John Dewey Academy
Great Barrington, MA

John Dewey Academy Early Decision

The John Dewey Class of 2008 has been admitted to Brandeis University, Columbia, Goucher, and Sarah Lawrence Colleges, and the University of Chicago. One has been wait listed by Amherst College, and one rejected. Thomas Edward Bratter, President, The John Dewey Academy, states that "I have protested to the president of the college to reverse this unjust decision. While premature to discuss the details, which may involve litigation, I am hopeful we will bat 100% acceptance. I doubt if there is any other public or private school which can make this claim. The reputations of the college which admit our graduates make us indistinguishable from the most elite prep schools.

Our students are innately as bright as those who attend the most competitive schools, but their previous dangerous and self-destructive acting-out behaviors would have made them ineligible for any college without the John Dewey Academy experience. I believe that potentially the brightest and best self-destruct because their affective, social, intellectual needs are not fulfilled by traditional treatment and teaching techniques, so these teens present special challenges to therapists and teachers."

"College admissions never has been so competitive. One of the reasons why we achieve this awesome record is that my longest college recommendation is forty pages. The shortest was eighteen. The average length of all recommendations is thirty pages which represents a significant time investment and commitment to my students, but is worth the energy because graduation from a college of quality permanently seals the painful and pathetic past. Like it or not individuals are judged by the reputation of the colleges from which they graduate. When they graduate from college, no one will inquire about their adolescence because they will assume everything went well."