First Year Class Registration

Just a quick update for all the incoming students, your WPI ID and PIN number have been sent out via e-mail. Most were sent yesterday, with a small batch going today. If you haven't seen the e-mail please check your junk folder just in case. This would have been sent to the e-mail address you provided on your application.

If you did not get the information please contact the Office of Academic Advising.

Ed

Welcome to the busiest week of the year

It's spring vacation week for high schools in Massachusetts, bring on the visitors!!

In case you were unaware Patriot’s Day was celebrated in Massachusetts today and as always the Boston Marathon was run. Now I don’t think I need to explain the marathon, but just in case you are not familiar with Patriot’s Day it is the day that marks Paul Revere’s famous ride to Lexington and Concord to warn of the British advances to seize military supplies. While Revere did warn many people along his ride, few people remember he was actually captured and his fellow rider William Dawes was actually the one to escape and make it all the way to Concord. Just a bit of historical trivia:)

If you are thinking of visiting this week we’ll be happy to see you. Tours are at 9, 11, 1 and 3 and the general information sessions are at 10 and 2. This is typically our busiest week of the year as we expect many admitted students taking a last look at WPI, as well as sophomores and juniors just starting their search. No need to make an appointment just check in at the Bartlett Center and we’ll take it from there!!

See you at WPI!!

Ed

Tax Day

A long night ahead as I finish up my taxes...with the Red Sox losing 4 to 1 I am just about out of excuses....I guess I need to bite the bullet and finish them up!! Oh wait a nice single to right by Manny Ramirez....are they going to suck me back in?

Don't forget to get your free donut at Dunkin Donuts tomorrow...the only good thing to look forward to on tax day!!

In WPI news - lots of visitors to campus the last several days in spite of the rash of bad weather we've been having on Saturdays. Don't forget we'll be open the next 4 Saturdays.

For the admitted students don't forget to RSVP for Closer Look next week (the 23rd).

And last but not least - If you are waiting on your financial aid award, please be sure to make sure all your paperwork has been submitted....we do require the CSS PROFILE form as well as the FAFSA...not everyone seems to realize this!!

Have a good one,

Ed

Movies and FAQs

Happy Saturday everyone!! The sun has finally come out and it’s over 50 degrees, who can ask for more...

Things are quieting down in the office just a bit before our visit programs kick in this week. I actually had the chance to sneak in a couple of movies last night; No Country for Old Men and The Queen. I’ll have to admit with all the hype surrounding No Country, I was a bit disappointed. Now I had no idea what to expect from The Queen (My wife’s choice) but I’ll say it was pretty darn good. Two thumbs up!! Michael Clayton is on deck for tonight.

We were open this morning (and will be open the next 5 Saturdays) and welcomed over 30 families to campus. I had the chance to chat with families from New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, and London, England…I hope everyone had a great visit.

A couple of items that have been popping up in the admissions in-box and elsewhere….

Deposits – If they are postmarked by May 1st you are all set!!

Housing Selection – NEW this year – Students do not select a specific residence hall. Instead you will let the residential services staff know the type of hall you would like, big, small, co-ed, etc and they will look to match you up with a roommate(s) with similar interests, as well as with someone looking for the same type of living environment. This is new, so if you visited in the past you may have heard something a bit different. We are excited about this new process and think it will work great for students.

Pre-Professional Programs – Lots of great options at WPI. Pre-Med, Pre-Vet, Pre-Law and Pre-Dental. There seems to be some concern among some admitted students that choosing a pre-professional program might delay graduation or that it will take you 5 years to compete. Not at all true. Students in those programs are on 4-year tracks and will beginning submitting applications to their professional schools early in their senior year.

That’s all for now….Keep the comments coming.

Ed

Congratulations

A quick word of congrats to all of our admitted students!! I hope to see many of you on campus for a visit in April...the weather will improve, I promise:)

Go Sox!!

Have the letters mailed?

Yes the letters have mailed!!

The majority of our decision letters mailed over the past few days. You should be getting your news shortly if it has not arrived already. If you are living overseas letters will take a bit longer to arrive. (If you are an international student (non-US citizen) your letter will mail in a few days. For our admitted students we will include financial aid awards with your admission packet.)

Believe it or not we still have a handful of files that are incomplete. Without all the required items we were unable to make a decision on these applications. If you fear you might be one of those students please feel free to contact the office.

Congratulations to all of our admitted students and best of luck to everyone with the remainder of their senior year in high school.

Ed

New Addition to the Office

There was lots of excitement in the office today as our newest addition to the building was delivered, our WPImap kiosk. This Interactive Project was just completed by two WPI juniors and advised by faculty in the computer science department, with a bit of input from the Office of Admissions:)

At a quick glance you might think you are looking at an arcade game, but the kiosk actually houses a 3D virtual map of the WPI campus and allows the user to walk around WPI’s campus in a virtual setting. If that’s not enough fun for you, you can hop on a Segway and take a virtual tour of campus complete with 7 minutes of audio.

It's a great addition to the building and we are looking forward to sharing this with prospective students and their families. If you are on campus make sure you come by and check it out, it's a most impressive example of our student's work!!