The Class of 2023 By the Numbers

The 93 members of the Class of 2023 submitted 705 applications to 159 colleges and universities and were accepted at 121 of them. They have enrolled at 44 different institutions across the United States and internationally. To date, 56% of the class will attend out-of-state colleges and universities, which is a marked increase over the last year. Forty-four percent of the class will attend Texas colleges and universities. 

This year, the composition of Fort Worth Country Day’s highest enrolling institutions has changed. Taking the lead is Texas Christian University and its 10 soon-to-be Horned Frogs. Texas A&M University and the University of Oklahoma tied for second place by both enrolling nine new Aggies and Sooners. In third place again this year, The University of Texas at Austin welcomes eight new Longhorns. This year’s fourth spot is filled by the University of Texas at Arlington, a newcomer to the “Top Five” list, with four students. And in fifth place, the University of North Texas and the University of South Carolina are enrolling three students each.

Choosing an additional 37 different institutions suggests that Falcons continue to stretch their wings and attend a wide variety of colleges and universities. They will join five campus communities for the first time in at least 18 or more years, including Berklee College of Music, Mississippi State University, the University of New Hampshire, Virginia Tech and York University (Canada).

Four seniors are responsible for adding four Ivy League institutions to this year’s list of college acceptances – Cornell University (3), Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University. This fall, a total of 10 Falcons from the classes of 2020-23 will attend five of the eight Ivies: Cornell University (2), Dartmouth College, Harvard University (3), the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University (3). 

Three seniors in the performing and visual arts will continue their studies in music production/music business at Berklee College of Music and interior design and musical theatre at Savannah College of Art and Design, respectively.

Six seniors will become collegiate athletes at their respective institutions, which include Cornell University (men’s track & field), Oklahoma State University (women’s track & field), Sewanee: The University of the South (baseball), Stanford University (women’s track & field), the University of Oklahoma (men’s golf) and Wake Forest University (field hockey).

Additionally, one senior is enrolling in Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Early Entry Program, which allows high-achieving high school seniors to earn pre-approved acceptance into the university’s vet school. Up to 30 positions are available each year for this highly competitive program.

Seventy-nine of the 93 seniors were awarded more than $10.5 million in merit-based scholarships and awards (85% of the class). Forty-five of these students will attend colleges and universities where they will utilize more than $2.1 million. This year’s scholarship total is lower than last year’s $14.3 million, and there are several reasons for it. For example, members of the Class of 2023 submitted 54 fewer applications, and, more importantly, they were admitted to highly selective schools that don’t offer merit aid – a strong reason for the reduced amount of scholarship dollars received. 

As always, FWCD’s seniors are an impressive group and will only Fly Higher.

Article courtesy of Kristin Larsen, Director of College Counseling.