As far back as elementary school, Anna Solem was intrigued by the magic behind the magic at Disneyland. The Dunn School senior has always dreamed of becoming an “Imagineer” – the industry title for the engineering wizards who develop Disney’s theme park attractions.

Solem even launched her own summer project to design and build an animatronic bird in the style of one of her favorite attractions, the Enchanted Tiki Room. She then continued that work in Dunn’s engineering course in its Innovation Center.

When it came to college admission, however, Solem, a Santa Ynez Valley resident, wasn’t sure where to apply or what to emphasize in her applications and essays.

She got the help she needed from Terri Devine, Dunn director of college counseling.

“She [Devine] asked me about my aspirations, and then helped me to streamline it into how I can achieve that,” Solem said. “Talking to Terri one-on-one, and her being so involved and passionate, helped me find the right college program and optimize what to write in my essays.”

Now, Solem heads to high school graduation accepted and committed to the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC, which is in close proximity to Disney’s Burbank headquarters, and even has a program dedicated to Themed Entertainment.

Dunn said Solem’s story is not uncommon among its students, which saw all 44 of its college applicants accepted to four-year colleges or universities this year. Another senior will begin his post-high school career serving the country as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

Dunn School seniors received 165 offers of admission to 102 different universities in 30 states and seven countries.

For each year’s class of graduating seniors, Devine and Dunn’s college counseling program assists in revealing what matters most to college admissions officials, as well as helping each student put their passions into perspective.

For Alex Grenier of Solvang, it was gaining entry to Princeton. For Matthew Musson of Solvang, it’s Stanford. Michael Moreno, a Buellton resident, will get to pursue all three of his passions (entrepreneurship, soccer, and acting) at Babson College.

“Terri recommended Babson College as great for business students, and I said ‘Oh, my God, this school is perfect for me,’ ” said Moreno.

The formula for college admissions success at Dunn starts with early access, the school said. Students can meet with Devine when they are freshmen, and she hosts college admissions representatives from around the country throughout the school year.

Dunn’s college counseling class begins in earnest with a boot camp for students at the end of their junior year. Devine helps students sharpen their applications, while Dunn English teacher Meg Watson incorporates college essay writing into the first trimester of her class for seniors. Students complete work on their applications as part of the regular school day.