Expand your folio: traditional logo for test prep academy!

Kentin Academy

Kentin Academy is a new private after-school academy that focuses on preparing our students for entry into top-tier American universities. We are opening in Japan and will eventually expand to other East Asian countries. We emphasize a comprehensive university admissions approach in order to help our customers attain traditional educational objectives, with a special focus on preparing for key admissions examinations (SAT, ACT, AP).

We market exclusively to relatively wealthy families with children in high-quality, private international schools outside the US. The students are held to high standards, and the parents are demanding customers. Because our customers seek admission to only the best universities in the US, our company image needs to offer a sense of connection to that goal.

We need a relatively simple logo that evokes a more traditional image of education. The final deliverable should have two versions of the logo: one with just a shield and one with the shield as the focus of a circular seal (encircled by a border, wreath, and/or text as you see fit).

The seal should include the name of the school, "Kentin Academy", and the date of establishment in roman numerals - "FOUNDED MMX" or "ESTABLISHED MMX". Another possibility is the addition of a Latin phrase, "AMAT VICTORIA CURAM", either on a banner or as part of the border of the seal.

We would like to see:
- White background
- Maximum two colors (not incl. the background)
- Burgundy or other deep reds, but feel free to experiment with color.
- Simple, old-style fonts with few or no embellishments
- Relatively simple shield design that scales well to small sizes

Avoid:
- Religious imagery
- New age elements like shadows and bezels
- Excessive detailing
- Imitating the examples too closely

During the handover phase, we will need:
- Unlocked vector files in .eps or .ai format
- Unlocked large, layered .psd file(s)
- Font names and file locations
- PMS, CMYK, RGB, and hex values for the color(s) used

For samples of the general style we are looking for, see the attached shields and seals. If you have questions, don't hesitate to send an email.
We look forward to seeing your own take on traditional education! Good luck!