Region
Eastern PA, NJ, DE, CT, NH, MA, RI, VT, ME, NY
NJ counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren
NY counties: Bronx, Nassau, New York, Putnam, Queens, Rockland, Westchester
PA counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming
Why should a student in your area consider WVU over other local options?
Students are looking for fit and research. And we have it! We have about 86 institutions in the Philly area (including NJ and DE schools). They have a lot to choose from but they don’t like how it is very clique-y. They want to get away but also feel the comfort of home. Everyone does fit in at WVU and students do not have to participate in any 1 program to fit in. Research: students also want academics. There is a status situation here. We have University of Penn and Princeton University (both Ivy league) in our backyards. The students that we attract do not want that type of learning experience but they still want to go head to head with their peers on academics when it comes to status. Portraying to students that they can get these research experiences without the ego is so important. Even if they never do research, there is a status that comes with the research WVU does. They are not aware of the depth and breadth of the medical system that WVU Medicine is. How can we equate this to UPenn Medicine, Jefferson, Mainline? Creative and performing arts does round all of this out in a very tangible way that students can participate in. Being specialized in a major (example all of the Davis programs for environmental sciences).
What makes WVU such a great value?
The fact that they can change their major on our campus and not have to transfer. The medical school is on our campus and not set away. Internship/job placement. The merit-based scholarships. The research availability. When you look at many of the R1 institutions, their overall costs are higher because they are elite. We are not elite but we do research like the elite schools do.
What are some things you would share with a student that they probably wouldn’t know about WVU?
We have buses supported by the Parents Club that get them home. Sometimes they don’t know that VA and WV are separate states. ;) They have no idea that WVU is so close to Pittsburgh but time-wise about the same drive time. They have no idea who our mascot is. Sometimes they don’t know we are a D1 school. They think that our culture is more like a Southern culture but it leans more Western PA and mid-west (they think it’s like University of Alabama). They do not know what a merit scholarship is because it’s not the norm in the Mid-Atlantic. They do not know that New River Gorge is a national park. They really want to know the chances of having a lecture hall versus 50 student classrooms versus 25 students or less classrooms. Club sports are important. Maybe a little about Greek Life. They are curious but there’s not much out there about our Greek program.
What advice do you give to students who are preparing for college?
Keep your financial sights clear. Visit institutions that you know offer scholarships (like WVU). Check your email often. Don’t be afraid to contact your admissions counselor - we are regular people.
