By Leona Baker | February 17, 2011
(NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH) More than 500 visitors, including prospective students and their families, came to the Virginia Wesleyan campus, Feb. 11-12—a record for the school. Potential Marlins, mostly admitted freshman, and their guests enjoyed sunny weather, campus tours, information sessions, academic fairs and lunch at Boyd Dining Center. A special event was held on Friday evening, Feb. 11, for admitted students who qualify for VWC’s Honors and Scholars program.
Freshman applications have increased by nearly 300 percent this year, and VWC has received over 4,000 applications to date. In addition, the quality of the College’s freshman applicants has never been higher. Among admitted students, about 700 qualify for a Presidential or Wesleyan Scholarship, VWC’s top scholarships. The average GPA for all admitted students this year is 3.47.
Dean of Admissions Patty Patten attributes the dramatic increase in applicants to a variety of factors including robust recruitment strategies that incorporate 21st century marketing techniques, broader outreach efforts, and simplified admissions and scholarship processes.
"Our much wider outreach and communication program demonstrated that VWC has many real fans out there,” explains Patten, “and that's a priceless commodity in recruitment."
Virginia Wesleyan’s selection by the Princeton Review as a 2011 "Best in the Southeast" and other recognitions have also contributed to the visibility of the College.
VWC’s decision to go “test optional” for SATs beginning this year is also producing promising results. The average GPA for students admitted on a test optional basis is 3.8. So far, the College has admitted more than 300 test optional candidates.
For more information, please visit our VWC Admissions page.