With ingenuity and spirit, staff works to welcome new students to Norwich
In the Admissions Office, we stayed true to Norwich University’s “I Will Try” motto, adapting to the coronavirus pandemic and creating a vibrant year.
We built new opportunities for college-bound students to learn about the Norwich student experiences including academics, athletics, job opportunities from the Career and Internship Center and community good through the Center for Civic Engagement.
We developed flexible ways to safely welcome people who wanted to visit in person, or learn virtually at a distance if they couldn’t. And we created new scholarships to ensure Norwich is affordable.
We wish you could have been here to visit, but because COVID-19 wouldn’t let you, we also created ways to let you tour campus from your couch and see how our students were learning in person (at a safe physical distance) and online.
Here’s a collection of proud 2020 moments.
— Virtual visits
The Hill was alive with the sound of … Zoom calls? Norwich University may have had to pause in-person visits this year, but hosted hundreds of students to the Hill all the same.
Catch up on recorded sessions or plan to visit us this spring — without ever leaving your couch. Visit us here.
— New scholarships
Norwich announced two brand-new scholarships, the Junior ROTC Leadership Award and the High School Service Award. These scholarships allow counselors and JROTC instructors to nominate deserving students who have track records of service and leadership. Norwich wants students who share these values to join the university community. NU talks to scholarship nominees directly. The scholarships aim to let these students continue developing passion for leadership and service. The awards also reinforce the key role high school guidance counselors and JROTC instructors play in students’ lives. Everybody wins.
“Based on our mission, guiding values, and the attitudes, interests and activities of our alumni and current students, we know that service to others is a defining characteristic of Norwich. In some cases, that means military service,” Admissions Director Steve Wolf says. “In others, it means serving one’s local community as a nurse, police officer, teacher or volunteer. This fall, we also knew that many prospective students were facing financial challenges brought about by the COVID crisis.”
Learn about the scholarships here.
— Student Send-offs
Student Send-offs, a traditional part of the Norwich student experience, moved online to allow for safe introductions among classmates and families from the same geographic region. One part information session and one part social event, the events translated to Zoom very well — and even allowed participation by students from abroad and international regions who would have otherwise had to wait for arrival to campus to meet. Read about the virtual send-offs here.
— Arrival Days
Although it wasn’t the Arrival Day that NU upperclassmen leaders envisioned, it was one that they worked hard to achieve safely. After much planning and coordination with state Dept. of Health and campus leadership, student orientation leaders and Rook training cadre and staff and faculty volunteers welcomed hundreds of students to the Hill over six days this August. Read about the arrivals here.
— Affordability — Now more than ever
If you’re counting down the days until Jan. 1, we hear you. 2020 has been a challenging year. COVID-19 stress has caused a lot of anxiety among families planning for college. That’s why Norwich is proud of our commitment to affordability through innovative programs such as Income Share Agreements. Learn more here.
— A new type of college fair
Vermont Student Assistance Corp. (VSAC) is hosting a monthlong series of workshops to help students think through their after-high school plans. Grab a computer, tablet, snack and your comfy pants and tour Vermont’s colleges without leaving home. Planning ahead is worth your while: Students who commit to attend a Vermont college or university between Dec. 1, 2020, and June 1, 2021, and then register at thinkvermont.com/scholarship will be entered to win a $5,000 scholarship from VSAC. Learn more here.
— “Service” is more than just a buzzword
Student Erica Terwilliger gets up early to participate in her third NU Day of Service. This biannual experience pairs student volunteer groups with local organizations to make a lasting impact. And not just on the service recipients! “I would encourage everyone to participate in at least one day of service in their time at Norwich, as it is a truly amazing and unique experience,” Terwilliger says. “Not only will you feel like you’ve made a difference, but you also get to meet some pretty cool people.” Read her thoughts here.
— COVID-19 can’t derail your career
NU’s Career and Internship Center has relied on an online platform to deliver services, workshops, and networking virtually since 2017. This year, that platform was put through its paces! Watch a video to learn about the center here; read about it here.
— Wish you were here!
We are counting down the minutes until we show you our central Vermont campus in person. You may be safe at home, and it may even be snowing where you live, but you can experience a sunny spring afternoon at Norwich anytime you want. Our virtual campus tour gives you the inside scoop on campus life, academic buildings and athletics through virtual conversations, videos and a walking tour that you navigate from home. No sunscreen required! Take the tour.
EXPLORE:
READ MORE:
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- A coat, a commitment, a celebration
- Amid pandemic, health care practitioners review, rethink, reimagine
