<p>Hi UChicago:</p>
<p>All jokes aside, having just received my second fundraising email about newly-admitted Class of 2017 (this time about “perseverance”), I can’t help but be a little annoyed.</p>
<p>On their behalf, I’m going to be optimistic and assume that there will be a handful of applicants who are admitted off of the wait list and join the Class of 2017 in May. If that’s the case, they have spent over a month being actively (and understandably) discouraged from associating themselves with UChicago, and enjoying any of the opportunities to get to know their college that April affords admitted students. No “two-day long visits to campus with hundreds of other students,” no “overnight component,” and no “all sorts of class visits, and ability to meet with different faculty and administrators.” (And that aside, last choice at housing as well.) </p>
<p>In short, no way to get to know their college as an admitted student. All of that is a simple function of being on the wait list, and the make-other-plans advice currently being given to those on the wait is both decent and makes perfect sense, given the long odds. (And everyone on the wait list should follow it.) But the Class of 2017 is still the Class of 2017, whether they have been admitted on December 15 or May 31. </p>
<p>So my question is, does admissions now make any attempt to reach out or catch these students up on what they have missed, beyond just the logistics that come with matriculating late? Or are they simply encouraged to be very, very proactive? When I arrived for O week, I felt as though I was over a month behind, but I seem to recall paying the same tuition as everyone else. </p>
<p>There’s obviously no way to replicate an entire month of admitted students activities, opportunities, or experiences for students who have been accepted in May. In which case, an earnest attempt or gesture would be nice. If it’s a small group, get Dean Boyer or Jim Nondorf to give a brief congratulatory phone call to each of them once they’ve decided to matriculate, and a make a proactive offer to schedule a longer conversation with another admissions officer to answer any questions. Or some sort of other personal opportunity for the last admitted members of the Class of 2017 to get to know UChicago as the future students they are. </p>
<p>Or perhaps something along these lines already goes on that I’m not aware of?</p>