From 2014 to today, GA’s Upper School has grown from 509 to 574 students, making the 2023-2024 school year’s student body the biggest in GA’s 264-year history. Word of this “astonishing” fact has spread fast, causing many students to debate in support or against this seemingly noteworthy topic, but ultimately this trend has served to enrich GA students and not the other way around.
The size of GA’s student body has reached a new high almost every year since 2014 (with the exception of 2020 due to COVID-19), growing by an average of almost seven students per year.
GA’s Office of Admissions does worry about growth being a detriment to private school education. Still, they believe it can have positive effects since it allows more talented students to participate in GA’s growing sports and academic programs. Another major focus of the admissions team is the diversity of incoming students, such as whether they have a background in sports or if they come from a different environment.
“They come to GA for the teacher-student relationships. They come to GA for academic challenges and to be well-prepared for college. They come to GA for the extracurricular opportunities, so that they can participate in things they may not have been able to elsewhere,” said Ms. Laura Martin, Director of Admissions. “GA offers a lot of programs and we need kids to participate in all those programs to make them happen.”
It is important to note that this growth has not taken much away from students’ classroom experiences despite interest in our school booming.
This year, the total percentage of students who enrolled at GA after being accepted was 72 percent compared to a 70 percent average percentage over the past ten years. For Middle School, the period when most students change schools, the enrollment rate post-acceptance was 84 percent this year in comparison to an average of 76 percent over the past ten years. We also have seen the largest number of applicants for ninth grade in 20 years.
And yet, GA has done an excellent job at maintaining balance, with our average class size of 15 falling right between schools like Episcopal Academy with 14 and The Haverford School with 16.
Student body president Luke Phillip ‘24 can only see good things to come from a growing GA community. “GA and other private schools that are like it are applauded for their small class sizes and their student-to-teacher ratios. But I think having more perspectives in the community is always a good thing and having new stories and new faces will help diversify our community and bring new ideas to life.”
If we place our trust in GA’s Admissions Office and its goal to make our student body the best it can be, we can be sure that the constant growth of GA’s student body will lead to growth as a community. Not only does this mean more diverse voices, but also stronger programs for the years to come.