No matter where Cushing students picture life taking them next, our college counselors are expert guides along the path. The team understands each students’ unique profile, listens carefully to their hopes and dreams, and shares extensive knowledge and research to guide them to their post-Cushing homes.
Finding the Best Fit for Each Penguin
At Cushing, our college counselors not only have five decades of combined experience, but they also know our students deeply. They serve as dorm parents, share meals together, and coach athletics. Those multiple connections help counselors truly understand each student’s gifts and challenges, motivations and desires. This information, in turn, helps our counselors expertly advise students, helping students identify and win acceptance to a college that is just right for them.
colleges or universities visit Cushing each year
of families are extremely satisfied with Cushing's college counseling
experienced college counselors
Experts on Multiple Fronts
Our counselors know colleges across the country and around the world as well. They see each Penguin as an individual and partner with students and parents to identify right-fit schools. In recent years, our counselors have found options for students looking for offerings as diverse as:
- Neuroscience at a women’s college, where playing basketball might be an option
- Strong Russian, Chinese, and Spanish departments
- Preparation for a career associated with Formula One car racing
- Division 3 women’s golf opportunities for an international student
- A fire sciences program that could eventually lead to a bachelor’s degree
- Hospitality management with a strong learning support program
Cushing’s college counselors are also committed to working with students and parents as a team throughout the process. The office sends regular, detailed communication to parents on topics including standardized testing and financial aid. A member of the staff also writes a biweekly newsletter to share news about admission insights and trends.
Cushing's college counselors are extremely helpful and give lots of support to students. The weekly email reminders and updates on the process definitely assist parents to follow up with children (and quell anxiety). Very good communications all around.
Cushing Parent
My college counselor has helped me tremendously, particularly in expanding the list of schools I was considering.
Cushing Student
The focus Cushing brought to the college application process has been immensely helpful and my daughter is well-prepared for the next step in her education.
Cushing Parent
I was surprised the first time we met Brian [Jureck] how well he actually knew our son. He knew everything! His long road to Cushing and his tunnel vision college goal. He knew [our son's] strengths, areas for improvement, and had all the boxes checked and triple checked for his committed athlete requirements. It was amazing, a far cry from the experience our older son had (not at Cushing).
Cushing Parent
Super Support From Start to Finish
First Year
The primary focus for ninth graders is settling in at Cushing. College counseling aims to simply begin a relationship. Our office becomes an essential pit stop in students’ days by offering a well-stocked candy bowl. We also touch base in Connections class to help students self-identify key personality traits that will later guide good college choices. Younger students also witness Decision Day in the spring — a beloved tradition. Walking through the celebration of current seniors decked out in their college gear, they begin to imagine that same bright future for themselves.
Sophomore Year
College counseling touches base again this year in the Connections class. Tenth grade students participate in a mock admissions exercise, reviewing fictional application files and deciding whether to accept, waitlist, or deny. This helps demystify the process and allows students to understand how universities make decisions as they consider how to put their own best foot forward.
Junior Year
In November, students are matched with counselors (student requests are considered in making the pairings) and by the winter juniors begin one-on-one and group sessions to identify schools to consider, work on the common application, and begin writing essays.
As they create the list of schools for each student to consider, Cushing counselors pay attention to what students want in a college — including size, location, major, activities. That picture of a “model college” guides counselors as they suggest an initial list to students (cc-ing parents).
Senior Year
In the senior year, counselors work side-by-side with students, honing final school lists, reviewing applications and essays, practicing admissions interviews, and strategizing the best ways to make an impression on each student's schools of choice. After acceptances come out, they guide students and families through the process of making the final decision.
This intentional, individualized process means students and their families graduate feeling great about the next step. In surveys, more than 90 percent of Cushing families over the past ten years report that they were extremely satisfied with the college counseling experience.
Helping Student-Athletes Achieve Their Goals 
As athletes themselves, Cushing’s college counselors are ready to guide the 25 percent of Penguins continuing on to play collegiate-level sports. Their support for those who begin their Cushing careers later in high school, especially seniors and post-graduate students, begins upon enrollment. For students who take a gap year or play their sport professionally immediately after Cushing, the counselors will still be a resource when an alum is ready to head to college.
Meet Our College Counseling Team
Information for College Representatives
As a private, coeducational secondary school founded in 1865, Cushing Academy continues to uphold traditions and values that stand the test of time. Our beautiful setting, warm community, excellent athletics and arts programs, and well-rounded approach create an enriching academic environment that encourages students (grades 9-12 and PG) to thrive and discover their strengths.
For more information about Cushing, please view our 2025-2026 Academic Profile
Matriculation List (Classes of 2021-2025)
- Adelphi University
- Allegheny College
- American Musical and Dramatic Academy
- American University*
- Amherst College
- Arizona State University
- Art Center College of Design
- Assumption University*
- Babson College*
- Barton College
- Basque Culinary Center, Spain
- Bates College
- Baylor University
- Bentley University*
- Boston College*
- Boston University*
- Brandeis University*
- Bridgewater State University
- Brock University, Canada
- Brown University*
- Bryant University*
- Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts, UK
- Carnegie Mellon University*
- Case Western Reserve University*
- Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Clark University*
- Clarkson University*
- Cleveland State University
- Colby College*
- College of Charleston
- College of the Holy Cross*
- Colorado College*
- Colorado State University
- Columbia College Chicago
- Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
- Connecticut College*
- Cornell University*
- Cumberland University
- Curry College*
- Dartmouth College
- Dean College
- Dickinson College*
- Drexel University
- Duke University
- Duquesne University
- East Central University
- Eckerd College*
- Elmira College
- Elon University*
- Emerson College*
- Emmanuel College
- Emory University*
- Endicott College*
- ESADE Business School, Spain
- Fairfield University*
- Florida Southern College
- Fordham University*
- Franciscan University of Steubenville*
- Franklin Pierce University*
- Furman University
- Gardner-Webb University
- Gettysburg College
- Hamilton College
- Hampton University
- Harvard University
- High Point University*
- Hobart and William Smith*
- Hofstra University*
- Howard University*
- IE University Madrid, Spain
- Indiana University, Bloomington
- International Christian University, Japan
- Ithaca College
- Johnson & Wales University*
- Keene State College*
- Keio University, Japan
- King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand
- King University
- Lafayette College*
- Lawrence University
- Lehigh University*
- Long Island University, Post
- Los Angeles College of Music
- Loughborough College, UK
- Loyola Marymount University*
- Loyola University Chicago
- Lynn University*
- Marist University
- Marquette University
- Marymount University
- McGill University, Canada*
- Menlo College
- Merrimack College*
- Miami University, Oxford*
- Michigan State University
- Middlebury College*
- Midwestern State University
- Milton Campos Law School, Brazil
- Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Mitchell College
- Monmouth University
- Montana State University
- Mount Holyoke College*
- Muhlenberg College
- New York University*
- Nichols College
- Northeastern University*
- Oberlin College
- The Ohio State University
- Pace University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Pepperdine University
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Post University
- Pratt Institute
- Providence College*
- Purdue University*
- Purdue University, Fort Wayne
- Quinnipiac University*
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*
- Rhode Island College*
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Rice University
- Roberts Wesleyan College
- Rochester Institute of Technology*
- Roger Williams University
- Rollins College
- Sacred Heart University
- Saint Anselm College*
- Saint Francis University
- Salem State University
- Salisbury University*
- Salve Regina University
- Santa Clara University*
- Savannah College of Art and Design*
- Scripps College
- Siena University
- Simmons University
- Skidmore College*
- Sonoma State University
- Southern Maine Community College
- Southern Methodist University
- Southern New Hampshire University*
- Southern Utah University
- Springfield College*
- Springfield Technical Community College
- St. John's University*
- St. Lawrence University
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Stevenson University
- Stonehill College*
- Suffolk University*
- Susquehanna University
- Syracuse University*
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
- The George Washington University*
- The New School*
- The University of Alabama
- The University of Montana
- The University of Tampa*
- The University of Western Ontario, Canada
- Towson University
- Trinity College*
- Tufts University
- Tyler Junior College
- Union College*
- University at Albany, SUNY*
- University at Buffalo
- University of Akron
- University of Arizona*
- University of California, Berkeley*
- University of California, Davis*
- University of California, Irvine*
- University of California, Los Angeles*
- University of California, San Diego*
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of Chicago
- University of Colorado Boulder*
- University of Connecticut*
- University of Denver*
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign*
- University of Maine*
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst*
- University of Massachusetts, Boston*
- University of Massachusetts, Lowell*
- University of Miami*
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- University of New England*
- University of New Hampshire*
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh*
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Rochester*
- University of San Francisco*
- University of South Carolina, Columbia
- University of Southern California*
- University of Southern Maine
- University of St Andrews, UK*
- University of St. Thomas
- University of Stirling, UK
- University of Toronto, Canada*
- University of Vermont*
- University of Virginia
- University of Washington*
- University of Waterloo, Canada
- University of Windsor, Canada
- University of Wisconsin, Madison*
- University of Wyoming
- Villanova University*
- Virginia Tech
- Washington University in St Louis
- Wellesley College
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Wesleyan University*
- Western New England University*
- Westfield State University
- Wheaton College, MA*
- Whitman College
- William & Mary
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Worcester State University
* indicates multiple matriculants
We Schedule 100+ College Admissions Visits Each Year 
The College Counseling Office welcomes more than 100 college admission officers each year. Please use Counselor Community to schedule your visit. Our Academic Calendar can guide you as you plan your appointment. Cushing is located in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, approximately one hour west of Boston. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact our office at (978) 827-7025.
