Dear Families and Friends of the Class of 2027:
With the end of summer approaching, the campus is gearing up for the arrival of new students in the Class of 2029 and our incoming transfer students. For returning students, housing opens on Friday, September 5 at 10 am and classes begin on Monday, September 8. Fall Break will be from Monday, October 20 to Tuesday, October 21, which can be a wonderful opportunity for students to take a moment to relax, reflect and plan ahead. Please remind your student not to finalize travel plans for Fall Break or the end of the semester until they have consulted with professors about the timing of midterm or final exams. Family Weekend is scheduled for October 24-26, during which we’ll have a class dean panel that we welcome you to attend.
Having declared their majors last semester, juniors will be settling into their new academic homes this fall. This can be a good time for your student to connect with their advisor to map out their trajectory through their major requirements.
If your student is planning to undertake an honors thesis, it can be a good idea to begin the process of lining up an advisor and narrowing down their research topic before the end of the junior fall semester, especially if your student is planning to apply for a Wesleyan summer grant or one of the many funding opportunities across the departments. Research plans, whether within a lab or beyond, should also begin to be solidified during the fall term. This is also an excellent time to drop by the Gordon Career Center to begin making preparations for summer internships, which can provide students not only with real-world experience, but also a .25 credit.
This fall, approximately 175 members of the Class of 2027 will be participating in study abroad programs in places such as Kenya, Paris, Nepal and Chile. Study abroad can be an incredibly transformative experience. For many parents, having a student who is studying abroad is an opportunity to travel vicariously and watch their student develop intercultural expertise, multilingualism, independence and an understanding of themselves in a global context.
I will be writing to you again mid-semester. In the meantime, please feel free to call or write if you have any questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Jennifer Wood
Dean for the Class of 2027
860.685.2774