Disclaimer: LTE was originally submitted Tuesday, March 16, 2021.
Dear Hamilton Community,
This Thursday, March 18, the Admission Office will invite admitted students to join Hamilton’s Class of 2025, and our amazing community.
Hamilton received a record-high 9,380 applications this year — representing a 26 percent increase over last year — for the 480 fall and 45 “jan” seats in the class. Some of this increase can be attributed to changes that have occurred nationally in the overall college search process as a result of COVID-19, but it also has a lot to do with how well Hamilton has fared throughout the pandemic … and that others noticed! Never before in my seventeen years at the College have I seen our community pull together more than we have this year, and that makes it a special honor and privilege to invite this cohort of future Hamiltonians to join us on College Hill.
Starting March 22, Hamilton will resume official campus visits for accepted families. Registration will be required, and we will screen visitors with standard COVID-19 questions, cap capacity, and stagger arrival times. Families will sign up for self-guided, outdoor-only tours, and with the exception of a touchless check-in at Siuda House, admitted families will not be permitted in any campus buildings. Guests will be asked to wear masks and adhere to all of the College’s COVID-19 protocols, which will be outlined in the registration and reminder communications as well as upon arrival.
Once we get through the first week of visitors, we may allow student tour guides to walk accepted families around campus (if both parties are willing and comfortable), but this will not be expected nor advertised to visitors. If student guides prefer to only interact with prospective families virtually, there will be many opportunities to do so as we expand our already robust virtual offerings.
In preparing our admission visitor plan, we sought input on best practices, both internally and externally, reprised much of what we learned from safely providing campus tours last summer, and met with the COVID-19 Task Force. I wanted to make you aware of the final plan for a couple of reasons and to ask for your support. First, we want to reassure you that we are as protective of the “Hubble” as you are, and believe that resuming visits with strict protocols in place is in the best way to protect our community. As you have likely noticed, prospective families are already showing up and walking around campus, so enacting this plan will help control volume, stagger arrival times, and ensure that they are aware of our safety requirements and restrictions.
Finally, we hope you will give our families a cheer if you happen upon them, physically-distanced of course, if you are so inclined. I expect that students can empathize with this group that lost many important rituals in their last two years of high school, most of whom applied to college sight unseen. They won’t have the benefit of a festive Accepted Student Open House celebration, won’t get to sit in on classes, and won’t get to experience student life in the same way that other cohorts before them have done in advance of making their college choice. After reading their applications, we’re truly inspired by their endurance and grit, and the lessons they — like all of us — have learned about compassion and equity. I believe that you will be proud to call them Hamiltonians.
With sincere appreciation for the little piece of red carpet (or perhaps blue, and an outdoor version!) that you will roll out for Hamilton’s Class of 2025!
Monica Inzer, Vice President for Enrollment