HWS News
17 August 2024 A Warm Welcome for Transfer Students By Andrew Wickenden '09
HWS faculty and staff welcomed a large group of transfer students following the closure of nearby Wells College.
A record 97 transfer students joined the Hobart and William Smith community, including 66 students from Wells College in Aurora, N.Y., which announced its closure in May.
“We were saddened by the announcement that Wells College was going to close. Our thoughts immediately turned to the Wells students who faced uncertain futures,” says HWS Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid Mike Quinn. “We understood the stress and sadness they were likely feeling and worked hard to ease the transition for them.”
In the hours following the news of Wells’ closure, HWS staff and faculty sprang into action, coordinating efforts between the admissions office, the registrar, campus life and academic programs to provide a seamless and supportive transition for each new member of the HWS community.
“What was really amazing is the way our community pulled together to support the Wells students,” says Melanie Sage ’95, P’25, P’27, Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Transfer Admissions.
Sage started hearing from Wells students and parents the day Wells announced its intention to close. Later that same week, professors, administrators and staff drove to Aurora to meet with students, showcase teaching and learning at HWS, and share details about the admissions process. That Saturday, Wells students were invited to campus for an open house where they met with faculty, current students and Trustees who were on campus for a Board meeting.
The next step for HWS Admissions, Sage says, was to “quickly come up with a way for the Wells students to easily apply” by streamlining the process and guaranteeing comparable financial aid. Meanwhile, the registrar’s office, the provost’s office, the deans and the faculty coordinated to ensure that students would know which of their courses would transfer.
India Buff ’27 toured campus, applied and heard of her acceptance the week of Wells’ closure. Noting the attentiveness of the HWS deans and admissions staff, Buff says this support is “the reason so many of us decided on HWS; they were so welcoming and helpful. It was a relief to register for classes and even meet some faculty over Zoom.”
“The application process was a breeze,” says Dan Adelman ’25, who has connected with his adviser at HWS and is registering for classes. “I’m really excited to meet some more people and get to know my professors!”
To facilitate the move to HWS, all incoming transfer students from Wells have the option to live in Miller House. The academic interests of these incoming students — including biology, business, educational studies, English, environmental studies, psychological science and studio art — overlap with many of the most popular departments at HWS. And the liberal arts and sciences curriculum, the lakeside campus and the close collaborations between students and faculty should make for a relatively smooth transition to HWS for the incoming Wells group, Sage says.
“They are accustomed to having a strong voice in their education and to receiving a lot of hyper-personalized mentoring and support,” she explains. “I think they are attracted to our beautiful campus and the fact that we offer a relationship-rich environment. It quickly became clear to them, I think, that our professors give a a lot of their time, energy and personal attention to students.”
With the admissions process behind them, Adelman and Buff look forward to the academic opportunities at HWS and to settling into their new community.
“There are so many things I am looking forward to with HWS,” Buff says. “I am very excited and intrigued by the work of Professor Bowyer and Professor Leopardi, with their interest in the combination of Art History and Chemistry, which are my two majors.”
“The science programs at HWS and the research opportunities are especially appealing to me,” says Adelman, noting HWS studies of freshwater and environmental science research in particular.
Beyond the diverse courses, Buff says she “can’t wait to see the various clubs and activities available on campus, and I hope to get involved in student leadership like I was at Wells.”
As for the admissions staff, Sage says they’ll continue their one-on-one work with students, “making them feel welcome here and helping them understand that they will be supported when they arrive on campus.”
Top: Parents and prospective students take a tour of campus during the summer.
