The Mount Celebrates Outstanding AP Achievements

Back row, from left: Elizabeth Rosiecki (North Caldwell), Briella Longo (North Haledon), Mia Smith (North Caldwell), Gabriella Lipari (Cedar Grove), Maeve Nachbaur (Verona), Naya Adiedo (West Orange), Lorelei Middleton (Glen Ridge), Lily Nachbaur (Verona), Madeline Natale (Little Falls), Grace Baron of Towaco), Sophia Liwanag (Wayne), Monet Nikolic (Belleville), and Director of School and College Counseling Pauline Condon. Front row, from left: Principal Dr. Karen D’Avino, Ashley Rohde (North Caldwell), Melia Hillman (Caldwell), Maeko Marapao (Wayne), Mary Hladik (West Caldwell), Kiera Tagliareni (Bloomfield), Ella Scipione (Verona), Brooke Pita (Essex Fells), and Juliana Marra (West Milford). Missing from the photo: Rosa Dibadj of (Cedar Grove).

Mount St. Dominic Academy (MSDA), an independent Catholic college preparatory school in Caldwell dedicated to empowering young women, is proud to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of 21 seniors in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Representing more than one-third of the graduating class of 62, these students were honored with prestigious AP Scholar recognitions for their outstanding performance on challenging AP exams.
Certificates were awarded to students across several distinction levels, including:

• AP Scholar: Scored 3 or higher on at least three AP exams,
• AP Scholar with Honors: Scored 3 or higher on at least four AP exams with a minimum AP average of 3.25, or
• AP Scholar with Distinction: Scored 3 or higher on at least five AP exams with a minimum AP average of 3.5.

The Mount’s student honorees are:

Belleville / Bloomfield / West Orange: Naya Adiedo of West Orange (AP Scholar with Distinction); Monet Nikolic of Belleville (AP Scholar with Distinction); and Keira Tagliareni of Bloomfield (AP Scholar with Honor).

Caldwell / Essex Fells / North Caldwell: Nyah Adiedo of North Caldwell (AP Scholar with Distinction); Melia Hillman of Caldwell (AP Scholar with Honor); Mary Hladik of West Caldwell (AP Scholar with Honor); Brooke Pita of Essex Fells (AP Scholar with Distinction); Ashley Rohde of North Caldwell (AP Scholar with Distinction); Elisabeth Rosiecki of North Caldwell (AP Scholar); and Mia Smith of North Caldwell (AP Scholar with Distinction).

Cedar Grove / Verona: Rosa Dibadj of Cedar Grove (AP Scholar); Gabriella Lipari of Cedar Grove (AP Scholar with Distinction); Lily Nachbaur of Verona (AP Scholar with Distinction); Maeve Nachbaur of Verona (AP Scholar with Distinction) and Ella Scipione of Verona (AP Scholar).

Glen Ridge: Lorelei Middleton of Glen Ridge (AP Scholar with Distinction)

Little Falls: Madeline Natale of Little Falls (AP Scholar with Honor)

North Haledon: Briella Longo of North Haledon (AP Scholar)

Towaco: Grace Baron of Towaco (AP Scholar with Distinction)

Wayne: Sophia Liwanag of Wayne (AP Scholar) and Maeko Marapao of Wayne (AP Scholar with Distinction).

West Milford: Juliana Marra of West Milford (AP Scholar with Distinction)

“I am so proud of our AP students, whose hard work and perseverance is inspiring. They balance rigorous coursework with their many activities and they have achieved remarkable success,” said Director of School and College Counseling Pauline Condon.

Adding to these individual AP achievements, The Mount received 2024 “Gold with Access” Honor Roll Recognition by College Board, celebrating its commitment to providing equitable access to rigorous AP coursework and fostering academic excellence. In addition, the Mount earned 2023 College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Awards for its exceptional female representation in AP Computer Science A (CSA) and AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) courses.

“These honors reflect the hard work, determination, and academic excellence of our students and teachers,” said Principal Dr. Karen D’Avino. “We are especially proud of ensuring that our students are equipped for success in college and beyond.”

As a school committed to empowering girls through rigorous academics, Mount St. Dominic Academy continues to encourage students to challenge themselves and pursue excellence in all areas of study.

About Mount St. Dominic Academy

Mount St. Dominic Academy (MSDA), established by the Sisters of St. Dominic, is an independent Catholic college preparatory school dedicated to educating young women from diverse ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. Located in the picturesque town of Caldwell, New Jersey, the Mount has been empowering young women in the Dominican tradition since 1892.

MSDA is a member of several prestigious organizations, including the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, the Dominican Educators Learning Community (DELC) formerly known as Dominican Association of Secondary Schools (DASS), the National Catholic Educational Association, and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The Mount offers an impressive array of signature programs, which are similar to having college minors, including the: L.E.O. Entrepreneurship Program; Health Sciences Concentration (HSC); Social Justice Concentration, and the Directed Research Senior Capstone Program. Through these programs, students gain invaluable real-world experience that prepares them for future success.

Mount St. Dominic Academy has received numerous accolades, including the “Gold with Access” on the 2024 College Board AP School Honor Roll, as well as the 2023 College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Awards for exceptional female representation in AP Computer Science A (CSA), and AP Computer Science Principles (CSP). It also earned Gold Medals in the 2023 and 2024 “Best of Essex” contests in the “Best Private High School” category. Additionally, the Mount achieved an A+ rating on Niche’s 2024 Best Schools list, a distinction awarded to only 2.5% of schools nationwide.

One hundred percent of Mount graduates are accepted to 4-year colleges. The 60 graduates of the Class of 2024 earned more than $13 million in scholarships and merit awards. Accepted into 119 colleges and universities across the country, more than 40 of these schools welcomed Mount graduates as freshmen in the fall of 2024. MSDA currently has students at leading colleges and universities across the country, including Notre Dame, Villanova, Holy Cross, George Washington, University of Michigan and NYU – to name just a few.

Rolling Admissions for the Class of 2029 has begun! Sign up today to take the MSDA Entrance Exam on March 22, 2025, then schedule a visit! Private Family tours and “Mountie for a Day” visits are available to current 8th graders and transfer students in Grades 9-11, or join us at our Spring Open House on April 2, 2025. Your sisters can’t wait to meet you! Visit the Mount for more information.