Admissions
The Admissions Action Team focused on Admissions and finance-related pathways to create an inclusive campus community. Recommendations include a call to intentionally recruiting students from diverse backgrounds, which is a current priority within the Office of Admissions. We’ve gone from 19% underrepresented students in 2009 to 23.3% in 2013, representing a 22% increase. Some called for “need blind” admissions practices, while others focused on increased financial aid/scholarships for underrepresented students as part of Wake Will: The Campaign for Wake Forest, which is well on the way to raising $175 million for student financial aid.
Other recommendations in this area include improving the interview process, creating greater transparency in admissions, reevaluating “diversity-focused” admissions programming, and providing opportunities for prospective students to have conversations about the campus community with upper-class students. See the visualization below for a step-by-step look at the change process.
Infographic
Items Advanced by This Team
Recommendation: Channel Wake Will Funding to Financial Aid and Scholarships
To date, the Wake Will campaign has raised 55 million dollars for the Wake Forest Scholars program, a fund that is used to help reduce indebtedness of Wake Forest students receiving financial aid. The Campaign goal is to reduce loan indebtedness to $5,000, and we are slowly making progress. The maximum need-based loan for the incoming first-year students in the class of 2015 was reduced from $10,000 to $7,500. In addition, $25 million dollars has been raised through the Wake Will campaign to augment existing scholarship programs.
Recommendation: Provide Financial Awards to Support LGBTQ Students
Wake Forest’s University Advancement created two new funds to support the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ Emergency Fund will provide aid quickly to those students in need who self-identify under the LGBTQ umbrella. In addition, University Advancement seek contributions to two annual scholarships for undergraduate students. They will be awarded to LGBTQ students or allies who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to improve the campus-climate for the LGBTQ community. If you would like to contribute to one of these funds, please click here.
For more information, contact:
Martha Allman
Dean, Admissions
admissions@wfu.ed