"The College has partnered with the University of Pennsylvania (education), Washington University in St. Louis (computer science and engineering), and the University of Chicago (humanities and other programs) to develop these pathways, with additional partnerships forthcoming. . . .
“Students may benefit from application fee waivers, scholarships, or opportunities to complete graduate degrees on an accelerated timeline, reducing both the time and cost required to earn an advanced degree.”
That WashU partnership with a potentially accelerated timeline and 50% tuition scholarship sounds particularly appealing!
I note WashU has been investing a LOT recently in building out the relevant department, not least thanks to contributions from the McKelvey family. Hence the name change for the entire engineering school, as well as the new McKelvey Hall:
This is part of a broader institutional positioning strategy, and I am not at all surprised they would be trying to accelerate those efforts with a partnership like this.
I sometimes joke that WashU is sort of a “new money” school . . . and there is nothing wrong with that if you can get a piece of that action for yourself.
So yes, they are basically trying to woo Hamilton grads with a generous offer, and being wooed is nice!
Hamilton has added partnerships with Harvard (education), Vanderbilt (finance) and Duke (business).
“Many of the students and families we meet during the college search process also ask what comes after Hamilton; they are already thinking about the next step,” said John McLaughlin, vice president for enrollment management and dean of admission. “Hamilton’s partnerships with Penn, WashU, and the University of Chicago provide students with a degree of certainty that is rare in higher education, and particularly among liberal arts colleges: a clear, accessible pathway from undergraduate enrollment through graduate completion.
So, this is for people who know they want to go graduate school and the field they want to study by the time they’re seniors in high school?
I imagine TO applicants would not be eligible. How would they work that?
This reminds me of the conditional admissions universities sometimes offer as sweeteners. Like my S24 with a Bio interest got a conditional admissions offer to Pitt’s MPH along with his undergrad offer.
It appears the conditions then vary by program. Like I looked at Penn’s Education program, and that seemed light, but WashU’s Engineering had recommended majors, and said you might need the GRE for some programs.
deleted. Question answered.
Colby also has started these programs.
https://news.colby.edu/story/graduate-school-initiatives-at-colby-college/
It does look like the graduate programs are master’s degree programs, rather than (funded) PhD programs.
Test optional practices do appear in some prominent early assurance programs, however. The level is different, but some EAP medical school admission pathways do not require the MCAT, for example.
Yeah, the basic deal here appears that Hamilton wants some ways to assure potential students the lack of certain programs at the undergrad level at their college does not mean their students cannot get a Masters at a “top” university in those fields. And these Masters programs are sufficiently happy with Hamilton’s admissions policies to “conditionally” provide such assurances–with those conditions varying somewhat.
All that makes sense to me. Of course I suspect most Hamilton graduates will end up doing something else, and in fact many students excited about Hamilton won’t see a need for such assurances coming in. But knowing it is an option could help some specific prospective students choose Hamilton with more confidence they weren’t making a big mistake to pick an LAC.
Hamilton suggests financial benefits may be integrated into the structure of the programs: