Wooster is FANTASTIC!

My son applied to a lot of colleges. In the beginning, the College of Wooster was a complete unknown. We had never heard of it before.

Early in the process, we discovered Wooster and it quickly became one of our target schools. Not “target” in the CC sense that son fit their stats perfectly and the school should admit him. But “target” in the sense that it became a school that moved high on our “want to attend” list. It seemed like a very special place.

He wrote some essays for the application and scholarships, we applied, and we waited. Throughout the decision process, there were highs and lows. Some schools we loved rarely communicated with us. Some we didn’t love so much communicated a lot but it was either too generic or simply off target. And a small number that we loved were great with pertinent communication.

Wooster was one of the brightest stars in this regard – I’d say it was definitely the brightest star. A few others were great also, but Wooster’s effort was special. In addition to the generic mailers Wooster sent to everyone, son received numerous personalized communication, from everyone from the regional AO, to the head admissions officer, to various staff in his future department or all over the university. Further solidifying Wooster’s interest in my son is that very soon after accepting him, they presented him with a magnificently generous FinAid package that made CoW affordable for me. He truly felt wanted by CoW.

It was a tough choice, but my son ultimately decided on another college that also provided an incredibly generous FinAid package. Last week, we communicated with the admissions office at Wooster of the decision and thanked them for all their help and good will during this process.

Yesterday, he received a handwritten letter from the President of the university. It mentioned a lot of personal details about my son and it was obvious she had personally read his application and essays. My son was very impressed that even after he chose another university, Wooster still expresses their desire for him to attend there.

Throughout this process from the time we became aware of CoW, I have to admit I was a huge fan of Wooster. I thought/think it would be a great place for my son to become a man over the next four years. I’m not disappointed he choose another university because I think that school is also a great option for him, but I’m sad he won’t get to experience Wooster. That letter from the president yesterday made him feel very special – he might have even wavered a little in his decision. It was completely unnecessary for President Bolton to send that letter as I’m sure she has a lot to deal with in this current situation with Covid19, but it was very much appreciated. VERY MUCH APPRECIATED

I just wanted to take the time to mention here how wonderfully the entire administration at the College of Wooster has treated my son. Anyone just starting out exploring college options should definitely investigate Wooster. As someone whose child did not actually attend CoW, Wooster gets our seal of approval.

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Excellent post.

And I’ve been actively following you, wondering where your son has ended up. It would be great to know. I’ve been rooting for him, @EconPop .

Wonderful post and summary. As an alum, I know how special and in some ways under appreciated Wooster is. And as the parent of an applicant several years ago, I echo your reaction to the level and quality of the personalized communication. I came out of that experience so proud of my school and the way Wooster treated her stood out to my D as well.

She too ended up elsewhere. But after notifying Wooster that she would not be attending she received notification that if she should ever want to transfer, her spot and scholarship would be awaiting her arrival.

President Bolton is a rock star and Wooster’s future is bright under her care and direction.

A friend of mine’s son had a similar experience with Wooster admissions last year, and I’ve been very impressed when I’ve visited with my 2021 DS. I’m glad to hear that people think so highly of President Bolton — that’s the kind of thing it’s hard to know until you’re there, and the current situation is definitely testing college presidents.

Seems similiar in several ways (friendliness & substantial merit awards & substantial financial aid packages & similiar percentage of in-state residents 35%) to St. Lawrence University in extreme upstate New York.

Overlaps in common: Denison & Dickinson.

P.S. Congratulations to your son !

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My daughter is a freshman at The College of Wooster. It has been a wonderful experience so far. She can’t wait to return to campus this fall… or whenever it’s safe to return.

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@econpop We were also impressed when one of my kids applied. It is indeed a very kind and caring place. Thank you for your post.

Thank you for the info on Wooster. We are targeting some CTCL schools. Congratulations! Where is your son going to attend?

@EconPop I completely agree! Of the 8 schools my daughter applied to, the level of personal engagement from Wooster was unparallelled. The personal notes, phone calls, emails and friendly faces that recognized her each time we visited campus blew me away.

I’m excited that she will be a member of the Wooster Class of 2024! It is a fabulous school. I’m so glad that we stumbled on it during our college research and decided to visit. I think she is going to thrive there.

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The University of Dayton.

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Could not agree more. As an alum, I’m thrilled COW is finally getting its share of the limelight. Our eldest attends a rival school, but Wooster was a very close second choice for him.

@EconPop Congratulations! I hope he has a great Freshman year.

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Thanks @mom517 and everyone else for the kind words. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that his school has a mostly normal fall semester experience.

My daughter is going through athletic recruitment at Wooster. I have to admit that initially she didn’t have it high on her list and we were somewhat indifferent as well. After meeting the coach (who she loves) and the team and spending some time on campus it has moved up a good deal. Right now she is down to two schools and the other is more highly ranked but there is something about Wooster that is drawing her (and us) in. I’d love to hear from any parents about their child’s athletic experience and also the support Wooster gives for internships. I know about the mentored research program but in many ways that doesn’t seem to different than a thesis. Am I wrong?

Thanks for this detailed description of your experience. Lawrence University, in Appleton, WI, is similar.

I did think very highly of Wooster when my kid (high school '19) applied. My one demerit is that they do not offer a student health insurance plan for domestic students. We looked at many schools and all the comparable selective LACs had this option. To me it indicated a lack of engagement on an issue affecting low-income students.

My kid had similar experience at Earlham. These schools really are focused on providing a different kind of experience that’s really personalized. I really felt quite sad to turn that one down and have to say, when I meet alums, that the school seems to have delivered on that promise.

Thanks for posting, @EconPop . It’s really helpful to see Wooster promoted here. For many students, it may truly be the best option.