In a year of near-constant upheaval, Wabash College has delivered another remarkable success story.
Six months after graduation, 97.6% of the members of the Class of 2020 have secured their first destination — employment, graduate school or service. It marks the fourth consecutive year in which Wabash graduates have claimed their first destinations following graduation at rates amongst the highest in the nation, a feat even more impressive given the current job market.
“Our outcomes are a team effort, particularly during a pandemic,” said Steven Jones, Dean for Professional Development. “Professors, faculty, staff, friends and alumni continue to assist in ways that make a significant difference for our graduates. We continue to stress the importance of ‘early and often’ as it relates to student engagement with Career Services. Building strong relationships with our students is important.”
Over the last four years, Wabash graduates have secured first destinations within six months at a rate of 98.8 percent, well above the national average of 66 percent at six months. In 2017, the Wabash six-month success rate was 98 percent, improved to 100 percent in 2018, and registered 99.5 percent last year.
Aside from an outstanding liberal arts education, two underlying factors also propel Wabash graduates to high levels of success: the nation’s top-ranked internship opportunities and alumni network, according to The Princeton Review.
Due to the work of the Schroeder Center for Career Development, students are routinely engaged by programming that keeps them focused on the big picture. Weekly “Coffee and Careers” sessions and virtual recruiting events are two of the many opportunities for students to connect with potential employers and interesting opportunities.
Further, the Schroeder Center staff have developed more than 150 opportunities for students to use over the extended winter break to strengthen their skills in coding (Python and Java Script), project management, data analytics, and sales. Students also have the opportunity to serve in short, intensive internships with alumni across Indiana and the Midwest.
Our top-ranked alumni network routinely engage with students -— this year over Zoom and Teams — and help them sharpen interview skills and build a reliable and supportive professional network outside of campus. Students are able to first practice video interviews using the Big Interview platform that partners with Wabash to deliver this important experience.
“The ongoing support of our alumni demonstrates why Wabash is a unique and special place,” Jones said. “Emails, phone calls and social media posts from alums are regular occurrences as graduates search for the best fit after Wabash. That support provides Career Services with a competitive edge.”
The solid post-graduate success rates echo much of the news for the 188-year-old liberal arts college. In addition to the internship opportunities and alumni network, The Princeton Review spotlighted 12 other areas that Wabash ranked in the top-20 nationally, including access to professors, career services, great financial aid and classroom experience.
In October, three Wabash majors (Classics, German and History) were ranked tops in the nation by College Factual with three others placing in the top one percent (English Language and Literature, Mathematics and Statistics and foreign languages and linguistics).
