Wabash College has an admissions brochure that is famous among prospective and current students. “It won’t be easy,” it says of the Wabash experience, “but it will be worth it.” The mailing, received by hundreds upon hundreds of prospective students each year, is brilliant in its salesmanship.

It was by random chance that I even stumbled upon the name Wabash. I was in the market my junior year of high school looking for a good private college that fostered an excellent academic environment, was small in terms of class size, and more importantly was located outside of Florida. I had been schooled for twelve years in Florida, and though the weather is pleasant most of the time, I wanted to challenge myself. I’ve never been away from home for long periods of time and I wanted to experience living in another part of the country. It just so happened that I picked up the recent issue of Newsweek magazine which had an article about the top liberal art schools in the nation. What made Wabash stick out to me was that it met all the criteria I was looking for in a college and more. One of the appealing features to me was that a common major chosen by students was history. That led me to assume that Wabash must have a good history department. I told my parents I was really interested, and we sat down and did some research on the college. When I later discovered that it was an all male school my interest grew. The idea of going to an all male liberal arts college reminded me of the movie The Dead Poets Society, which appealed to me since it seemed like an interesting experience living in a community that fostered a spirit of brotherhood. My mom asked me if I wanted to take a trip to see the college and I said, “Sure, why not?”

For those unaware, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Steve Klein and his staff is located in Trippet Hall, on the far north end of campus. For many outsiders, Trippet provides the first glimpse of Wabash, and it is without doubt one of our greatest ambassadors. Beautifully furnished with artwork and stately interior architecture, it greets all visitors to campus, especially visiting prospective students, with a warm handshake and a classic grin, and offers them a splen­did view of our dear campus from wide, spotless windows. Fresh coffee, plush chairs and abundant literature invites guests to sit and relax, and maybe wonder what it might be like to spend a college career on such a serene campus. But a short exploration reveals that this inspiring view is seen only from the front of the building. Down the stairs and towards the back, that view becomes just a vague memory. It’s suddenly clouded out by closed doors, cubicles and drab gray walls that lack personality.

The Admissions Department plays a vital role in recruiting, admitting, and maintaining a student body that represents our best ideals of Wabash. In two separate pieces, Luke Blakeslee and Austin Rovenstine examine the department’s success and shortcomings, and offer their advice on how to move forward after the school’s painful fall semester.

The Admissions Department
has gone through numerous changes in the past few years in an attempt to increase the interest level of high school students in attending our institution. Some of these changes have been viewed as positive, while others see them as detrimental to the quality of future student bodies.
There are a few events that [...]