Wes Markets New Ivy Image

By Andrew McIntosh
News Editor

After sending out two waves of postcards to prefrosh with the phrase "Independent Ivy" typed on them, a University viewbook has appeared in the office of admissions stating: "If you’re thinking Ivy, think Wesleyan."

The 1998-99 viewbook is the latest vehicle used by the office of admissions to test its new marketing phrase on college-bound high school students.

"The idea is now to simply put it out there on some of the materials to see if it resonates with high school students, to see if high school students talk about it," said Dean of Admissions Barbara-Jan Wilson.

According to Dean Wilson, two batches of postcards have already been sent out to juniors and seniors in high school. In the first batch sent last spring, 30,000 postcards were sent out with 2,000 of these containing the phrase "Independent Ivy" on them. The second batch was sent out the third week in July with a ratio similar to the first.

The office of admissions hopes to judge the success of the phrase based on the proportion of returned inquiries from both groups. Dean Wilson said that, so far, results have been "inconclusive" and that the phrase has proven only slightly more effective in piquing prefrosh interest.

"The response rate to the postcards has been terrific, so we know they like the postcards," Dean Wilson said.

The catch-phrase "Independent Ivy" was the result of the University’s strategic marketing campaign, in which marketing consultant Mark Edwards proposed the adoption of a slogan to create a specific image for Wesleyan.

According to Bob Barton, vice president of university relations, the phrase was chosen to counteract what he said was a negative or non-existent image of Wesleyan in the public mind. The words "Independent Ivy" were chosen to evoke a sense of academic autonomy on par with Ivy League schools.

"We want to place Wesleyan in people’s heads as an academically excellent institution of the caliber of an Ivy League school or one of the finest of the small colleges," Barton said. Bill Wilson, president of the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA), said that most students don’t want to compare the University to Ivy League schools.

"I’m not interested in a place that has an inferiority complex about itself. When you present Wesleyan in comparison to the Ivy League, its really contrived and it says more about what the school isn’t and what it’s hung up on," Wilson said.

Although the phrase "Independent Ivy" has not been approved by faculty or students, the Board of Trustees has decided that the phrase should be used on an experimental basis. According to Barton, student opposition to the phrase last semester prevented a larger scale test from taking place.

"If we have to come up with a catch-phrase why can’t it be something that comes from us, that has to do with Wesleyan?" Wilson said.

According to Barton, the reason an image is desirable for a University is because less money and effort need to be extended in attracting prospective students. Barton said that most students who come to Wesleyan are attracted very late in the college search, and as a result the University has to admit about twice as many students as are necessary for a full class.

"I feel like we have to work too damn hard to get them to come...we admit twice as many than actually matriculate, which is to say that these are folks we’ve gotten to late," Barton said. "We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to try and make Wesleyan visible to these folks."

Both Barton and Dean Wilson said that many people mistake the Wesleyan in Connecticut for the Wesleyan in Ohio. Another mix-up is found between Wesleyan and Wellesley. In addition, Barton said that events in the history of Wesleyan such as the firebombing of former President Chace’s office have created a negative image of Wesleyan in the media.

"People in Sacramento, California know that course access has been a problem at Wesleyan ...those sort of stories get out," Barton said.

According to Dean Wilson, the office of admissions doesn’t expect to have substantial results concerning the marketing scheme for another two to three years. Barton stressed that the phrase was still just being tested.

"Don’t read it for more than it’s trying to be. And give it a chance," Barton said.