Class of 2017 Takes Shape as Admissions Goes Paperless

Admissions reports that the class of 2017 is nearly fully formed, the final offers have been made and Wesleyan will welcome a class of around 750 frosh in September.

The class is more international than in previous years, with 101, or 13 percent of its students coming from outside the United States. These students are extremely well prepared academically for college and an open curriculum: more of its members took calculus, at least four years of a foreign language and biology, chemistry and physics in high school than the previous admitted class.

“We’re pretty excited about this, and have a good idea about what the class looks like, although it’s not completely final,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Nancy Hargrave Meislahn. The admitted class shrinks or in admission parlance “melts” a little during the summer, but usually only by seven to 10 students, she explained.

The exciting sub-plot this year is the debut of paperless admissions. The class of 2018 will be chosen from applicants who apply, submit references and transcripts – and even set up interview appointments – online.

“We’re going great guns,” said Meislahn. “We’re going to start using the new system, called SLATE by Technolutions, to read applications on line, and the first module that we’re rolling out will book our interviews.”  Charlotte Lazor, Greg Pyke and Dan Manuyag are the leaders of the effort and deserve all the credit for keeping implementation on schedule and everyone on task.  By the end of the summer, no stone will be left untouched and all staff engaged in the transition.

And if an applicant goes old-school and submits material on dead trees?

“We’ll scan the materials,” Meislahn said. “We’ll keep some version of paper around for the next several years. But there will be much less of it. We might consider a yard sale for our file cabinets.”