Stories
The Class of 2024
It never fails to amaze me how quickly the last few months of school fly by. Before I know it, our Hudson grads are receiving their diplomas and crossing that metaphorical (and literal!) stage into adulthood. One cannot help but feel optimistic as we celebrate the Class of 2024. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know them as they anxiously chattered and tried to make decisions surrounding post-secondary life that seemed SO FAR away just a year ago.
One of my very favourite aspects of my job is supporting Grade 12s through the application process. While the logistics can be overwhelming, the transformation that happens as students start piecing together what they want lives after high school to look like is such a privilege to witness. I’ve also found that when students are given information—repeatedly!—about what to expect when it comes to applying, they worry less about the process and lean more into evaluating the aspects that really matter (like how long of a drive it might be to go home and do laundry on the weekends).
Many things have stayed the same about the application process; for example, the top 6 Grade 12 marks remain crucial to admissions. Students need to be strategic, informing themselves on which courses are required for their desired program and ensuring they can end with strong marks in their Grade 12 courses. Grade 11 marks are most helpful for students who are applying to programs with rolling admissions (meaning universities/programs accept as students apply versus at predetermined rounds), as universities will offer admission using Grade 11 marks as a placeholder. For students applying to engineering or commerce (or other programs that accept students in rounds), Grade 11 marks will not be used as a placeholder, as these programs want to see how students fare with Grade 12 coursework. Where we see things changing when it comes to applying to university, is with supplementary applications. While universities have always used supplementary applications as a device to get to know students beyond their marks—they are not trying to address the use of AI when it comes to essay submissions. Instead of having applicants write a long-form essay, applicants may respond to an impromptu question in the form of a video essay. The videos are not long (typically 2–5 minutes in length), but require students to flex their critical thinking skills and remain composed under pressure. This kind of supplementary application hones in on soft skills useful throughout adulthood: self-awareness, communication, and problem solving. The need for these soft skills has also recently been highlighted on Forbes as a must-have for a post-COVID job market!
While some of our graduates did not have to submit any supplementary applications, the ones that needed to for STEM and commerce programs were able to meet that challenge with years of dynamic Hudson instruction underneath their belts. No matter what kind of application our graduates completed, my hope is that they felt capable, confident, and ready to take on life after high school. Our graduating class of 2024 is notably resilient and demanding and hopeful—it’s hard to believe these same students started high school in the middle of a global pandemic. Our time together has gone much too quickly and we will miss the energy that this cohort brought to the Hudson community. We can’t wait to see what you all achieve in the years ahead!
Of our 46 graduates, 42 entered 4-year university programs; 3 selected 4-year college programs; and 1 took a gap year. 100% of students received offers of admission, with a total of 237 program offers. 5 was the average number of offers per student, as well as the mode (the most common number of offers); every student received at least 2 offers. Collectively, they were offered over $2.5 million in scholarships.
The class included 2 “Lifers” who joined Hudson in Kindergarten.
39 (84%) were Ontario Scholars, having achieved an average of 80% or above in six Grade 12 courses. 22 were also Hudson Scholars, with an impressive 90% or above in six Grade 12 courses.
* denotes Early Offer; $ denotes scholarship
Hudson College is a coed, non-denominational private school in Toronto, serving students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12.
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