Olivia DrakeThis year, 10,645 seniors from around the world applied to Wesleyan University, an increase of 6 percent from 2009, which was a record year for applications, despite the sour economy. "Last year we reached an all-time high for applications, up by 22 percent, and this year is 6 percent over that," says Greg Pyke, senior associate dean of admission. Of these students, 41 percent are male and 59 percent are female. The applicant pool contains 362 candidates for the Freeman Asian Scholars program, 860 for early decision admission and 9,423 applications in the regular review process. Two-hundred-and-twenty-nine of these students…
Next fall, Wesleyan will welcome two students of color who graduated high school "capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership." Malik Ben-Salahuddin '13 and Dorisol Inoa '13 are both recent alumni of A Better Chance (ABC), the oldest national organization of its kind. ABC aims to change the life trajectory in a positive way for academically-talented youth of color through access to rigorous and prestigious educational opportunities for students in grades 6-12. "This is wonderful recognition for these two top students, two in a long line of ABC students at Wesleyan," says Nancy Meislahn, dean of admission and financial…
More than 500 students and their families celebrated all-things Wesleyan during the annual WesFest April 16-18 on campus. WesFest allows all admitted students an opportunity to explore what Wesleyan has to offer. Attendees took campus tours, visited campus housing, attended classes, explored science laboratories, samples campus dining, visited with current Wesleyan students, viewed art, film and music performances, and much more. "WesFest benefits students by giving them the opportunity to engage with the Wesleyan community," says Stephanie Pruitt, program and events coordinator for the Office of Admission. "For many students, their time on campus helps them decide if Wesleyan will…
David PesciIn November, 2008, when all the first round early decision applications were in, the Wesleyan admissions’ staff knew the initial numbers were not a fluke. Applications from high school students seeking admission during the first early decision period at Wesleyan were up 34 percent from the previous year, 2007. Still, the admissions staff maintained cautious enthusiasm. “We were elated, but we also remained a bit guarded because, quite frankly, we didn’t know if the early decision increase would be followed by a decrease in overall applications, especially with the economy taking such a dramatic downturn,” says Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, dean…