Dear Families of Students in the Class of 2027:
Welcome to the sophomore year! Now that the fall term is almost upon us, I write to connect about the things your students should be considering as they head into this year.
Drop/Add will start on August 26 and will end on September 12. We'll be welcoming our new transfer students to campus on August 28 and university housing will open for continuing students on August 30. Fall break will be from October 21-22 and Homecoming/Family Weekend will be held from November 1-3. Classes will end on December 6, with reading period taking place from December 7-10. Exams will run from December 10-14 and university housing will close on December 15.
As a sophomore, your student should continue to strategically explore the breadth of the curriculum, take courses across the divisions, as well as focus on gateway courses for potential majors. Now can be a good time for your student to look over departmental websites to understand the requirements for any majors that they may be interested in exploring. Academic departments will also host Open Houses this fall for sophomores who are inquiring into different majors, minors and certificate programs.
Second-semester sophomores must declare their majors this fall after the end of drop/ add, while most of the sophomore class will declare in the spring term. Please encourage your students to look over the information regarding the major declaration process and timeline.
Studying abroad, if possible, can be an invaluable component to the liberal arts experience. The Office of Study Abroad works with students to ensure that they participate in programs that provide a challenging curriculum and are appropriate to their studies. This can be a good time to start planning those opportunities.
The sophomore year has its rewards and challenges, as students begin to focus on their academic interests, but that process can have its difficulties, particularly for students with many different passions. Sophomores are also familiar with Wesleyan, but many aspects of the institution are still new, so please encourage them to try new things and explore, whether academically or socially.
Also, please be sure to remind your student about the vast array of academic resources on campus. If you sense that your student might benefit from some outreach, please do not hesitate to contact me. I also regularly update our class blog with different announcements.
I look forward to seeing your students and helping them to move forward on their intellectual and personal journey.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Wood
Dean for the Class of 2027 860.685.2774
jpwood@wesleyan.edu