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Bayonne Students Named Merit Scholarship Finalists
Marked increase in NJ Families interested in admission to prestigious prep school

January 15, 2004 - Staten Island Academy is pleased to announce that five New Jersey residents have been named finalists in the 2004 Ninth Grade Merit Scholarship Competition. The finalists are Sarah A., Julia D. and Matthew W., students at P.S. 14 in Bayonne; Louis P. of Smith Middle School in Ramsey; and a current student at Staten Island Academy.

According to Head of School Diane J. Hulse, “These young people are all outstanding students, and we are very pleased to be able to recognize their remarkable accomplishments. ”

Ninth Grade Merit Scholarship Competition, a program that recognizes academically gifted students, awards scholarships to attend Staten Island Academy. Over forty talented eighth grade public, parochial and private school students from New Jersey, Brooklyn and Staten Island were named Finalists based on their performance on the Merit Scholarship examination. The 2004 Award Recipients will be named shortly.

Staten Island Academy has stood as a beacon of educational excellence since 1884. It is Staten Island’s oldest private school and it is the only independent school in the borough. The school is only a ten-minute drive from Bayonne and 20 minutes from nearby Jersey City.

According to Linda Shuffman, Admissions Director, “We are seeing a marked increase in interest in the Academy from Jersey families. Approximately 5% of our current student body live in New Jersey, and we expect that number to increase next year.”

When asked why the school was experiencing a influx of New Jersey students, Shuffman said: “Staten Island Academy is an independent school, which makes it very appealing to parents who value quality education, innovative curriculum and individualized attention. We have a safe and beautiful 12-acre campus with outstanding facilities. Our distinguished faculty members are leaders in their fields. And, our close proximity makes us very appealing.”

Students at Staten Island Academy, a coeducational, college preparatory school educating students from age four through high school, take rigorous academic courses including Advanced Placement, honors and elective courses; innovative visual and performing arts; and comprehensive athletic and extracurricular programs. It is located on a 12-acre campus composed of seven buildings, a gymnasium with a new fitness center, two outdoor pools, athletic fields, computer facilities, tennis courts, and a recently renovated library. Academy graduates attend the nation’s finest colleges and universities. The school is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools, and the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges.