Juniors and Seniors Meet with Alumni During the Annual Career Day
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THE NATION'S OLDEST ON THE WEB: COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL www.pingry.org/re- NEWSPAPER cord VOLUME CXL, NUMber 3 The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey FEBRUARY 4, 2014 Juniors and Seniors Meet with Alumni Where Do Our During the Annual Career Day Tuition Dollars Go? By ANNA BUTRICO (VI) tives” regarding each given ful,” Andrew Supron (VI) and exciting.” Fred Chang By MATT FROMM (V) established as a one-day marathon career focus. For example, said. Natalie Gilbert (VI) (V) added that, “Even if to raise money on the day that If you’re a student at Pingry, What do a neurosurgeon, both a freelance writer and agreed and added, “I per- we know what we want to tuition figuratively “runs out.” It you pay $34,714 for classes, is intended to remind the com- a CIA analyst, and a Huff- the Features Editor for Van- sonally loved Mr. Birotte. do with our lives, we could $1,154 for lunch, and around ington Post editor have ity Fair Magazine led the After hearing his speech, find ourselves on a totally munity that “Pingry could not $1,000 for textbooks. Sending a operate without tuition, nor could in common? They are all Media discussion, and both I’m now thinking of look- different path another day. child to the Pingry Upper School Pingry alumni who returned a Wardrobe Supervisor and ing into criminal justice or I think that’s pretty cool.” it operate on tuition alone,” Mr. is roughly equivalent to the aver- Weckesser said. to campus on January 24 to an actress spoke at the Per- law as a potential career or Angel Fluet (VI) was age American’s annual income. impressed by the Another commonly asked talk to juniors and seniors With such a hefty price tag, many question is why tuition increases for this year’s annual Ca- Public Service ask where those tuition dollars every year rather than remaining reer Day. lecture and said are spent and utilized—in other constant for an extended period Mr. André Birotte Jr. ’83, she enjoyed Mr. words, where is our money going? of time. The “short answer,” Mr. the day’s keynote speaker, John Green’s To answer this question, I Weckesser said, is that “the world connected with students ’60 talk about spoke with Mr. Olaf Weckesser, gets more expensive every year, by describing his own per- his tenure as an the school’s Chief Financial Of- meaning that inflation raises sonal apprehensions in high analyst for the ficer, who helped articulate a prices.” Mr. Weckesser noted that, school about what his “fu- CIA. Overall, response. He said that, “Tuition “Our rate of tuition increase has ture might bring.” He then Fluet appreci- doesn’t really ‘go’ anywhere, per been declining for some time.” se, but in general it is the largest described his journey to ated the “candid For instance, school tuition source of revenue for the school.” become the United States honesty” of some increased only 4.2 percent for the It is Pingry’s central method of 2013-14 academic year, which Attorney of the Central of the speakers raising money, and gross tuition District of California and and their truth- was less than the increase in the dollars account for 77 percent of 2012-13 school year. This year’s made sure, upon closing his ful explanations the school’s annual budget. Mr. speech, to leave students of the time and tuition had the lowest increase Weckesser noted that this is a since the 1960s, which is as far with advice. He stressed the commitment much higher percentage than most their occupations back as Pingry has maintained power of “cultivating men- colleges and universities—where reliable financial records. This tors” as well as the impor- require. at Princeton, for example, tuition decreased tuition hike comes from tance of patience because he Career Day makes up around 20 percent of a lessened cost of “school mainte- annual revenue. said, “choosing a career is R. Davis (VI) reminded Pingry nance,” meaning all expenses save Pingry’s tuition money is not a journey.” Writer for the David Letterman Show Tom Ruprecht’87 and Huff- students, who are salaries and employee benefits. Students were then dis- ington Post Editor Lance Gould’83 came back for Career Day. often incredibly en- so much “spent in one place,” As Pingry has become more missed to the first of three he said, as it is spread around to forming Arts lecture. ISP (Independent Senior grossed in their own school efficient in operating the school, lectures. The topics varied finance the school’s greatest costs. Form VI students, who Project).” work, of the vast opportuni- those maintenance costs are be- from Applied Science, to “The single biggest expense is the coming less and less significant. will be going off to college This was the first Career ties that await them beyond Entrepreneurship, to Media, salaries of the faculty and staff,” For example, the solar panels on next year, particularly en- Day for juniors, who are the school’s walls. After Mr. Weckesser said, “in addition to Performing and Visual top of the building have made joyed the insight from the only just beginning their talking with and observ- to the costs of supplies, as well Arts, to Psychology. Steph- the school more energy-efficient, alumni. “The doctors in the college search. Caitlin Ma- ing the success of all the as our educational, art, science, anie Yeh (VI) appreciated saving the cost of electricity. medicine section gave us honey (V) said that career alumni, students left the day and athletic programs.” When that there were two alumni Mr. Weckesser added that, “The advice on how to prepare day made her “realize that with a sense of confidence added to the maintenance of the in every room so students administration and the Board of for a career during college, there is so much out there to for what the future outside buildings, these costs can add up could “get multiple perspec- Trustees aim to continue having which was incredibly help- explore, that’s all different of Pingry will bring. quickly. those tuition increases decrease Aside from the 77 percent that each year.” tuition provides, the remaining Pingry’s annual operating Mrs. Cooperman’90 23 percent of Pingry’s annual revenue is around $45 million, funding comes from three primary and since expenses sometimes sources: donations made to the go beyond that, the school “is Becomes College Counselor school, money taken from Pin- constantly looking for ways to gry’s endowment, and the school’s generate revenue from sources time here easily accessible and auxiliary programs. By JULIA AXTELL (IV) other than family donations.” willing to help her navigate the These auxiliary programs, The school also maintains a This January, Mrs. Amy process. Mrs. Cooperman said which Mr. Mark Facciani leads, financial aid program for students Cooperman ’90 became a full- that working with her college are additional opportunities for who cannot meet the full costs of fledged college counselor after counselor was one of her best revenue that the school spon- tuition, which annually grants $5 serving as the College Counsel- experiences at Pingry and is still sors outside of the traditional million to aid 15 percent of the stu- ing Office Coordinator for the grateful for all her counselor had curriculum. The SAT Prep pro- dent body. During our interview, past three years. Mrs. Cooperman done for her. She also appreciates gram, after-school courses for Mr. Weckesser was delivered a is excited to not only get the the small sizes of the counseling the Middle School, and the AP $9,000 electricity check requir- chance to work with a college groups as they enable students to English classes leading up to the ing his signature. And that’s just counseling group, but to also get get more attention and support. May exams are examples of such the tip of the iceberg that keeps to know Pingry’s Class of 2015. In terms of changes through- activities. In general, these four Pingry afloat. The school spends Mrs. Cooperman worked in out the years, Mrs. Cooperman sources make up a vast majority its money “as wisely as possible,” New York City after graduating said that the process has changed of the school’s annual revenue. he added, given that “providing an from Hamilton College before quite a bit. For starters, social “Tuition Runs Out Day,” an excellent education is not intrinsi- returning to Pingry. Initially, media adds a new level of pub- annual Pingry event, has been cally a cheap business.” she worked in New York City in licity that was not there before. marketing for L’Oreal and adver- The application process is also lege counseling is about connect- gratifying to see a product get to tising on brands like Kraft Foods a lot more competitive than it ing, she said, “It isn’t dissimilar shelf while I was in marketing, Boys’ Swimming has earned a 3-5 record this season, and Johnson & Johnson. After was in previous years. Internet with Captains Matt Barickman, Ryan Storms, and to marketing or advertising.” And but now there is nothing quite Jeffrey Dong (VI). P. 8 the birth of her son Charlie, Mrs. applications are more efficient as she once said at a college eve- like the excitement of seeing a Cooperman stopped working, than having to handwrite her ning for parents, “it was always student get in to a college.” but once he started kindergarten, applications. Inside The Record she looked forward to returning Mrs.