trevordayschool

2 7 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 – 2 0 2 2 United States history. Listening to them discuss the course catalog that spring, the limitations of the AP program finally removed, was exciting and satisfying. Now they could take History of China with David omas or e Art of Short Fiction with Pam Murphy and not concern themselves with the mirage of "recognizable rigor" that had plagued the college processes of their predecessors. Indeed, what we knew to be true from our commun- ication with college admissions professionals has been confirmed with those successful college processes and in the skills our students have learned in their Trevor experience. What has elevated and emboldened our advanced courses has been the focus on process and an emphasis on understanding the "how" and the "why" over the "what" offered by content alone. Our students are creating new pathways, taking ownership of their education, and establishing examples of work products that showcase their interests, abilities, and ingenuity. Utilizing those aforementioned faculty mentors to pursue these endeavors prepares students to seek out and cultivate similar relationships in college and professional life. Each year, our conversations with college deans of admission and the college representatives who visit our campus affirm that our advanced courses have helped applicants stand out in a competitive pool. Colleges evaluate students on the strength of the programs they have taken relative to the rigor of programs offered at Trevor. In other words, a student's transcript is evaluated in the context of the courses that were available to that student. Trevor provides colleges with a School Profile that accompanies each student application; our School Profile clearly describes the nature of our programs and communicates the demands of the courses in each discipline. Our students thrive in classrooms where their interests and curiosities are fostered, the coursework is relevant to their world, and they have opportunities to apply knowledge in novel ways. In the college process, it is these types of experiences that help elevate our students from competitive applicants to compelling candidates. is past school year, three students returned to Trevor from a year or semester of study away. All three earned exceptionally high marks across the board at the institutions that hosted them, and each had the opportunity to take AP courses. ey all returned with a similar refrain: Trevor courses are more challenging. Our courses required them to think critically and creatively; to stretch their skills beyond memorization and recitation; and to engage in a process that places a premium on genuine and original thought. It has been gratifying to see Trevor as a trendsetter through this lens in the last several years. As more New York City independent schools have recently deemphasized or stepped away from their AP offerings, we have fielded phone calls and communiqués from colleagues asking, "How did you know this move was right for you?" e answer, of course, comes back to our faculty. is thoughtful change, made seven years ago, allowed our talented faculty the freedom to design relevant, responsive, and authentic coursework that helps students meet their true potential. In short, it gave brilliant teachers the room to be themselves and inspire ambitious students to push themselves beyond predetermined goals. Trevor students are bold and creative individuals, academic risk-takers, and agents for change. ey are bright, articulate, socially engaged solution-seekers. Any course that does not appropriately challenge these qualities is an insufficient judge of their aptitude and abilities. For our talented faculty, and to the immense benefit of our students, we have the freedom to design innovative, independent, mission-aligned courses that best inspire students and prepare them for truly advanced work in any discipline. While I am incredibly grateful for the work our students and teachers have done to date, I am even more excited about what is ahead. We want every part of our curriculum to reflect our mission, to challenge Trevor students to navigate complexity, think independently and creatively, and to do so with a great sense of empathy. I hope you will share my enthusiasm, and perhaps even the same thrill of anticipation of those juniors and seniors in the spring of 2015, when you open our course catalog this coming year. n

• Cover