Among the priorities for the upcoming year of recruitment is a continued increase in the quality of our students. This will result, in part, from an increase in selectivity for admission to the college. The profile of WJC's most recent classes includes students of strong academic ability who have also achieved outside the classroom in high school activities, often in leadership positions.

The most recent class, one of the most talented in the College's history, had an average high school GPA of 3.68 and the middle 50% of the class had an ACT Composite between 23 and 28. Also, 60% of the class was in the top quarter of their high school class. In order to be among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, Jewell seeks to continue this trend of raising the standard of academic excellence.

If Jewell is to meet its enrollment objectives - to increase total enrollment by 175 students and improve the quality and selectivity of incoming classes over the next five years, assistance from the alumni community is welcomed. First and foremost, some of our best referrals come from alumni who refer well-qualified students who would benefit from and contribute to the Jewell experience. With the addition of an online referral form on the Alumni website and in every edition of the Cardinal Connection (click the link "Recommend a Student" on the front page of Cardinal Connection to be directed to our online form), it has never been easier to provide the appropriate information to follow up with a student.

Beyond helping the Office of Admission become aware of specific students, there are many opportunities to be more actively involved in the recruitment of new Jewell alumni. Over the next year, the Office of Admission would like to identify alumni interested in writing notes and having conversations with prospective students and parents about the value of a Jewell education. The idea would be to have alumni contacting students who live in their area or who have mutual interests. Alumni may also be asked to assist our Admission staff with college fairs in key metropolitan areas in the region.

During the course of the past year, alumni have already been involved in some new and helpful ways. In late January and early February, alumni were involved with panel discussions at two Scholar Recognition Day events. The panels were created as a way for alumni to interact with the parents of top applicants to the College. The alumni shared thoughts about their decision to come to Jewell, their experience as a Jewell student, and their lives beyond Jewell. In March, alumni hosted events at their homes, designed to bring the Jewell community closer to where prospective students live.

Alumni Board of Governors President Kit (Truex) Mair '75 and Trustee Julius Anderson '71 generously opened up their homes for the first ever "Jewell on the Road" receptions in Shawnee, Kan., and St. Louis, Mo. Other alumni, faculty, staff, and current students' parents attended these events and spent time speaking with prospective students and their parents about Jewell. The great news is that many of the students who met WJC alumni during the past year are planning to be a part of the incoming class this fall. The goal for the upcoming year is to have additional receptions in cities such as Springfield, Mo.; Wichita, Kan.; Tulsa, Okla.; Omaha, Neb. and other parts of Kansas City and St. Louis.

If you are interested in participating in any of these kinds of activities to help us spread the word about Jewell, please call or email Jason Groves, Assistant Dean of Admission, at 816-415-7507 or grovesj@william.jewell.edu.

Jewell is looking forward to welcoming another excellent class in the Fall of 2006, and also to working with alumni to let top students know about the great things happening at Jewell!