WABASH COLLEGE
Crawfordsville, Indiana
The College
Founded in 1832, Wabash has remained a small liberal arts college for men, dedicated to academic excellence and to the development, right direction, and permanent discipline of all the powers of the mind. A common reaction of freshmen to the first semester was expressed in a recent course evaluation: It's a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I've done a lot better than I expected to. Academic challenges, ample extracurricular activities, and maximum personal autonomy foster independence and versatility in Wabash graduates. Of graduating seniors in the class of 2003, 33 percent entered private industry, 37 percent pursued further study, 20 percent went to graduate school in the arts and sciences, and 9 percent went to law school. Approximately 72 percent of the 853 students are from Indiana; the remaining 28 percent come from thirty-three states and sixteen countries.
Outside the classroom, Wabash students have a rich choice of activities to explore. There are workshops, seminars, visiting artists and lecturers, films, music, theater and forensic events, special interest clubs, and intramural sports. Varsity sports are baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, and wrestling. Wabash belongs to Division III of the NCAA. Past championships prove that athletic achievement can accompany academic excellence.
Housing is guaranteed to all entering students, and all students are required to live on campus for their freshman and sophomore years. There are ten national fraternities and four residence halls. The single-sex environment fosters a serious academic routine during the week. Fraternities and other social organizations help to organize communication with women at coed institutions in the area. Purdue University, the University of Illinois, Indiana University, DePauw University, and other fine colleges and universities are within easy driving distance.
Although there are strong academic pressures at Wabash, most students find a Wabash education highly rewarding. Of colleges in the Great Lakes Colleges Association, Wabash has one of the highest rates of student retention.
Location
Crawfordsville, a town of approximately 15,000, is 45 miles northwest of Indianapolis. Chicago and Cincinnati are each within a 3-hour drive, and it is a 4-hour drive to St. Louis. Relations between townspeople and the College are excellent. Crawfordsville is a safe and quiet town and was recently listed among the 100 best small towns in America.
Majors and Degrees
Wabash College awards the Bachelor of Arts degree. Students may major in art, biology, chemistry, classical languages and literature, economics, English, history, mathematics, modern languages (French, German, and Spanish), music, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religion, speech, or theater. Double majors are permitted. Students may minor in one of the departments listed above or an area concentration in two or more departments. There are 3-2 programs in engineering, offered in cooperation with Columbia University (New York) and Washington University (St. Louis), and a 3-3 program in law, offered with Columbia University.
Academic Programs
To graduate, Wabash students must complete thirty-four courses, including the freshman tutorial and the sophomore-level course on cultures and traditions; demonstrate proficiency in English composition and in a foreign language; and pass the senior oral and written comprehensive examinations. With the help of a faculty adviser, students choose courses from the offerings of the many College departments. The curriculum seeks to allow maximum flexibility as well as provide the broad base of understanding that is at the core of the liberal arts concept. In coordination with an adviser, students may arrange special courses of study. Faculty committees and advisers and the Office of Career Services assist students who are interested in careers in business, engineering, law, and medicine in planning a major program appropriate to their needs.
Wabash measures credits in semester-course units. The academic calendar consists of a fall semester, beginning in August and ending before Christmas, and a spring semester, beginning in January and ending in May.
Off-Campus Programs
Approximately 1 of every 4 Wabash students takes advantage of the opportunity to study off campus. In addition to the thirteen programs around the world sponsored by the Great Lakes Colleges Association, students are encouraged to consider independently planned programs and to write directly to universities abroad that interest them.
For most students, the cost of studying off campus is no greater than the cost of on-campus study. All financial aid extends to approved off-campus programs. Students receive credit, but not grades, for work done in approved programs.
Academic Facilities
The open-stack library collection has 420,406 books and bound periodicals, 1,634 serial and periodical titles, a 153,562-item government documents section, and 10,557 phonograph records, videos, and CDs. The 10-person staff provides students and faculty with reference assistance, information database searching, and computerized interlibrary loan access to more than 25 million volumes in more than 5,000 libraries worldwide. Students are free to use the microform facilities and campus computer terminals in the building.
All students have full and free access to computing facilities, including a DEC Sable Alpha VMS server and five classrooms equipped either with Macintoshes or Power PCs, including Pentium microcomputers. In all, there are more than 160 computers or terminals available for students. All of these systems are linked together with an Ethernet WAN with a connection to the Internet so that faculty and students have access to the same programs and files from any computer classroom, residence hall room, or fraternity room on campus. In most English and speech courses, students use Microsoft Word or WordPerfect to create and subsequently edit documents. Students either electronically transfer documents to faculty members or use laser-jet printers to obtain high-quality copies. Spreadsheet, paint, and drawing programs are also available. On the DEC Sable Alpha VMS server, students have access to SAS, a statistics program, and a wide-area network linking campuses throughout the world.
The chemistry department has infrared spectrophotometers, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and two nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers. Special equipment and facilities for the biology department include an electron microscope, ultramicrotomes, fluorescence and phase microscopes, scintillation counters, a Beowulf-style supercomputer for use with biochemistry courses, gamma counters, electrophoresis apparatus, physiographs, a 180-acre field station with living facilities and laboratory space, and an experimental greenhouse. Special physics department equipment includes an X-ray diffraction machine, a neutron source available for use in the atomic and nuclear physics labs, a multichannel analyzer, a photography darkroom, Mssbauer-effect equipment, a special electronics laboratory, and three Macintosh IIci computers for advanced labs.
Since 1995, Wabash students have had the opportunity to study in the Detchon Center for Modern Languages and International Studies, a completely renovated and expanded facility. With a computerized classroom providing the most modern technical equipment to make the study of language interesting, an electronic classroom, small rooms for tutorial discussions, and lounge areas where international publications are available, the Detchon Center is an integral part of preparation for life in an ever smaller world. The Detchon Center rivals the recently expanded Fine Arts Center with its two art galleries; photography, sculpture, ceramic, painting, and drawing studios; and for music students a MIDI lab, a concert hall, and a practice room. Theater patrons and students continue to benefit from the 370-seat proscenium house, scene shop, and 150-seat experimental theater.
Costs
Tuition for 200405 was $21,870. Room and board cost $7050, and there was an activity fee of $404. Most Wabash students spend approximately $1700 per year on books and personal expenses.
Financial Aid
Wabash College is independent of any direct government funding and has a substantial endowment of nearly $300 million. Cutbacks in government-sponsored financial aid have had no effect on Wabash's generous financial aid and scholarship programs. To apply for financial aid, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE. Students are expected to file the FAFSA by February15. Wabash College assists families with a combination of scholarships, grants, the Federal Stafford Student Loan, and campus employment.
The Wabash scholarship program is one of the best in the nation. Scholarships are worth up to full cost for each of four years. Wabash sponsors awards in three general categories: Lilly Awards, Honor Scholarships, and President's Scholarships. The Lilly Awards are valued at full cost and are given annually to students who excel in the areas of character, creativity, leadership, and academic achievement. Honor Scholarships that are worth up to $20,000 per year are awarded based on competitive examinations administered on campus in March.
Faculty
Ninety-seven percent of Wabash faculty members hold doctorates or other terminal degrees in their fields. While the College encourages faculty research, Wabash is primarily a teaching institution for undergraduates. The faculty-student ratio is 1:10. In addition to se?rving as advisers, faculty members have frequent informal contacts with students. Most faculty members live close to campus. The average class size is 13.
Student Government
Wabash has only one rule: Wabash men will behave as gentlemen and responsible citizens at all times. Beyond diplomatic enforcement of that rule, the College does not undertake to regulate student life. Consequently, Wabash students have a great deal of autonomy. The Student Senate manages and allocates the more than $300,000 collected each year in activity fees. Communication among students, faculty members, and administrators is open and congenial.
Admission Requirements
Wabash seeks academically well-qualified young men from all parts of the United States. The Admissions Committee recommends the following high school courses: 4 years of English, 3 to 4 years of college-preparatory mathematics, 2 years of a foreign language, 2 to 3 years of laboratory science, and 2 years of social studies. In recent years, 70 percent of Wabash's students have ranked in the top quarter of their high school class. The strength of the high school preparation is the most important factor in admission decisions. SAT I or ACT scores, counselors' recommendations, and the essay portion of the application form are also important. Personal interviews are not required, but prospective students are strongly encouraged to visit the Wabash campus.
Wabash admits students and gives equal access to its programs and facilities without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, or physical or other disabilities.
Application and Information
Students seeking admission to Wabash must submit the Wabash application form, a nonrefundable $30 application fee, and a secondary school report that includes a transcript of grades, SAT I or ACT scores, a list of senior-year courses, and the counselor's recommendation. Transfer students must submit transcripts of college courses as well. The application deadline for priority consideration for Wabash merit scholarships and aid is December15. The final deadline for fall enrollment is March15. Applicants who are accepted are asked to submit a $250 deposit by May1.
Application forms and other information may be obtained from:
