VOLUME 13, NO. 1     DEC 1999

Entering students ride a virtual wave into WPI

Marina Carboni '02 helped Director of Student Activities Greg Snoddy prepare for an innovative Orientation program he organized.

There's a new breed of student on the WPI campus these days. Like many of his peers, the guy we'll call "Virtual Doug" is a cyber-savvy freshman who bonded with the Class of 2003 long before he took up residence in our hallowed halls.

"Almost 70 percent of our applicants applied online this year," says Admissions Director Monica Inzer. "WPI is a leader in the way we use the Web. Available since 1996, online applications continue to increase; last year 56 percent came in electronically. I don't know of another college with a percentage that high."

More than half of the 20,000 prospective students who contact WPI each year now provide an e-mail address, Inzer says. Responding to this increasing electronic interest has paid off for the Admissions Office: "We've broken our applications record three years in a row."

Like most of his real-life counterparts, Virtual Doug made his first WPI connection during his junior year in high school. His thoroughly modern adventure got off to a profitable start as soon as he completed his online application, when he saved the $60 paper application fee, plus the cost of a first-class stamp.

It's no surprise that Doug feels right at home. After all, he's been communicating online with many WPI people and offices. He logged on to register for an open house, to monitor the status of his financial aid, and to contact alumni who live near his hometown. Curious and enthusiastic, he made frequent visits to the online WPI Admissions Cafe, where he talked with fellow students, asked a lot of questions about the WPI Plan and the Global Perspective Program, pondered his extracurricular options, and found discount coupons for Worcester businesses and restaurants.

Who they are... The Class of 2003 comes to WPI from 37 states and 21 countries. Of its 662 students: 25 percent are women (up from 22 percent in '98). 11 percent are students of color. 75 percent are from New England. 44 percent are from Massachusetts. Their top majors are computer science mechanical engineering electrical and computer engineering biology and biotechnology biomedical engineering

WPI's online advantages are not limited to new students. Returning and graduate students can take advantage of virtual enrollment and virtual registration, available all day, every day, to every student wherever he or she is--totally eliminating hours of standing in line.

The virtual and the actual campuses combine each year when the freshmen arrive. This year, the 662 members of the Class of 2003 who moved in in August quickly tuned in to the magic of cyberspace. During Orientation, Student Activities Director Gregory Snoddy divided the students into 26 groups and challenged each team to create a virtual student with a Web page complete with photos, a complete four-year academic schedule, links to favorite places, a resume, and other information. Snoddy, who originated the project three years ago, says the exercise helps familiarize new students with WPI's academic options and schedules, helps them navigate the Web and the WPI computer network, and creates a sense of teamwork. This year's crop of virtual students may be viewed at www.wpi.edu/Admin/SAO/NSO/Project/.

"Offering online applications is just one of the many ways the Admissions Office connects to prospective students," says Kevin Kelly, associate vice president for enrollment management. "Admissions counselors are constantly creating new ways to ensure that prospective and admitted students receive the information they need to enable them to determine if WPI is the best university for them. Our efforts do not end when the admissions letters go out. We work with all WPI departments to make certain that the right number of admitted students choose this university and that they find success here from the day they arrive."