College admission season is just getting underway, but 60% of the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Class of 2020 has already received college acceptances. To date, the 52 members of the senior class have received 85 letters of admission. Nine students will rest easy over the Christmas break knowing that their decisions are made.

Six SAS students were accepted early decision with binding commitments. Saje Mangru of Winchester, Tenn. will attend the University of Chicago. Gabriel Pongdee of Tracy City, Tenn. will attend Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Michael Chen of Shenzhen, China will attend New York University. Serena Zeng of Nanchang, China will attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Faith Daisy of Roseau, Dominica and Tim Nelson of Sewanee, Tenn. will attend the University of the South in Sewanee. Other students who will sleep easy during the Christmas break knowing that their decision has been made are Steven Anderson of Hillsboro, Tenn. who has committed to Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn. Evan Fox of Sewanee who will attend University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Noah Henley of Cowan, Tenn. who will be attending Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn.

Each fall, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School graduates fan out across the country to large and small colleges and universities and report back that they were well prepared for university coursework. Close to 20% of each senior class graduates with college credit earned at the University of the South. The two institutions have a close relationship that allows SAS students to take college classes for free and for credit before graduating from high school.

SAS students are guided in the college search by Director of College Counseling Dan Monahan who has spent a career in college admissions and college counseling and whose knowledge of American colleges is encyclopedic. “My job is to work carefully with our families to be sure that our students are finding the ideal next step for their academic, financial, and social needs,” said SAS Director of College Counseling. So far, the Class of 2020 has submitted 272 applications to 164 different colleges.

More good news is expected when the students return to class in January. The senior class will graduate on Sunday, May 17, 2020.