Welcome Class of 2027! I am thrilled that you have chosen to attend Wesleyan and look
forward to coming to know you as your class dean over the next four years.
Wesleyan will challenge you to make important choices and assume personal responsibilities
and, in doing so, those moments will influence your educational and personal goals. By
leaning into your curiosity, working hard, understanding the expectations of your professors
and exercising good time management and study skills, you will put yourself in a position of
strength from the start. As your class dean and part of your advising network, I am here to
support you in this process and help you take full advantage of the resources that will
facilitate your success at Wesleyan. The most important piece of advice that I can give you
as you embark on this journey is to ask for help. First-year students sometimes find this a bit
intimidating to do, but there are countless resources here to help you at any point and self advocacy
has led to success for many students.
Your engagement with life at Wesleyan begins this summer. There are various tasks that you
will need to complete in preparation for the fall semester, such as setting up your email and
gaining access to WesPortal (which is an electronic hub of student information for your time
at Wesleyan), which will happen in June. To ensure a smooth transition into the Wesleyan
community, it is important that you pay attention to the deadlines throughout the summer.
The Academic Road Map, which is in the WesPortal, will help you learn about the curriculum, learn more
about the academic advising resources available to you and enable you to engage with me and or an
Academic Peer Advisor (APAs are students who can help with any pre-registration
questions). In June, the Road Map will help you select a meal plan, fill out an Academic
Interest Questionnaire (which help us learn more about you as a learner and assign your
liberal arts advisor), and work with Accessibility Services, if applicable. In July, you will
select a list of courses that interest you through pre-registration, which take place from July
10 to August 3. You will be able to speak with your liberal arts advisor about these course
selections when you meet when arrive on campus. In August, the Road Map will help you
with your housing assignment, arrange your medical insurance and begin your Orientation
virtually before your arrival. There will be more information about each of these steps
throughout the summer.
Wesleyan is also offering students in the Class of 2027 the opportunity to take a course
remotely from home over the summer before matriculating in the university this fall. The
summer course curriculum includes writing-intensive First-Year Seminars (FYS). The course
registration process will be open from Thursday, June 8 through Monday, June 19. Every
student who submits course preferences during this time period will have an equal chance of
getting scheduled into a class. The FYS courses themselves will take place from July 5 to
August 10. More information regarding the summer FYS courses is available here. While
FYS courses are not required, we encourage students to take one either during the summer or
the first year, as these are small seminar courses that allow students to engage in college-level
academic writing within a cohort of fellow first-year students.
Each year we select a common reading for all incoming students. This year’s common
reading is The Loneliest Americans by Jay Caspian King. You will receive details about how
to access your free digital copy of the book early this summer. You should finish this reading
and upload your written response via your WesPortal before you arrive on campus so that
you are prepared to discuss it with your new classmates and faculty.
For Orientation, you are expected to be an active participant in all of the activities both
throughout the summer and during the start of the fall semester, which will include liberal
arts advisor meetings, academic and campus life workshops, and an array of residential life
programs and social activities. Many orientation activities will provide you with genuine
opportunities to establish relationships with people that may last a lifetime! While there will
be virtual Orientation activities in the summer, there will also be a formal New Student
Orientation upon your arrival. This orientation is designed to familiarize you with the
Wesleyan community—what you can expect from us and what we expect from you—and to
prepare you for the academic and personal experiences of your undergraduate career.
Information will be available and continually updated here.
Arrival Day will take place on Wednesday, August 30. It’s quite special and one of my
favorite days of the year as there is tremendous energy and excitement to welcome our new students and
their families. To this date, your academic achievements, co-curricular accomplishments, talents and hard
work have brought you to Wesleyan. I invite you now to continue on this trajectory and to
engage with the myriad learning opportunities that Wesleyan offers both inside and of the
classroom. Get ready for an amazing four years!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Wood
Dean for the Class of 2027
860.685.2757