Seven Warwick seniors to enter Ivy Leagues

WARWICK - Graduating seniors from Warwick Valley High School have excelled in gaining entry into Ivy League schools this year. A total of seven students have passed the rigorous admission process at a time when acceptance into the country’s eight elite schools has rarely been more difficult. Two of those high achievers, Robert Blanco and Nick Longfellow, will attend Cornell University in the autumn maintaining a friendship that started in elementary school. “Nick and my honorary third son, Bob Blanco, have been friends since fourth-grade at Pine Island,” said Valerie Longfellow, Nick’s mother. “We actually moved to a house across the street from the Blancos, at which point Bob became our ‘neighbor boy’. (This is how we still refer to him).” Nick will major in statistics while Robert will study agricultural business at the Ithaca campus. Valerie Longfellow is confident the friendship the two boys have forged will continue. “If Nick ever needed a big favor, or someone to trust with a secret, I know it would be Bob, before anyone else,” she said. “That Warwick Valley is sending so many of its students to high caliber schools speaks volumes about the quality of education children receive here.” A third Warwick high school graduate also gained entry in Cornell while two others were accepted to Dartmouth, and one each into Columbia and Princeton. So far a total of 226 students graduating this year from Warwick Valley High have been accepted into either two- or four-year schools. One student has opted to join the Navy, while seven students plan to enter the workforce, according to figures provided by the high school. “I think Warwick has much to be proud of,” said Louise Blanco, Robert’s mother. “I am so proud of the Class of ’07. With so many seniors being accepted to top schools in a year with such fierce competition you have to believe that the teachers, the community and the families are all having a positive influence on the students.” Blanco and her family moved to Warwick from Manhattan 10 years ago and the quality of education played a part in her move to the community. “Schools were a major decision point when we moved to Warwick and we definitely made the right choice,” she said. While Blanco is proud of her son’s achievements she also believes Warwick schools have been highly influential in his success. “The dedication of his teachers, particularly Mrs. Colgan, his involvement in the FFA (Future Farmers of America) and the opportunities available at WVHS have gotten him to this point,” she said. “I think we are very fortunate to live in a community where education is valued.” Statistics provided by the Ivy League schools show that joining the highest regarded colleges of America has become increasingly difficult. Princeton University reported an increase of 8 percent in applications this year and an overall rise in applications of 38 percent over the past four years. Princeton’s acceptance rate for this year is 9.5 percent. Cornell University, where Bob and Nick will begin classes this fall, received almost 32,000 applications this year and accepted 20.5 percent of those applying. This represents a reduction from the 24.7 percent of applicants accepted last year. Randy Barbarash, Warwick High School principal, is naturally delighted with the prospect for the graduating students. “It certainly says something about the skills and talents of our students. It also says that the Ivy League schools respect our school and the assessments our students have taken.”