The admissions office at Wabash College has joined an elite list of colleges and universities across the country to sign a new collective statement that sends a clear message about the qualities and characteristics the college most values in its recruiting practices during the coronavirus pandemic. The statement outlines an emphasis on self-care, academic work, service and contributions to others, family contributions, and extracurricular and summer activities.
Chip Timmons, Dean for Enrollment Management at Wabash College said the statement is an extension of what they have already been doing during the review process of applications.
“What we are looking for is are students prepared to succeed on our campus, excel in the classroom and make meaningful contributions why they’re here,” he said. “It’s still the holistic review that we’ve always tried to do with our applications, it’s just a nice reminder to families that these are the things we are going to care most about, and these are thing things that we hope you’ll care most about moving forward.”
The self care statement says that Wabash recognizes that many families are struggling to get by and that students are dealing with stresses of many kinds. First and foremost, Wabash encourages students to take care of themselves.
For academic work, Timmons said that while it still matters, Wabash recognizes the pandemic has forced new obstacles upon students, and that Wabash will assess academic achievements in the context of these obstacles.
Wabash also understands that some prospective students may be limited in the amount of activities they participate in due to the pandemic. “It’s reassuring to parents that there are still a number of institutions that really care about the meaningful contributions a student makes in the classroom, in their community,” Timmons said. “We don’t need a laundry list of accomplishments of all the things that you have done. We want to know what are the activities or projects that you’ve been a part of that have meaning, where you took leadership roles.”
As prospective Wabash students begin the admissions process in coming months, Timmons says Wabash will remain committed to helping assist despite the circumstances.
“During the fall semester at least, we will not be able to engage with them in the ways they are used to engaging with admission folks,” he said. “We will have fewer interactions with them at their high schools, and we won’t be hosting large campus visits. But we are still committed to making sure they have the information they need, they have support guidance through the application process.”
