By: Ross Hickenbottom, Transcript Reporter
No more rolling deadlines, you say?
Ohio Wesleyan prospects, beginning with the class of 2020, will now have a new periodic deadline system to guide them with their college decisions.
Prior to the change, according to the OWU Admissions “Important Deadlines” section on the website, November 15 and 30, January 15 and 30, February 15, March 1, April 1 and May 1 were all listed as deadlines or notification dates, but a few are going to see changes.
The Ohio Wesleyan Admissions department has changed the admissions deadlines from having four deadlines, which were Early Decision in November; two Early Action deadlines, one in November and another in January; and a Regular Decision deadline in March. The Early Action deadline in November has been eliminated and the Early Action II in January has been kept. The Early Decision and Regular deadlines were not changed at all.
Susan Dileno, OWU Vice President for Enrollment Management, who replaced Interim VP for Enrollment Dave Wottle in August of  last year, and the Admissions Department representatives said that while reviewing other private schools’ deadlines, particularly those in the Great Lakes College Association, they were “hardÂpressed to find a school with two early deadlines.”
Dileno said more typical is one of the two following scenarios: two Early Decisions and a Regular Decision deadline, or Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decisions implemented.
She said OWU’s deadlines were out of norm, and she “felt it could be confusing to prospects and guidance counselors” of those prospects.
The benefit of the Admissions department eliminating the November Early Action date is that it provided an extra incentive for students to apply Early Decision if they wanted to get their decisions in November. In previous years, they could apply Early Decision or Early Action and learn of the decision in November under either plan.
“We did see a bump in our ED applications this year, so that is an added plus to OWU, since EDÂ students are committing to attend if admitted,” Dileno said.
“I also think the later EA (Early Action) date serves our applicants well in that many students don’t find out about OWU until their senior year, and the later date gives them additional time to apply, while still giving them an option to learn of their decision before March,” she added.