Hawken School College Counseling Office

Today marked our third and final signing day for the Class of 2026! So proud of our student athletes who will continue to pursue both their academic and athletic goals in college!

More college decision celebrations!

Our bell ringers for today! Congratulations Hawks!

BEANS TOUR day 3:
Ms. Steiner was wowed by the exuberant thinkers and doers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. These students are living their best lives engaged in project based learning that brings together collaborative teams to apply concepts to real world problems. If it sounds familiar to Hawken students, it’s because it is!

Fifty years ago, WPI faculty approved the WPI Plan , a radically new-for-the-time, project-based approach to undergraduate education. A central component today is the Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) which requires students to “delve into a problem that matters to real people on a topic that lies on the boundaries of science, technology, and society. Thousands of these projects have been completed for hundreds of sponsors, the majority at one of their many project centers across the United States and the globe.”

Then seniors complete a Major Qualifying Project (MQP) which is a capstone project in one’s major field and requires students to demonstrate real-world research, design, and problem-solving skills— everything employers and graduate programs expect. It’s no wonder WPI boasts impressive job and graduate education placement and high salaries.

Students interested in robotics flock to this original Robotics engineering degree that set the curricular standards now used by ABET.

WPI’s Interactive Media & Game Development program is another standard bearer that blends “the visual and technical arts, programming, storytelling, music, writing, design, user experience, and production management - IMGD offers highly customizable degree programs that both covers the breadth of interactive media and games and empowers students to specialize in their own area of interest.”

If you are passionate about STEM fields, business or psychology, value teamwork, creative problem solving, communication skills, and outcomes and processes over checkboxes, WPI is a must see. You, too, will be wowed by the joyful and collaborative learning that happens in this fully engaged community of learners.

Nestled in the hills with sweeping views of Worcester, MA, The College of the Holy Cross is a mission-driven liberal arts college where students are encouraged by engaged mentors to follow their passions, build a lifelong community and answer the Jesuit call to live as people for and with others.

Described as “Catholic and,” Holy Cross brings together thinkers who are challenged to uncover their beliefs and how they wish to live, growing intellectually, socially and spiritually — to achieve their full potential.

Rooted in the Ignatian principle of cura personalis — care for the whole person— students are welcomed at Holy Cross regardless of religious beliefs, identity, who they love or what pronouns they prefer.

Holy Cross takes an exploratory approach to education with all students entering as undeclared and completing the Montserrat first year experience where “students live and study in clusters, exploring broad themes through a variety of disciplines, reading common texts and sharing ideas in the classroom and beyond. Learning happens and relationships form over meals, at museums, in the residence halls and through performances, class discussions and workshops.”

Holy Cross is one of the handful of smaller NCAA Division I schools offering 27 teams. 1 in 4 students compete in varsity athletics and boast a 97% graduation rate among student-athletes and accomplishing 87 conference regular season and tournament championships, along with two national championships.

Life on the Hill is focused on giving back to Worcester through extensive service and Community-based learning courses.

Students who seek a values inspired education need to check out this special and well-resourced place!

BEANS TOUR day two:
Passionate creatives should check out Emerson College, home to 4000 undergraduates studying at one of three colleges (School of Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Communication, and School of Film, Television, and Media Arts) located in the heart of Boston’s theater district. Students also have access to two other campus in Los Angeles and Kasteel Well in the Netherlands.

Hands-on learning is central to an Emerson education, with academic credit awarded for co curriculars which enable students to connect classroom learning with hands-on, professional experience, such as working at WERS radio station, The Berkeley Beacon newspaper, or The EVVYs, the largest student run, multi-camera, production in the nation. Judged by industry professionals, The EVVYs recognize Emerson students’ achievements in their chosen discipline.

You can check out Emerson students work on their YouTube channel.

Notable alums include
* Megan Bradner, Vice President of Development and Production (Marvel Television)
* Kevin Bright, producer (Friends) and founding director of Emerson Los Angeles
* Steven Christy, producer (BOOM! Studios)
* Jennifer Coolidge, actress and comedian (Legally Blonde, Two Broke Girls)
* Gonzalo Cordova, writer (Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
* Vin Di Bona, producer (America’s Funniest Home Videos)
* Eric Drysdale, writer (The Colbert Report)
* Eric Falconer, producer (How I Met Your Mother, Blue Mountain State, The Sarah Silverman Program)
* John Frink, writer (The Simpsons)
* Noah Garfinkel, writer (New Girl, Workaholics)
* Jen Kirkman, stand-up comedian, actress, and screenwriter (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
* Laura Kightlinger, comedian and writer (Roseanne, Will & Grace)
* Norman Lear, producer (All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons)
* Jay Leno, comedian, producer, and writer (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno)
* Jon Rineman, writer (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
* Henry Winkler, actor, comedian, and producer (Happy Days, Royal Pains)

Next stop was the intellectually vibrant community of learners and game changers at Brandeis University. You’d be hard pressed to find a more curious and caring student body.

Known for exploring multiple majors and minors, students are benefiting from Brandeis’s commitment to reinvent the liberal arts through The Brandeis Plan, which “integrates rigorous study and a vibrant research enterprise with career-shaping experiences and verifiable skills — preparing students for meaningful careers and lives of impact. This vision is more than aspirational — it’s actionable. Brandeis offers:
* A redesigned core curriculum for the 21st century focused on the knowledge, values and competencies needed in a global, digital, knowledge economy.
* An unprecedented, future-facing approach to career development that begins on day one in the first semester.
* A career-competency second transcript that complements the traditional academic record by capturing the skills, experiences and competencies that students gain inside and beyond the classroom.
* A unified academic structure that fuses liberal arts and professional education, giving students expansive access to interdisciplinary learning, real-world experience and faculty mentors across fields.”

Brandeis’s admission process seeks students demonstrating exceptional critical thinking, community engagement and perseverance who are dedicated to repairing the world.

Favorite traditions include sledding on homemade sleds when it snows, Kindness Week, and the 24 Hour Musical where casting, choreography, costuming, set design, and rehearsals all take place in less than 24 hours!

Ms. Steiner here, touring the five colleges hosting the BEANS tour (Boston/ Extended Area Network of Schools)!

Today started with Simmons University. Founded in 1899, Simmons has stayed true to its revolutionary commitment to support women in earning independent livelihoods and lead meaningful lives. As the only women-centered institution in the city of Boston, intellectually curious, genuine and passionate students value inclusivity and action that improves society by connecting theory to practice.

While Nursing majors make up almost 25% of the student body, 34 other majors are found in one of five other colleges: The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Library and Information Science, School of Management, School of Sciences and Health Professions, and School of Social Work.

Check out The Simmons Edge program, which features integrated academic and experiential journeys for undergraduates which take full advantage of its Boston location and partnerships.

Slated for completion in January 2027, the new Living and Learning Center will enhance the Simmons experience by integrating residential, dining, wellness, and community spaces into one vibrant hub. Designed by the renowned architecture and design firm Elkus Manfredi Architects, the Living and Learning Center features modern amenities and breathtaking, 360-degree views of the Boston skyline.