Admission letters time

Last week the admission letters went in the mail.  I still have my letter from Dean Hartog!  Check out this website that shows lots of current students talking about why they chose W&L.  About 60 children of alumni have been accepted to the class of 2013!  And congratulations to all newly accepted students, Go Generals!

Charlotte Chapter Event with Bill Hartog, Dean of Admissions

Left to Right: Executive Director of Alumni Affairs Beau Dudley, Dean of Admissions Bill Hartog, Ruth Gammon and Chris Gammon.

The Charlotte W&L Alumni Chapter came together last Tuesday for a lovely cocktail party at the home of Ruth and Chris Gammon ’81.  80 alumni were eager to hear from Bill Hartog, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, and Beau Dudley, Executive Director of Alumni Affairs.  Dudley shared with alumni why Washington & Lee is in such a strong position, despite our struggling economy.  Hartog shared why he has the best job, working for the best University.  He was especially pleased to be talking to the Charlotte chapter, as 16 of this year’s freshmen hail from Charlotte–a record number.  Those in attendance were inspired as both Dudley and Hartog gave example after example of the continued growth of our Alma Mater.

Andrew Blair’s, a great new Charlotte restaurant belonging to Tom Henson ’80L and Andy Henson ’02, catered the event.

Q&A with Bill Hartog, Dean of Admissions

Executive Director of Alumni Affairs Beau Dudley takes a few moments with Bill Hartog, Dean of Admissions

BD: Although the University publishes the key data each year, it may be hard for some alumni to appreciate how popular Washington and Lee has become, and how hard it is to gain admission. How would you characterize this situation as of 2008?

BH: This last admissions cycle was the most competitive in Washington and Lee’s history, and placed us among the very most selective colleges in the country. We were fortunate to receive applications from 6,400 students. Given our goal of a first year class of 455, we were only able to admit 17% of those who applied, easily the lowest rate ever.

BD: Numbers of applications are interesting, but what about the quality of the applicant pool?

BH: The publicity and interest surrounding the Johnson Scholarship Program contributed to a very deep applicant pool. For example, although we consider many other things, if you look at the SATs and class rank, the average admitted student scored 1416 and ranked in the top 6% of their class. The averages for the enrolled first year class are 1397 and top 7% of their class.

BD: What was the impact of this remarkable year on legacy applications last year?

BH: Typically in recent years, the acceptance rate for legacy applicants has been about twice that of the overall pool. Last year, while we only admitted 17% of our overall applicant pool, we were happy to admit 54% of the children of alumni who applied. We were especially glad that 44 chose to enroll in the fall – 10% of the entering first-year class.

BD: Over half of legacy applicants were admitted last year. What accounts for that?

BH: Simply put, we had a very strong pool of legacy applicants. We are pleased to have some legacies among our inaugural Johnson Scholars.

BD: Let me be blunt: does the W&L Admissions Office care about legacies these days?

BH: Yes. There are 176 alumni with children here. We believe that our legacies are a valuable presence in every class. For many of them, W&L is their clear first choice, and that is great. They arrive with respect for the traditions that make Washington and Lee special, including the Honor System, the speaking tradition, and the close relationships that form between professors and students. They are a vital link between current W&L students and our history. Of course, quite apart from their legacy status, those children of alumni whom we admit are very talented and well-qualified applicants.

BD: Generally, how does your office handle legacy applications?

BH: We give help and specific information to our alumni and their prospective legacy applicants. We invite all of our alumni with rising high school juniors and seniors to visit campus for our “Navigating the Admissions MAZE” program. Although the program is not W&L specific, it does help guide our alumni and their children through the entire admissions process, and give them a window into today’s very competitive environment. We send detailed information about our current first-year class to any alumnus or alumna whose child applies to Washington and Lee. We hope that they will consider the data carefully in order to gauge where they may stand in regards to the likely applicant pool. I also send a letter describing the application process, our legacy policy, and our expectations of them. Finally, I assure you that these legacy applicants receive special care and attention from my office during the application process, but their qualifications are necessarily evaluated with the rest of the applicant pool.

BD: Do all of those legacies offered admission accept and enroll?

BH: Usually, a little over half of our admitted children of alumni enroll. We are competing for them, of course, and we understand that some will go elsewhere.

BD: There is a rumor that the proverbial “well-rounded student” need not apply. How do you respond?

BH: To be sure, our students work hard. Most of them take academic life seriously and enjoy the intellectual opportunities that W&L offers, and most of them are also engaged in a wide variety of things outside of the classroom. When you visit Washington and Lee’s campus today, I think that you will sense a very well-rounded student body. Because we strive to construct a well-rounded entering class, our first year students were active in high school in athletics, student government, community service and civic engagement, the performing arts, honor societies, and many other things. There are over 160 student clubs and organizations on campus! Consistent with recent history, about 80% of W&L men and women participate in our strong Greek organizations, and about 75% are involved with athletics at the varsity (23 teams), intramural, or club levels. This past year, five of our teams and fourteen individuals participated in NCAA Division III national championship tournaments. Wilson Hall, our new music and art facility, is thriving. The bottom line is that, although we do admit some “specialists,” the majority of our admitted students are “well-rounded” in the best sense. Collectively the student body is talented in many different areas.

BD: Is it possible to identify any kind of floor, or a basic set of qualifications, below which it would not be realistic for a high school senior to apply to W&L?

BH: This is a very difficult question, in part because there is no litmus test. We give all of our applicants, especially our legacy applicants, a thorough, personalized, and holistic review. That said, a great deal of information about our current first year class is available. I would encourage all legacy applicant families to study this information carefully. It gives an accurate and realistic picture of the likely applicant pool. As my comments here illustrate, the competitive landscape has changed from when alumni with college- age children were here. Oversimplified, those legacies whose profiles do not compare favorably with the applicant pool will face an uphill battle.

BD: How do you communicate with alumni whose children are not admitted?

BH: Telling anyone that a child has not been admitted to their college is hard. We all wish that the decision could be different. Several years ago, W&L began a practice of attempting to talk to each alumnus and alumna whose child is not offered a place in the class before our decision letter arrives, to break the news privately and offer some perspective on the process. It is not a happy task, but we think this personal touch is important.