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Secondary School Counseling

A middle school teacher leads a discussion with his class.
Grade 8 girls pose for a photo following the graduation ceremony in 2019.

We measure ourselves by our students.

Their confidence, competence and character differentiate Old Trail graduates wherever they take their education next. They possess a broad global perspective, a desire to give back and an appreciation for what they can contribute to the world. Our students become poised leaders and self-advocates in high school, private secondary school and college, having built a foundation of critical-thinking skills and creativity that allows them to launch into a lifetime of success.

Old Trail School students have a 93% acceptance rate when applying to independent or private high schools.

Our secondary school counselor works with families and students to help them prepare for the transition to high school and to navigate the many excellent options in northeast Ohio and across the country.

Our goal is always to identify the best high school fit for the child and the family. For students applying to independent schools, we advise them on how to make the most of their shadow day visits, offer preparation for entrance exams, guide them in getting teacher recommendations, and organize and expedite all transcripts and needed paperwork ahead of important deadlines. As acceptances come in, we help students and their parents make final decisions and appropriately and sensitively celebrate one another's choices.

Further Prepared for High School

Top independent secondary schools in the region, including Western Reserve Academy, Walsh Jesuit and many others, seek out Old Trail graduates, citing their readiness to lead in high school. 

Alumni Profiles

Evan Delahanty ’99
A photo of OTS alumnus Evan Delahanty '00

Evan Delahanty ’99 is a graduate of Cornell University and the founder of Peaceful Fruits, a fruit snack company that sources its products from sustainable harvesters in the Amazon rainforest. His Peace Corp experience inspired the enterprise, which was featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2017.

Raj Patel, MD, '04
A photo of OTS Alumnus Raj Patel '04

Raj Patel, MD, ’04 earned a bachelor’s degree in health economics from Emory University and then attended Northeast Ohio Medical University. He now practices dermatology in Akron.

Tessa DiTirro '07
Photo of OTS Alumna Tessa DiTirro

Tessa DiTirro ’07 played the lead role in several of Firestone High School’s musicals, majored in journalism at Ohio State, and is currently a TV news anchor and reporter in Cincinnati.

Grant Worley '10
A photo of OTS alumnus Grant Worley

Grant Worley ’10 earned his bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State and was accepted into the U.S. Navy’s highly competitive Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program. He currently serves as a surface warfare officer on the LPD New Orleans.

Catherine Walker '18
Cook It Up book cover

Catherine Walker ’18 wrote a cookbook for individuals with food allergies and was selected to be a speaker at the Food Allergy Research and Education Teen Summit in Washington, D.C.

Our entire approach is proven by the knowledge, the character and the bright future that emerge. 

Old Trail students continue to challenge themselves academically at top colleges, such as: 

  • Bates College
  • Boston College
  • Brown University
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Columbia University
  • Cornell University
  • Duke University
  • Georgetown University
  • Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Northwestern University
  • Tufts University
  • University of Notre Dame
  • U.S. Air Force Academy
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Washington University