Bullis Community Update: May 20, 2026

Dear Bullis Families,

This is my penultimate letter of the year to the community–my last will land in the week of June 5. You may think that I write a lot, perhaps even too much, and that has also occurred to me. So, I went back and counted how many letters I’ve written since I started formally on July 1, 2020. Frankly, it’s shocking, even to me, how verbose I am.

2020 - 2021: 34 letters

2021 - 2022: 36 letters

2022 - 2023: 15 letters

2023 - 2024: 19 letters

2024 - 2025: 10 letters

2025 - 2026: 11 letters (so far!)

My only excuse is that in the early years, COVID necessitated a LOT of writing, especially when the County was trying to stop Bullis from opening school. More recently, I have fewer excuses. Anyway, now that this piece of utterly useless information is out of the way, let’s get on to more substantive fare. I hear a communal sigh of relief. (Better than me opening with some frivolous comment about the weather? Debatable.)

College Decisions:

With the May 1 college enrollment deadline now behind us, we have a clear picture of where our seniors will be heading this fall. While there may still be some limited waitlist movement in the coming weeks, most decisions are finalized.

I am proud of our seniors and the opportunities they have earned. This year’s matriculation list reflects the wide range of interests, talents, and aspirations within the class, as well as the strong academic foundation and passions our seniors developed during their time at Bullis. I believe one of a school’s most important responsibilities is to provide students with meaningful opportunities and support so they are prepared to pursue a wide range of excellent college options.

I also value transparency in sharing these outcomes with our community. Athletics continue to play an important role in the college process for many students (26/150 this year), and student-athletes are identified with an asterisk. For example, two asterisks next to a college indicate that two students attending that institution will compete as college athletes. I do this as much to highlight the non-athletes and where they are going to college as much as to highlight the athletes. As in previous years, I have chosen to share the matriculation list by graduating class rather than combining results across multiple years, as I believe this provides a more accurate picture of each class’s outcomes.

Please join me in congratulating our seniors and their families. I am deeply grateful to our outstanding teachers, advisors, coaches, and college counselors who have supported and guided this class with tremendous care throughout their Bullis journey.

College Counseling/Admissions:

Co-Director of College Counseling, Val Miller, recently informed me that she has accepted another opportunity close to her home in Baltimore. As you know, I recently appointed Philip Weisgold (Currently Co-Director of College Counseling and Assistant Upper School Head) to be Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid.

After significant reflection and discussion, I have asked Philip to oversee both departments in the role of Director of Enrollment Management and College Placement. This is a model that has been successfully used at other significant schools, and I am confident it is the right approach for our students and families. We will ensure Philip is well supported with strong teams around him. Quite simply, I could not leave these two critical school functions of college counseling and admissions without expert and experienced oversight. Philip provides this, and I will ensure that he will be richly supported.

Next year, Bullis will have five college counselors in addition to Philip, with each counselor working with approximately 32 seniors, likely one of the smallest caseloads in the DMV. I am confident this structure will continue to provide students with highly personalized guidance and support throughout the college process, and I look forward to Philip’s leadership in both admissions and college counseling.

My Sabbatical:

David Pepper’s letter on Saturday announced to the community that I would be taking a sabbatical in the fall, leaving mid-September and returning in mid-December. After 20 years of headship, I am excited to take advantage of this rare opportunity for rejuvenation and reflection. I will spend a considerable amount of time in the UK, Europe, and South America, and I will likely return to Potomac for Thanksgiving (my favorite of all holidays). Potential travel to China and Asia in early December will conclude a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am grateful to the board, my colleagues, especially Dr. Salewski, who will step into the breach, and all of you for your support.

The seniors just returned from their Senior Service Trips, and of course, they graduate on Thursday evening. It’s relatively quiet around campus, but come Friday, the current 11th-grade students will realize that they are finally the top dogs! I am sure the class of 2027 will begin to make its presence felt very soon.

So, until my next letter, au revoir!

Warmly,

Christian G. Sullivan
Head of School