<p>My son received a College of Wooster Select Application invitation today via email. Quick online app, no app fee, just one personal statement, and counselor rec (no teacher rec required). Also "priority scholarship consideration". </p>
<p>He visited Wooster in August and liked it alot, and was planning to apply anyway. So this is welcome and he is going to use it. </p>
<p>Just wondering if this type of application by invitation sometimes results in a fast decision and early notification.</p>
<p>I got one too and had no idea why. I'm very interested in the school, but didn't understand how it would change the application process. For several of the scholarships you are supposed to write other essays, so I'm not sure if this application eliminates those essays or simply puts you in a different pool.</p>
<p>We figured he got it because of visiting, and combined with having SAT scores automatically sent to schools with the major he's interested in. Don't know about the scholarship essays, my guess is the extra essays are still required...but there must be some special consideration.</p>
<p>D received one too. We visited and interviewed but have not sent transcript or test scores yet. She will definately apply.</p>
<p>This must be something new. My daughter, who ended up with a "College Scholar" scholarship at Wooster (and is attending now, as a soph) never received a special application or invitation from the school. (She had a 32 ACT and all A's.) She was, however, treated with respect and great interest on the part of the college. We have NO regrets whatsoever--Wooster was the right choice for her. ...</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman and I also believe this is a new program. She visited, interviewed and was given significant merit money, but we never heard of a special application. By the way, she loves Wooster. It is everything she hoped for and so much more.</p>
<p>I got one, and I'm definitely going to do it. You still need a counselor rec, right? But no teachers?</p>
<p>Right, no teacher rec needed, just counselor rec. A hard copy of the special app came in the mail today. They even include a preaddressed, postage-paid envelope for the counselor rec and to send the paper app to Wooster ($40 fee waived if done online). They are certainly trying to make it easy...seems like a very professional operation they are running at Wooster!</p>
<p>How long do you think a personal statement should be? Is 250 words too short?</p>
<p>A single page, double-spaced should be fine--if it's well-written. The last thing administrators want is a long, rambling, nonsensical personal essay. My advice is to keep it succinct, and try to show some heart, humor, and humanity. In other words, a bit of yourself.</p>
<p>They have a VP of Enrollment this summer and she brought this program to the school. It is her name on the email invite.</p>
<p>Really the only things different from the CA is the diminished requirements. If you do CA you still save the App'l Fee.</p>
<p>They do promise to notify you of there decision earlier (January time frame) whereas RD app'l using CA will hear in early March (could be sooner but not guaranteed).</p>
<p>Otherwise, the review of the 'Select" and the CA App'l is the same, the 'select' feature is really just PR language, those receiving them include all who have contacted the school is some direct fashion.</p>
<p>BTW, I talked to the VP and the above is from that conversation.</p>
<p>good info meganvirg. The letter from the VP of Enrollment cited strong academic performance as well as the visit/interest as reasons for getting the Select App.</p>
<p>yep, thats exactly what mine said, too. Oh well, its fun to believe that you are special!</p>
<p>Does anyone know when you have to turn it in by?</p>
<p>Wooster notifies the recepients of the Collage Scholar Awards before the acceptance letters go out. My daughter heard in January of her award....the acceptance letter came much letter. Her admissions counselor told her she should put two and two together.</p>
<p>Wooster is a great school. My daughter had her pick of schools and carefully compared and contrasted each of them. Although the rest of the colleges were considered "more selective" she felt she could not get a better education or be happier anywhere else. She still feels that way. She has found a second home at Wooster.</p>
<p>Good luck to all of you!</p>
<p>p-piper, I couldn't agree more with your assessment of Wooster. My daughter also had more "selective" options, but chose Wooster. Now a sophomore, she hasn't had a moment's regret. It's been great!</p>
<p>Congrats! The COW experience is truly a great one. Unfortunately, with all the rankings hype everywhere it is very difficult to get ppl to understand the type of quality and education one receives at COW. Their loss I guess.</p>
<p>It is not incidental that you mentioned the so-called "Select Application". </p>
<p>Most Ohio colleges are facing challenges in terms of the declining pool of college-going students, so the ones that are the hardest hit are the Ohio colleges that traditionally recruit from Ohio only. Unlike Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan and Oberlin, which seem to be recruiting much more nationally and Ohio Wesleyan even internationally, this seems to be more of a problem for Wooster among the selective schools in Ohio. </p>
<p>For example, most national LACs have seen their acceptance rates going down to the 30% and 40%, yet Wooster's has been going up to nearly 90% precisely because of the demographic process that I described above. </p>
<p>So, I am not surprised that they are administering an easy process to count an applicant as "applicant" for US News purposes. I wouldn't say be flattered if you receive one, because it probably has more to do with the college trying to boost its number of applications that it can report.</p>
<p><most ohio="" colleges="" are="" facing="" challenges="" in="" terms="" of="" the="" declining="" pool="" college-going="" students="">
Where did you get this ????? I'd like to see the source.
As to Wooster - this year they have the biggest freshman class probably for the decade. Wooster steadily has 40-60% OOS every year and quite visible international population.</most></p>
<p>Population breakdown by age group and year:
<a href="http://www.census.gov/population/projections/state/stpjage.txt%5B/url%5D">http://www.census.gov/population/projections/state/stpjage.txt</a></p>
<p>To clarify, my statement is for colleges that recruit exclusively from Ohio. </p>
<p>You are probably correct about the visible international population for Wooster. I am not sure on that front, so I had to check...it is 5% (for Wooster) vs 10% (for OWU) for 2007.</p>