“What Do You Look For in a Prospective Student?”

As we wrap up the final days of our fall travel season, we’ve found a recurring question asked throughout our travels by students seeking admittance into Western New England University:

What do you look for when reviewing my application?

This is a great question that we’ve been happy to discuss, however the answer is not simple.  As admissions counselors at Western New England University, we are not only trying to make the best decision possible for the University but we also want to make sure we are making the best decision possible for you too as a student. We are not looking for one specific trait or characteristic or GPA, instead, there are several things that we look for because we want to make sure it’s going to be a good fit and that you are going to be successful at Western New England University.

So what are some of the things we look for?

1.       Academic Courses- We look to admit college ready students who will be able to succeed in the rigorous coursework at Western New England. So you should have taken at least 5 core courses each year. Typically, your high school curriculum requires you to do this to graduate. We require four years of English, two units of Math, at least one Lab Science and at least one United States History. Many majors require courses beyond this. Business, technology and several science majors require Math through Algebra 2. Engineering, Pharmacy, Math-based majors and the rest of the sciences require through Precalculus.

2.       We look to see if you have taken a challenging academic curriculum. Students who have worked their hardest to succeed in Honors, AP and High Level IB courses stand out to us, and are rewarded with a full letter grade boost in the grade of the course.

3.       Academic Performance- Grades that represent strong work ethic and commitment along with an upward trend. We are looking at your high school performance in its entirety, so freshman and sophomore years are important too.

4.        Enthusiasm in attending Western New England University- This is demonstrated by you with a campus visit(s), meeting with us at your high school when we visit, phone call, email etc..

5.       SAT/ACT- We require scores from at least one of these tests and we’re looking to see if they are consistent with your academic performance. We do Superscore!

6.       Well Written Essay- This is your opportunity to share your story! We’re looking for more insight into what makes who you are as an individual.

7.       A Glowing Recommendation: We want to hear how great you are from your teacher and/or school counselor. We only need one recommendation but we are perfectly happy to read two or three if you have them.

As you can see, we are looking for a lot of things. No two students and no two applicants are the same, so how could we look for just one thing? We strive to look at the whole person, and try to get to know the students whose applications we are reading rather than just seeing a Grade Point Average and expecting that to tell us the whole story.

Now that you know what we’re looking for, it’s time for you to learn about everything Western New England can offer you. Apply to Western New England, come visit us. Ask us questions and learn about our programs. As always, if you have any questions for us, you can email them to learn@wne.edu or call us at 413-782-1321.

Happy Applying!

Marcus and Kees

Join Us For Open House!!

With travel season in full effect, the admissions team has thoroughly enjoyed hitting the road!  We’ve visited hundreds of high schools from California to Maine, South America to Asia, have spoken to phenomenal prospective students interested in Western New England University and have built great relationships with guidance counselors from Massachusetts to Texas, Brazil to China! 

And we’re not finished yet!

Now that we’ve visited you, it’s your turn to visit us! And what better way to do this than to attend an open house at Western New England University!!

We’re going to list several benefits of joining us for an open house.

Here we go:

1.      Tour the Campus

You can enjoy a walking tour of our beautiful campus and residence halls before the day starts. Tours are led by Western New England University students. This is a great way to learn all the ins and outs of the campus from current students.

2.       Connect with other prospective students

There is a large amount of students who attend our open houses so this means that you get to meet many of your potential classmates. With such a large amount of students in attendance, you will get a pretty good feel for what social life will be like at Western New England University.

3.       Academic Information Sessions

This is a great opportunity to sit in on an information session led by faculty and learn more about the major you are interested in, what to expect and how students and professors interact with one another.

4.       Admission & Financial Aid Review

You and your parents will receive an overview of the admissions and financial aid process of Western New England University.  You will also have the opportunity to speak 1 on 1 with an admissions counselor to have your individual questions answered. By the way…NOW IS THE TIME TO APPLY!!!

5.       Q & A Session

This is a fantastic opportunity to ask current students of Western New England University what social and campus life is like at the University. This is a student led panel in which some may be involved in athletics, academic or professional organizations, special interest groups and more.

6.       FOOD!!!!

What better way to end the day then to have lunch on us!!! We have phenomenal meatballs!!! Speaking of food…You’ll also learn about the different meal plans that Western New England University offers our students as well.

By joining us for an open house, you get to look deeper into what we are all about. And we would also like to meet you of course!! 

2 Open Houses remaining this Fall: 11/8  & 11/22.

Hope to see you at one of them!

Here's the link to register for an open house:

http://www1.wne.edu/admissions/index.cfm?selection=doc.28&l=media

Here’s the link to register for a campus visit:

http://www1.wne.edu/admissions/index.cfm?selection=doc.26

And as always…Feel free to contact us any time with any questions or concerns. We can be reached by email at learn@wne.edu or call the Admissions Office at 413-782-1321.

Happy Halloween!!!

--Kees and Marcus

2015 Admissions Travel

                        So it begins… Seniors all over the country have begun searching for the college of their dreams and admissions counselors all over the country are here to help.

Here, at Western New England University, the leaves are changing, the weather is cooling, and the admissions office is working full tilt to find the perfect students to fill our Class of 2019. Eleven counselors are traveling throughout the north east, across the country and around the world, hoping to meet you, answer all of your questions, and tell you about the fantastic programs offered at Western New England.

                        If you’re reading this blog, you may already know quite a bit about Western New England, and may be wondering what to do next. Personally, the best advice that I have is: Come visit us! We are eager to show off our beautiful campus and state-of-the-art facilities. We counselors can (and probably will) tell you about Western New England until we’re hoarse, but until you arrive, you can’t fully comprehend everything that makes WNE great.  So come take a tour of campus, speak with students, professors, coaches and counselor and come ready to be amazed. Tours are typically offered four times a day, five days a week (and occasional Saturdays). We also have six more open houses coming up throughout this academic year. These are fantastic opportunities to meet current students, see campus, sit in on student panels, admissions presentations, and speakers from many academic programs.

                        In the meantime, our counselors are still on the road, and we may be coming to a high school near you. Keep an eye out for upcoming fairs and visits so you can come meet us and get your questions answered. Application season has begun and we are already sending out acceptances, so as questions come up, email them to learn@wne.edu or call the office at 413-782-1321.

Upcoming Open House Dates:

Sunday, October 26^th

Saturday, November 8^th

Saturday, November 22^nd

We hope to see you on soon!

Kees and Marcus

That Final Campus Visit!

Hope everyone is surviving the string of cold, crazy weather we have received over the past few weeks! We have been seeing a plethora of visitors to campus nonetheless! For those of you have braved the elements we hope you enjoyed your time at Western New England University! As we head into March, I wanted to mention some of the visitation options for students moving forward as they attempt to make that final visit prior to decision day, which is May 1st:

Campus Tour: Any student has the option of coming on campus for a campus tour. Campus tours are offered Monday through Friday and on select Saturdays. Students can register by calling 413-782-1321 or by signing up online at: https://www1.wne.edu/admissions/tour_registration/. Upon returning from your campus tour, you will have the opportunity to meet with an Admissions Counselor and/or speak to a faculty member on campus. Please contact the Admissions Office if you are interested in speaking with a faculty member so we can set up your appointment.

Open House: Currently, Western New England University is offering two Open Houses for students to close out the 2013-2014 academic year. The first Open House is on Sunday, March 30th and is only for accepted students. At this particular Open House, accepted students will hear directly from their potential faculty members who will provide mock classes, internship information, and job prospects. There will also be a clubs/activities fair, an opportunity to meet with someone from Financial Aid, and much more! The second Open House will be held on Saturday, April 12 and is open to both accepted students as well as juniors hoping to get a head start on their college search process. Please call 413-782-1312 or visit http://www1.wne.edu/admissions/index.cfm?selection=doc.28 to register for an Open House.

Accepted Student Day Visit Program: Any accepted student who is hoping to get a first-hand look at a "day in the life" of a Western New England University student should consider the Day Visit Program. In this program, students have the opportunity to shadow a current student for the day. Our goal is to try to match up based on the student's major so they can see major-related courses but students will also visit the dining hall, potentially meet with a faculty member and/or go on a tour of campus. Dates are available in both March and April and are only held Monday through Friday. Please contact the Admissions Office at 413-782-1321 to register for this unique opportunity.

Academic Preview Day: Students who are intending on majoring in either Pre-Pharmacy, Psychology, or Criminal Justice are invited to participate in our Academic Preview Days. Students majoring in Pre-Pharmacy and Psychology are invited to visit campus on Friday, March 28th to sit in on major-related courses, tour our state-of-the-art facilities, have lunch on campus, and hear from both current faculty and students about our program. Any student majoring in Criminal Justice is encouraged to visit campus on Monday, March 31st for their Academic Preview Day. This is a fantastic chance to learn more about these exciting majors hearing first-hand from the people who know best, your faculty and fellow classmates!

Please feel free to contact the Admissions Office if you have any questions regarding the visitation options here at Western New England University. We hope to see you on campus in the near future, and best of luck as you continue with your school year!

-Drew

Class of 2018 Facebook Page

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season! We over here in the Admissions Office are gearing up for an exciting semester! Acceptances have been rolling out and we are thrilled to announce the creation of our new Class of 2018 Facebook page for students to connect with their future classmates. Please ask to join the group and the Admissions Office will approve your membership. This page is an excellent opportunity to meet new students, have your questions answered by an Admissions Counselor, and/or speak with a current Western New England University student! We hope to see you on the site soon!

-Drew

End of Travel Season

Hey everyone. Apologies for the lack of postings over the the travel season but it has been quite a last few couple of months. Counselors at WNE are wrapping up their last week out on the road. We have thoroughly enjoyed meeting prospective students and their families at countless high school visits, mini fairs, and college fairs during the fall. I know I have had a blast being in four different states over the past two plus months. I've enjoyed my usual territories of eastern Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as well as two additions to my schedule in the Catskills area of New York, as well as the state of Florida which I was fortunate enough to visit for two weeks.

Now that we are nearing the end of travel, it is important to revisit the application process! Counselors have already been desk-deep in application review for our incoming class of 2018. We eagerly await your application! As a reminder, WNE works on a rolling admissions process, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive a decision from us! There also was a slight change to our admissions policy this year as we no longer require first quarter senior year grades for many of the majors at WNE. If a student is taking Pre-Calculus as a senior and is applying to the College of Engineering, Pharmacy, or some of our science and math majors, we will need to see your first quarter senior year grades. If you are applying to any of those programs and have already taken Pre-Calculus or if you are applying to other majors, first quarter grades are not required. The following items are the remainder of what is needed in your application:

1. Completed application (Common Application OR the Western New England University application)
2. Application fee of $40
3. Official high school transcript
4. SAT and/or ACT scores (send us all of your scores so we can take your highest Critical Reading and Math scores of the SAT and the English, math, and composite scores of the ACT)
5. Essay as mentioned on the Common Application
6. At least one letter of recommendation

Please submit the above items via mail, email, or fax to the Admissions Office and we look forward to reviewing your application soon! If you have any questions about the school or the admissions process please contact learn@wne.edu. Happy fall!

-Drew

...And We're Back!

School is back in session here at Western New England University. A special welcome to incoming freshman and transfer students who will comprise the class of 2017. Move-in day for freshman students was a success on Friday, August 23rd with the rest of the school moving in on Saturday, August 24th. Classes began on Monday, August 26th for all students this year, so we are off and running! Here is an update on some of the things that have been going on here at WNE recently:

-The renovation of Sleith Hall is still ongoing. Many offices and hallways have been renovated in time for the first day of classes but there is much more to be done! A separate two-story addition to the rear of the building is in progress with an anticipated completion time of early 2014.

-Convocation occurred on Friday, August 23rd with approximately 800 students making up the freshman class. These students represent 20 US states and 9 foreign countries.


-The University recently received a $1 million donation from the Frances Cohen estate which was used to construct the new the Frances and Norman Cohen Trading Room and Financial Center. This facility gives students access to Morningstar Direct, which provides detailed and historical financial information about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and commodities. The Center, located in Churchill Hall, also provides real-time stock tickers. The donation provides as part of an investment course an opportunity for students to trade a $100,000 investment fund under the supervision of faculty and a business/alumni advisory board. Finally, the donation will be used towards additional merit scholarships for Juniors and Seniors in the College of Business.

Drew