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12th Alumni Panel Addresses the College Experience for Current Students

Young alums addressed traditional questions about college life with Middle and Upper Schoolers while also providing some candid advice.
Ranney’s young alums returned to campus January 7, 2015, to participate in the 12th Annual College Alumni Panel. Held each year in coordination with the College Guidance Office and Alumni Office, the goal of the panel is to share the college experience with current juniors and seniors in an effort to better prepare them for the changes ahead. Alums addressed traditional questions, such as how they have learned to balance academics with a social life (time management—and naps—are essential, stressed Anike Oladeji ’12) and what to expect in terms of work load and assessments (these vary from college to college but overall seem to be more than manageable after receiving a Ranney education, agreed the panelists).

Alums also offered more candid advice to current Upper Schoolers, such as when to schedule classes (never on a Friday afternoon, said Joe Esquivel-Murphy ‘14); how to best get along with roommates (be considerate of their time and space; accept that becoming best friends is not always feasible or desirable, said Maddie Fabricant ’14); what to expect from college dining (lots of options, but of varied quality); and how to manage life away from home (call your parents often, so they don’t have to call you!).

A second panel was held for Middle School students, which addressed how students can begin to prepare for college starting in high school as well as some of the key differences between Middle and Upper School at Ranney. A key takeaway was to treat ninth grade seriously; grades matter in this first year just as much as they do in the senior years, and the introduction of study halls in the Upper School should be used wisely, advised Rachel Bernstein ’14. Another point made by Jenna DiSalvo ’14 and Mostafa Meleis ’14 was to start preparing for the SATs and ACTs in advance and know which one you plan to focus on by junior year; this way, senior year can be used to focus on college applications rather than testing.

Matthew Elkwood ’14 and the other panelists also stressed the importance of forming strong relationships with Ranney’s college advisors and teachers, who serve not only as trustworthy and helpful resources but also as mentors that can guide students through the college process and ease the transition to higher education.
Panelists included the following alums:

Upper School Panelists
• Jood Ani, Class of 2012, Skidmore College
• Soroya Dookie, Class of 2014, University of Richmond
• Alexandra Esquivel-Murphy, Class of 2014, University of Notre Dame
• Joseph Esquivel-Murphy, Class of 2014, Penn State University
• Maddie Fabricant, Class of 2014, Emerson College
• Anike Oladeji, Class of 2012, American University
• Mike Palmeri, Class of 2012, Northeastern University
• Steven Parlamas, Class of 2014, New York University

Middle School Panelists
• Rachel Bernstein, Class of 2014, George Washington University
• Jenna DiSalvo, Class of 2014, Providence College
• Matthew Elkwood, Class of 2014 Salutatorian, University of Pennsylvania
• Mostafa Meleis, Class of 2014, University of Pennsylvania
• Briana Richardson, Class of 2014, Emory University
• Francesca Toto, Class of 2014, Boston University

“It’s very special to have our alumni come back to campus,” said Director of Alumni Relations Tom Moriau. “Our college panel is an excellent way for young alumni to stay connected with Ranney and a tremendous method of giving back to the school while also assisting our students in the thought process of college life.”

Alums also came back to campus to visit teachers over their winter break. See photos at right. Stay tuned for video highlights.
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society. 

We envision Ranney School as a nurturing learning community, in which families, faculty, alumni, and all of Ranney’s constituents collaborate to know and value every child, foster individual talents, sustain powerful connections between children and adults, and graduate resilient, globally-minded citizens.