Explore every episode of the podcast Admission Insight

Today, we have four current Pennington students who discuss their Pennington "Spring Break Academic Trips" that took place this past March. These four students traveled all over the world, experienced new cultures, and created memories with their classmates that will last a lifetime. Sit back and enjoy! 

Director of Admission & Financial Aid, Sharon Jarboe, & Associate Head of School, Chad Bridges, give tips & insight that will help you navigate Decision Day 2025! 

Today, we welcome our Assistant Director of Residential Life, Assistant Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Teacher of Health, AND Pennington alum, Peter Secrest, onto the show. Tune in for this meaningful conversation based around the spirit and traditions of The Pennington School community. Happy Holidays! 

In this episode, our Director of Middle School Admission, Lynn Zahn, talks with our new Head of Middle School, Maria Capelle-Burny. We know you will enjoy hearing about Maria's story, her transition to Pennington, and her overall educational philosophy.

To register for our Middle School Open House on December 19th, 2024 please use the link here. 

Today, Pennington's Director of Admission & Financial Aid, Sharon Jarboe, has a special guest join the show: Peter Park, Director of Financial Aid & Associate Director of Admission at The Peddie School. Peter also serves on the NAIS Financial Aid Advisory Task Force. In this episode, Sharon and Peter discuss their own private school stories and the ever important topic of financial aid! 

Today we talk with 2024 Pennington alum, Bryce Meccage, about his journey through The Pennington School to being drafted in the second round of this year's Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers! Enjoy! 

Today, our Director of Admission & Financial Aid, Sharon Jarboe, has an upbeat and informative conversation with our Director of College Counseling, Adam Materasso.
Enjoy as we catch up with College Counseling! For updates on our college list, please go to our website here. 

Today, we talk to our Director of Technology, Ken Coakley, about AI in education and how it is impacting our Pennington community. Informative AND entertaining! We know you will really enjoy this conversation. Sit back and enjoy! 

Today, we talk with three current seniors who are members of the two-time champion computer science team! We also have their coach, mentor, and teacher on for the conversation as well. You will love this conversation based around the STEM journeys at The Pennington School. Enjoy!

In this episode, our Head of School, Dr. Bill Hawkey, has a conversation with our Director of Counseling Services, Susie Paige, on the very important topic of mental health and wellness in The Pennington School community. 

Turn the volume up and enjoy! 

Today, we bring you a message from our Director of Admission & Financial Aid, Sharon Jarboe, regarding Decision Weekend 2024! Enjoy this important and informative episode! 

Join us as three current middle school parents discuss the value of the Pennington middle school experience! We know you will find this deep dive into our magnificent middle school engaging and informative. Enjoy!

Fall is in the air! In today's episode, our Director of Admission, Sharon Jarboe, has a conversation with a new Pennington parent, Danielle Silverstein, who has new students in the upper school and middle school here. The conversation covers everything admission process related with a unique parent perspective attached to it. Remember to like, subscribe, and share our podcast as well! Enjoy! 

In this episode we talk with Pennington Director of Summer Programs, Sean Davies! We speak on the future of summer programs and also how to make the most of your summer at an independent school. This is a light-hearted and useful episode that we think you will really enjoy! 

Today we welcome Pennington's own faculty member and Assistant Director of DEI, Delonte Egwuatu, as he has an impactful and informative conversation with RIISE Founder, Gina Parker Collins. Enjoy!

Kick off the college conversation by listening to an informative and impactful discussion with our Director of Admission & Financial Aid, Sharon Jarboe, and our Director of College Counseling, Adam Materasso. Enjoy!

In this episode, we talk with Connie Mercer & Chris Marchetti of HomeFront about the importance of giving back, the value of their work, their relationship with The Pennington School, and more! Enjoy!

We are back! It has been a great start to the new school year here at The Pennington School. In this episode, we have a conversation with our Head of School, Dr. Hawkey, regarding last year, the current year, and everything upcoming. Enjoy! 

We welcome our Head of School, Bill Hawkey, for a conversation on the unique circumstances of the current school year, lessons learned, where we are headed as a school in the Fall, and more! We think you will find this episode both insightful and informative. Enjoy!

A few of our student leaders host this episode to discuss service and gratitude at The Pennington School!  

In this episode, we welcome a few special guests for a conversation on the virtual admission season ahead! We believe you will find this episode both informative and useful. Enjoy! 

In our episode today, we talk with a group of returning boarding students at The Pennington School. We discuss their summers, their responsibilities as Prefects in our Residential Life community, their return to a "different" campus, and much more! Enjoy!

Our podcast has even adapted to the times! Dr. Hawkey and some special guests discuss how Pennington continues to build community in different areas during these unprecedented circumstances! 

A conversation about Distance Learning, Virtual Revisit Week, and more with Dr. Hawkey! 

In the 1950's, Edward Murrow introduced Americans to a popular radio program entitled This I Believe. The show provided a way for ordinary people to broadcast to the world a most closely held belief or guiding value in their life. Since then, National Public Radio has adopted this program and invited people across the globe to write essays in which they share their own values and beliefs. At Pennington, students in Erin O'Connell's honors English class participate in this project annually. Enjoy!

We have two special guests today! The Chair of the Religion Department at The Pennington School, Nate Van Yperen, and David Hallgren, The Pennington School Chaplain, discuss the significance and importance of religion and spirituality in the independent school world. 

We are back and ready for a great school year! Today, we introduce a new member of our Admissions team here at Pennington, Chandler Fraser-Pauls, and hear his TPS story. 

Special guest Jo Prockop, Director of the Cervone Center for Learning at The Pennington School, joins us to discuss neuro-diversity, how the college admission scandal may affect students with learning disabilities, and how the best practices for educating students with learning differences are the best practices for educating all students.

How much does the SSAT count towards my child's application? How much prep should my child be doing? Where do I sign up? Does your school super-score? Find out the answer to these questions, and more, in this episode!

Join our conversation with Dr. Kendra Sisserson, Director of Global Studies at The Pennington School, to learn about the profile of a 21st-century global citizen, and why independent schools are incredible settings for global education to take place.

Special guests Elizabeth Python, Director of Placement at Stephen Gaynor School, and Lynn Zahn, Associate Director of Admission at The Pennington School, share tips and advice for how families can get the most out of a school's Open House.

Special guest Todd Paige, Head of Middle School at The Pennington School, joins us to discuss the pillars of a strong middle school education.

Special guests Keith Wilkerson, Senior Program Manager for the Mid-Atlantic region of A Better Chance, and Martina Previl, Program Manager for the Southeast region of A Better Chance, join us to answer some pressing questions about diversity in independent schools.

Special guest Karl Koenigsbauer, Director of Secondary School Placement at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, MA, joins us to give families important information to keep in mind as they embark on the journey of finding the right school for their child.

Join our conversation with Chad Bridges, Director of Residential Life at Pennington, and Feven, a senior boarding student, to hear what they say are some of the greatest benefits of boarding at an independent school.

In this episode, we address some of the most frequently asked questions that families have about financial aid.

In this episode, we feature a sophomore English class project to highlight some of the many ways that independent schools value character education.

Special guests Pier Kooistra, The Robert S. and Christina Seix Dow Chair in Harkness Learning at The Lawrenceville School, and Dr. John Daves, Dean of Faculty at The Pennington School join us to discuss the origins, ethos, and benefits of student-centered learning and the Harkness method.

In this episode, we provide a detailed overview of the application timeline to help keep your family on track throughout the process!

Listen in on our conversation with Headmaster, Dr. William S. Hawkey, as we discuss the top five reasons that families should consider sending their child to an independent school.