The Class of 2026 By the Numbers

The 86 members of the Class of 2026 submitted 836 applications to 203 colleges and universities and received acceptances from 172 institutions. They will enroll at 44 different colleges and universities across the United States. To date, 50% of the class will attend colleges and universities outside of Texas, while the other 50% will remain in-state to pursue their higher education. 

This year, the composition of Fort Worth Country Day’s highest-enrolling institutions has shifted. Leading the way is Texas Christian University with 13 soon-to-be Horned Frogs. In second place is the University of Texas at Austin with eight new Longhorns, followed by Texas A&M University with seven Aggies. Rounding out the top five, the University of Oklahoma claims fourth place with four new Sooners, while a three-way tie for fifth includes Auburn University, Austin Community College, and the University of Virginia, each enrolling three seniors. 

Choosing an additional 37 different institutions suggests that Falcons continue to stretch their wings and attend a wide variety of colleges and universities. They will join five campus communities for the first time, including Babson College, Emory & Henry University, Swarthmore College, Trinity College, and the University of New Haven.

Two seniors were admitted to Ivy League institutions, including Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and Yale University. This fall, a total of eight Falcons from the Classes of 2023-26 will enroll at five of the eight Ivies: Cornell University, Dartmouth College (3), Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University (2). 

Three seniors will pursue studies in the performing and visual arts. Sophia Jiang will minor in dance at Barnard College, Eden Turner will major in art history at UT Austin, and Ava Vanderpoel will study musical theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.

Ten seniors will participate in collegiate athletics at their respective institutions: Amelia Dickerson at Trinity College (CT) for golf, Canaan Factor at Trinity University (TX) for football, John David Hart at Emory & Henry University (VA) for lacrosse, Cal Neubauer at Davidson College (NC) for football, Jack Ogle at Centenary College of Louisiana (LA) for baseball, Anna Schwartz at Swarthmore College (PA) for field hockey, Roeser Thomas at University of New Haven (CT) for rugby, Luke Vincent at Sewanee – The University of the South (TN) for soccer, Fulton Weaver at Washington and Lee University (VA) for football, and Jack Wegman at Texas Christian University for basketball.

Seventy-nine of the 86 seniors were awarded more than $15.6 million in merit-based scholarships and awards (92% of the class). Thirty-nine of these students will attend colleges and universities where they will utilize more than $2 million. Rather than focus solely on the total scholarship amount awarded from year to year, or compare reported dollars from independent school to independent school, it is important to remember that the most selective colleges and universities in this country do not award merit scholarships.  

According to the Common App, students nationwide submitted an average of 6.6 college applications during the 2025-26 cycle. Against this backdrop, FWCD students significantly exceeded the national average, submitting an average of 10 applications per student and the highest number in school history. Even amid this increasingly competitive admission landscape, 73% of the Class of 2026 reported being accepted to their first-choice college or university, while 85% gained admission to at least one of their top three choices. View their complete listing of college acceptances. 

These outcomes reflect not only the ambition of FWCD students but also the thoughtful guidance and intentional college planning that support the application process. As application numbers continue to rise nationwide, the Class of 2026 demonstrated that a balanced and well-supported approach can still lead to meaningful and successful college matches. 

As always, FWCD’s senior class is an impressive group!

This article is written by Kristin Larsen, Director of College Counseling.