Admissions has extended this year’s application deadline for incoming freshmen from Feb. 15 to April 15 because of additional merit scholarship donations. Also, a new Frederick Douglass Fund for need-based aid has slightly altered the focus of the admissions counselors.
According to Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting John Papciak, there is additional merit money left over, as well as a few donations, from the alloted funds for the incoming class’s scholarship fund.
“We are fortunate to raise some additional scholarship funds due to the generous support by some of our donors which has enabled the college to provide some additional scholarships,” Vice President for Institutional Advancement John Cervini said. “The cost of educating a student per year is $56,000 at Hillsdale so every student to receive a scholarship is made possible by our supporters.”
While not uncommon for Hillsdale to accept applications past the specified February deadline, the college has officially stated the extension on the website and is promoting it through its communications and call team.
“It’s something we’re just being more open about,” Papciak said. “In the past, we would extend it, but maybe wouldn’t have told the applicant pool. It’s less ambiguous this year. We have more contact with our prospective students and parents, and more clear-cut, this-is-the-date applications for the sake of any confusion.”
Papciak said the general pool of applicants is very qualified, but by extending the application deadline, it makes the process more competitive.
“We award based on strength of application,” he said.
While the April 15 deadline is close to the May 1 deposit cutoff date, counselors will continue looking at applications as they arrive, and letters will be submitted soon after the extension.
The extended deadline will not alter the size of the incoming class. With a goal of about 380 students, the college hopes to retain its student-to-faculty ratio as well as not exceed on-campus living facilities.
“Our small classes allow students to relate to their professors and have personal relationships,” Papciak said. “We’re a small, private liberal arts college. Small is important to us.”
The remaining money is to be used for next year’s freshmen only, each class having its own endowment, according to Financial Aid Director Rich Moeggenberg.
On the need-based front, the Frederick Douglass Fund, which started last year, is supplementing other scholarships for students in need, according to Moeggenberg.
“There’s been a significant donation already,” Moeggenberg said. “It gives preference to high-need students. This program, I’m excited about it, because it gives us an opportunity to look at students who, from an affordability point of view, wouldn’t be able to look at Hillsdale. This is something our admissions counselors will be looking at, even a particular area of the country or schools, and targeting students who deserve a chance, who have worked hard and don’t have the chance to realize a dream of a Hillsdale education.”
Having access to scholarships, both need-based and merit-based, contributes to the classes and allows a greater variety of students to attend the school.
“We are able to evaluate more right now, which is a cool thing,” Papciak said. “We are able to add to our class, not in a number way, but in looking at the different types of applications, the different types of people who apply. It allows for more individuals to apply. It’s always good for our students and our classes for people to come in and have people represent different ideas.”
