'Tis the Application Season

Application season is officially upon us! We have been receiving several applications over the last few weeks with no sign of slowing down. With our rolling admissions policy, we are doing the best we can to get decisions out as soon as possible. By the time you complete your application, you should hear back from us in about three weeks with a decision from us.

One of the benefits of rolling admissions is that quick turn-around. The earlier you apply, the earlier you will hear back from us, so it's up to you to get that application in! Western New England University is on the Common Application and we have our own application which can be found on our website (www.wne.edu). As for things we will need in the application, below is the official list:

-Completed application w/ an application fee of $40
-Official high school transcript (including first quarter senior year grades)
-SAT and/or ACT scores (please send us all scores, we will automatically take your highest scores--Critical Reading and Math for the SATs; English, Math, and composite for the ACTs)
-Personal statement/essay
-At least one letter of recommendation

As always, if you have any questions about the application process or if you would like to track the status of your application, please feel free to contact the Admissions Office at 413-782-1321 or email us at learn@wne.edu. We hope to see your application soon! Happy holidays!

Golden Win

If you had a chance to visit our campus last weekend you were treated to some excellent fall sports action. The Western New England University Golden Bears football team won a thrilling game on Saturday against Framingham State University 20-13 in overtime to win the New England College Football Championship! The Golden Bears were dealing with a tough Framingham St. defense all afternoon falling behind 13-0 with 3:47 minutes left in the game. WNE quickly scored to cut the deficit to 13-7 and then had to make a critical decision regarding the remainder of the game. Coach Keith Emery decided to gamble and went for an onside kick which was recovered by the Golden Bears. WNE clearly had the momentum as they drove down the field for the game tying score with only 26 seconds left in the game. With a chance to win the game in overtime, WNE missed the extra point sending the game into overtime. WNE battled back scoring on their first overtime drive in only four plays while the defense stood up stopping Framingham St. on 4th and 16 securing the victory.

Western New England's football squad will travel this weekend to Salisbury (MD) University where they will battle it out in the first round of the National Division 3 College Playoff. This team's incredible journey led by Coach Emery has been improbable on another level. Just days before the team's first game against Norwich University, Coach's father, Donald Emery, passed away. For more on how the team has rallied behind its fearless leader, please read this excellent article: http://www.dailyorange.com/sports/race-d-iii-wnec-rallies-around-heartbroken-coach-1.2699027

Best of luck to the WNE football team in this weeks action in Maryland!

Follow Western New England University Admissions on Twitter!

I am excited to announce that the Admissions Office at Western New England University has recently created a new Twitter feed! Find our Admissions Office on Twitter @WNEadmissions. Here you will be able to get the latest news regarding WNE's admissions policies including deadlines and important dates such as open houses. Make sure to keep checking our Twitter account so you can keep up with our office no matter where you are!

Semester at Sea

Follow the exploits of sixteen Western New England University College of Business students as they study abroad this semester at Richmond The American International University in London. You can track the status of these students online by visiting http://wne-sea.blogspot.com/

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College Fair at Western New England University TOMORROW

Tomorrow (Sunday, September 18th) from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Western New England University will hold its annual college fair in the Alumni Healthful Living Center on campus. Starting at 3:00 pm, we will hold financial aid sessions for any interested parents and students. There will be over 200 colleges and universities in attendance tomorrow, so students and parents will have ample opportunities to speak with Admissions Representatives, including Admissions Counselors from Western New England University. Dr. Charles Pollock, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Western New England University recently appeared on Springfield's Channel 22 News to speak about the fair. Please see the video below for more information regarding our annual fair.

Hello from Brazil!

Like last year, our International Recruiter Michelle Kowalsky is traveling around the world to find new students to attend Western New England University. Let's see where Michelle is checking in from this year!

On August 26^th we welcomed the class of 2015 which consisted of students from France, Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Nigeria.Classes are now in full swing and the Admissions Office has begun traveling to recruit the class of 2012.  

My first international recruitment trip has brought me to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero, Brazil with the EducationUSA offices in each city.  During the trip I met over 150 students and attended two high school fairs and two college fairs all in four days.  Although I was very busy, I did have a little bit of time to sightsee! It is the end of the winter in Brazil (which is not the same as the end of winter in New England) but Copacobana and Ipanema Beach still seemed to be popular destinations (see pictures below). According to the locals and every tour book that I looked at, the main attraction in Rio de Janiero is Cordova Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer Statue. Both were incredible sights to see!!

Brazil was only the first of many countries that I will be visiting this fall. My passport will be stamped in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates in the next few weeks. The University continues to be very interested in having international students come here to study as well as providing opportunities for our current students to study abroad.  To follow my international trip, click here.

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Where is Western New England University located?

Western New England University is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the third largest city in the state!

Ask me anything about Western New England University!

Yesterday, we were a College. Today, we are a University.

Hard to believe, but the day is finally here. The school affectionately known as WNEC (note: pronounced "wenneck") is now WNE(U). On a beautiful day out on the main lawn, President Caprio along with our very own Admissions Office Administrative Assistant Cheryl Haley, helped raise the new University flag. The day celebrated all of the hard work and effort that has been exhibited by so many who have made this transition possible.

Crews have been working tirelessly to remove all of the 'College' signage replacing it with fancy new 'University' tags. It has been a true adjustment for everyone just saying University on the phone and in conversation. I know in the Admissions Office we have even had to write down University to ensure we are answering the phones correctly! Although the name change will take some time to get used to, we are thrilled to be known as Western New England University for many years to come.

Check out some pictures from yesterday's flag raising ceremony:

WNE Welcomes St. Michael's Academy

Those of you who have been on campus during the past two and half weeks may have noticed some younger students roaming around. That's because since June 7th Western New England has welcomed the students from St. Michael's Academy in Springfield whose school was damaged by the recent tornado. About 200 6th and 7th grade students have called WNE their temporary home in the brand new Center for the Sciences and Pharmacy. This is yet another example of our community sticking together in a time of crisis. Each morning as we drive into campus, we are greeted by the friendly smiles and waves of these students and teachers. We have been honored to have the students, faculty, and staff from St. Michael's on campus. Hopefully they enjoyed their time here at WNE and have a fantastic summer!

Tornado Aftermath

Here is a shot of the tornado from Wednesday passing right through Western New England's campus. I am happy to report that the buildings and grounds at Western New England are in excellent condition. We were very fortunate that this storm did not disrupt our campus, or harm any of our students, faculty, and/or staff. The same cannot be said about the surrounding area, as downtown Springfield and some of the communities in the Greater Springfield area did get hit with this tornado. Many are still without electricity and several roads are blocked off due to fallen trees and power lines. We ask that you continue to keep the families of those affected in your thoughts and prayers as we attempt to rebuild.

Commencement 2011

Tomorrow is a big day in the history of Western New England. We will be holding our final commencement as a college tomorrow beginning at 2:00 pm. The ceremony will be held in the Athletic Healthful Living Center and we anticipate handing out about 700 bachelor's degrees, four doctoral degrees, and an honorary degree.

The commencement address will be given by political humorist Jimmy Tingle who has been on shows such as "60 Minutes", "The Tonight Show", and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" among others. Tingle will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree from President Anthony S. Caprio.

From an Admissions standpoint, we are proud to report that one of our office's associates will be delivering the valedictorian address. Senior Kelli Gustavson will be addressing her classmates, school officials, and families. This is a tremendous honor for Kelli and we were very fortunate to be able to work with her during her time here at WNE. We are proud of all of our graduates and wish them the best of luck in the future!

You can stream this year's commencement online from your home beginning at 2:00 pm on 5/21/11 by visiting this site: http://www1.wne.edu/commencement/