphere of the school, which lived up to what friends and teachers had told her about it.

“I was sure about the school and that I wanted to go, so I worked hard for it as my goal,” Amy said.

Amy enjoys spending time in the W+H art room working on her paintings. She feels fortunate to have access to many wonderful supplies for her artwork. She also credits the school with providing important classes in photoshop, psychology and film, which she believes will be useful in her college major.

An international student who has been attending W+H during a pandemic, Amy has enjoyed extracurricular activities such as dance and school events like Fall Fair, which she said have helped strengthen her social skills.

Meet Nandini Shah ’23, who is excited about her upcoming matriculation to the University of Pennsylvania, where she plans to major in biochemistry in the College of Arts and Science with the hopes of attending medical school in the future. Nandini was immediately impressed by the UPenn campus and its proximity to a children’s hospital, the University hospital and a cancer research center within two miles.

“These resources made it very clear that Penn would have a vast number of medical internships, research opportunities, and hands-on experiences for their undergraduates interested in medicine,” Nandini said. “In addition, the location of the school in Philly, the amazing faculty who help their students succeed, and the vibrant campus culture made Penn my first choice school. I love that Penn is the perfect combination of being located in a city with numerous opportunities and activities while still having a tight-knit campus.”

Nandini credits the W+H community with allowing her to form close relationships with her teachers and approach them with questions. She’s confident that skill will help her at UPenn as she tries to secure research and shadowing opportunities. She’s also grateful for the wide variety of opportunities she received at W+H.

“The opportunities at W+H span across various interests,” she said. “I was able to develop my love for teaching through the Peer Tutoring and Refugee Tutoring programs, while also being granted the opportunity to start a First Aid Club to spread my knowledge and passion for medicine. I also love being a part of the cheer competition team that has allowed me to make many close friends and immerse myself within a new sport.”

Nandini credits college counselors Chris Teare and Sarah Honan with going “above and beyond” to help finalize her decision to apply early decision to Penn.  She’s extremely grateful for their guidance and added, “I am super happy with my decision to go to Penn and looking forward to the next four years that will be instrumental in my path to becoming a doctor.”

Meet Claire Chen ’23, who plans to major in Communications and Media after a recent early decision acceptance to Northeastern University. Claire believes she has found the best of many worlds at her new college home.

“When visiting the Northeastern campus in Boston, I immediately fell in love with the campus,” she said. “I love the location and it offers the major I want. Northeastern also has co-op program, so that I can intern while at school. I can gain working experience in my intended field. So, I decided to put Northeastern as my top choice.”

As an international student attending W+H during a pandemic, Claire only spent two of her three Upper School years on campus. She was online as a sophomore in the 2020-2021 school year but has made the most out of her brief time on Inman Avenue as a junior and senior.  She characterized W+H as “more like a small society, with different cultures and different personalities” and said she has “seen and gotten along with a lot of types of people, which I believe will help me faster and easier assimilate into college and society.”

Claire is grateful for the many opportunities W+H has given her to share her culture with others in the community. She has enjoyed planning Lunar New Year celebrations with the support of her teachers, who listened to her thoughts and shared useful advice.

“This gave me confidence and let me be creative,” said Claire, who also credited the W+H college counselors with providing superb guidance and support throughout her college application process.