Top Twenty Visit A Success
By Andrew Hoffman ‘10
One may have noticed the abundance of prospective students on Monday, easily identifiable by red folders and long stares at the arch by Sparks. Ninety-two high school seniors came to the Top 20 Percent Scholarship Day, hoping to gain insight into the Wabash experience and for the promise of scholarship money.
Those in the top 20 percent of their class would receive $7,500 a year, those in the top 15 percent, $10,000. Also, students who were eligible to attend the Top 10 Percent Day last November but did not were given a second chance at assistance.
Dean of Admissions Steve Klein thought the event went very well.
“President White did a great job of welcoming the families and giving a good characterization of what makes Wabash special,” he said.
Another speaker for the parents was Chris Denari ’83, the new voice of the Indianapolis Pacers, who talked on the value of the liberal arts education.
Denari’s talk was in line with the theme of “Wabash College: You Can Get There from Here.”
This year, in addition to faculty and alumni, those currently on the journey were integrated into the presentation. It was a new approach that worked well.
“The students did a fantastic job of articulating their experiences … I think we were able to make a better connection,” Klein said.
Though attendance for this particular event was down over the previous year, there is a record number of applicants for the class of 2011. The previous record of 1392 a few years ago was eclipsed at the beginning of this week and Dean Klein fully expects to break 1400. He is quick to point out this is a small increase percentage wise and the more impressive statistic is the fact applications have nearly doubled from ten years ago. The class before Dean Klein arrived in 1997 had only 735 applicants. He attributes the increase to many factors but three especially: aggressive summer recruiting, increased alumni involvement, and better collaboration with the athletics department.
Many recent personnel changes have affected the admissions department. First, two experienced staff members left mid-recruitment cycle to pursue other opportunities. Only one was replaced making Klein feel “short-handed.” Next, there are the many changes in the administration including a new president. Klein said he has received much support from President White and he appreciates White’s acknowledgement of the challenges of recruiting for a single-sex liberal arts college, a challenge White witnessed at St. Mary’s College.
The latter change brought up the question of increasing the size of the college. Klein explains in the short-term housing is a limiting factor, but in the long-term, keeping Wabash’s sense of community is more important than increasing class size. Klein enjoys helping to form the community.
“It feels gratifying to play a role,” he said.