New College Guidance Director to Join Upper School Leadership Team

Ranney is pleased to announce a new addition to its Upper School Leadership Team. Nicholas (Nick) Accrocco, Ed.D., will be joining the Upper School as Co-Director of College Guidance beginning July 1, 2015. Dr. Accrocco currently serves as a College Counselor and Upper School Academic Advisor for St. John's School, an independent K-12 school in Houston, TX. He will join current Co-Director Ms. Myra Simpson in leading Ranney's renowned College Guidance program, which serves 319 Upper School students. He will be replacing Mr. Adam Materasso, who has co-directed Ranney's College Guidance Office since 2012; as reported, Mr. Materasso will be moving into the position of Assistant Upper School Head under the leadership of Ms. Katie Gibson, incoming Head of the Upper School, where he will oversee the College Guidance Office. Together, the new team of independent school professionals will lead our student-centered Upper School division.

One-hundred percent of Ranney’s seniors graduate and attend college and 83% of the most recent graduating class was accepted into institutions rated “Most Competitive” or “Highly Competitive” by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges. Students in the Class of 2014 also earned more than $3.2 million in scholarships, scored nearly 400 points higher than the national average on their SAT scores and were accepted into seven Ivy League Schools.

Dr. Accrocco brings with him unique insight into the college admissions process, having begun his college counseling career with a 9-year stint in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Vanderbilt University. He also served as an Application Reader for the University of Pennsylvania’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions and an Assistant Director of Admissions for American University’s Kogod School of Business. In his most recent position at St. John’s School, Dr. Accrocco designed and taught a “College 101” college-readiness seminar for juniors and led workshops for families and staff. He is was on the faculty of Rice University’s Center for College Readiness, where he has taught an internationally recognized online college counseling certificate program, among other courses.

Selected through a nationwide search of candidates, Nick “came highly recommended for his ‘tireless advocacy for students’ and his ‘ability to awaken in students their own drive and abilities,’” says Head of School Dr. John W. Griffith. “His aptitude for connecting with students and helping them to find their best-fit school has been applauded by countless parents, teachers and admissions professionals alike. He also has worked closely with and developed a network of contacts in the most selective college offices around the country. I have no doubt that Nick will maintain the strength of our highly regarded college counseling program and growing Upper School division here at Ranney.”

Dr. Accrocco earned his doctorate in Education/Professional Leadership from the University of Houston and holds an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration as well as a B.A. from Vanderbilt University. He is certified in College Counseling by the University of California-Los Angeles, with a focus on special issues, the admissions process, financial aid and career assessments. Dr. Accrocco has led seminars and talks on the College Admissions process at Rice University’s Center for College Readiness and to high schools and associations throughout the country.

A product of Cape Cod Academy, an independent school in Massachusetts, and a New York native, Dr. Accrocco is looking forward to returning to the East Coast to begin has Ranney tenure. He will be replacing Mr. Adam Materasso, who has co-directed Ranney’s College Guidance Office since 2012 and will be moving into the position of Assistant Upper School Head, where he will oversee the College Guidance Office. Dr. Accrocco will work closely with Mr. Materasso, Ms. Simpson and Ms. Gibson this spring to mentor and advise the members of the current junior class (Class of 2016) as they continue to work through their college process.