Class of 2026 College Results and What the Advising Process Actually Looked Like

We're one of a small number of independent college counselors in New York working closely with families from the start of high school through Decision Day and beyond. This gives us a front-row seat to everything our Class of 2026 students and their families have worked through to get here. The hours spent carefully exploring options, building college lists, crafting applications, and submitting everything on time while still trying to actually enjoy senior year. The conversations, the decisions, the moments of uncertainty, and the ones where everything clicked into place.

It is with great pride that we announce our Class of 2026 students are attending: Tulane, Michigan, Wesleyan, UVA, Barnard, Dartmouth, Brandeis, George Washington, USC, Babson, Wisconsin, Pitt, Rutgers, Penn State, Hofstra, Trinity, Salve Regina, SDSU, and two students making the leap to St. Andrews in Scotland.

The majors are just as varied: Urban Technology, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, International Relations, Athletic Training, Geography, Economics, Business. No two lists looked the same, because no two students are the same.

One student captained her squash team and co-led Girls Who Code while fighting her way into Penn State's Chemical Engineering program. Another came in unsure whether he wanted architecture or something else entirely, and left with a clear direction, enrolling in the Urban Technology program at the University of Michigan. A student who had always loved sports medicine found exactly the right fit in Hofstra's Athletic Training program. Another landed at Brandeis, a smaller, discussion-driven campus that matched how she thinks and learns. And two students made the leap across the Atlantic to St. Andrews, choosing a university that fit who they are in a way no domestic option quite did. These students got into schools across the selectivity spectrum, from highly selective Ivy league colleges and super publics to programs most families wouldn't have found on their own.

Parents and students can spend months scrolling rankings, comparing acceptance rates, and measuring schools against each other in ways that don't always connect to what actually matters: where will their student thrive? The answer looks different for everyone, and it only comes from real self-reflection, honest conversations, and time spent thinking about what the next four years of life should actually look like.

College advising done well is about helping a student figure out where they'll actually thrive, and making the path to get there as calm and manageable as possible. For families who work with us, that usually means having a trusted partner in their corner at every stage of the college admissions process. 

Here's how college advising at Wagner Prep actually works. 

Most students who start working with Wagner Prep in 10th or 11th grade come in with some mix of excitement and uncertainty. They have interests, instincts, maybe a vague sense of direction, but the picture isn't clear yet. The work happens in three stages.

The first is Explore. This is where students get to slow down and actually think about who they are. Wagner Prep advisors help students examine their strengths, interests, and the kinds of environments where they tend to do their best work. Students research schools and start visiting campuses. An early list of likely, target, and reach options starts to take shape.

From there, the work moves into Evaluate. This is where the plan gets built. Students work with their advisor to create a personalized timeline based on their final college list, decide which schools warrant Early Action or Early Decision applications, and map out how to write the 20 to 40 required essays while fitting in sports, APs, and senior year. Testing strategy and merit aid considerations get factored in here too. By the end of this stage, students have a clear roadmap instead of one large to-do called "apply for college."

Execute is where the bulk of the work happens. Students write and refine their Common App essay and supplemental writing with coaching at every step. Essay coaches help students develop their ideas and refine their writing until it genuinely sounds like them. Each application is carefully reviewed before submission. The goal is to have applications submitted by Halloween so students can actually enjoy the rest of their senior year activities and classes. When the time comes, advisors help students prepare for interviews and navigate whatever comes back, whether that's an acceptance, a deferral, a waitlist, or a final decision between two schools they genuinely love.

By the spring of senior year, students know themselves better than they did when they started. They can tell you why a school is right for them, not just that they like it. They've made a real case for who they are, not just on paper but in how they talk about their future.

That arc, from their first meeting with their advisor to Decision Day never gets old to watch. 

Ready to Build a Plan?

The families who feel least stressed by senior year started earlier than they thought they needed to.

Comprehensive college advising at Wagner Prep can start as early as ninth grade. That early work isn't just about college lists. It's about helping students explore potential majors and interests, make smart course selection decisions, and build the kind of academic record that opens doors.

Wherever your student is right now, it's not too late to build a plan. We work with families at every stage, including students in the thick of senior year realizing they need more support than anticipated. 

If you're wondering whether your student needs a college advisor and what that process looks like, that's exactly what we talk through in a first call. Schedule a complimentary consultation at https://wagnerprep.com/contactus