Whole. Other. Way of life.
Academics, work, service—these three strands are woven throughout your Warren Wilson experience. Here, you’re learning on multiple levels. Constantly. That means you leave with knowledge, with know-how and knowing you’re able to do more for the world.
WHOLE. OTHER. WAY OF LIFE. Unlike any other college, this is a place where future Fulbright scholars pour concrete for campus building projects and where students are equally at home running rapids on the French Broad River as they are walking the streets of Istanbul.
Warren Wilson is for people who want an active educational and intellectual experience. We’re for people who see learning as a way to be a better human being. And with a deep, proven commitment to sustainability, we’re for people who understand that the life we choose influences everyone and everything.
ACADEMICS + WORK + SERVICE =
The difference for people who want to make a difference. Learning at Warren Wilson is unlike anything else in higher education. Our educational program brings academics, work and service together into a holistic experience. Demanding courses, an engaging work program and meaningful service are grounded in a community deeply committed to sustainability. You’ll leave here with knowledge and skills, with confidence, and with a passion to do something for the world.
ACADEMICS.
MAJORS & CONCENTRATIONS Art Biology Business and Economics Chemistry - Biochemistry Creative Writing English - Theatre/English - English/Creative Writing Environmental Studies - Conservation Biology - Environmental Education - Environmental Policy - Sustainable Agriculture - Sustainable Forestry - Water and Earth Resources Global Studies - Culture, Power and Place - Environment and Society - Peace and Social Justice - The Local and the Global History/Political Science - History - Political Science Integrative Studies Mathematics Modern Languages Outdoor Leadership Philosophy Psychology Social Work Sociology/Anthropology - Archaeology - Cultural Anthropology - Gender and Women’s Studies - Sociology
WORK.
MINORS & CONCENTRATIONS Africana Studies Art Biology Chemistry Creative Writing Education English Environmental Studies Gender and Women’s Studies Global Studies - Appalachian Studies - Applied Geospatial Technology History and Political Science Mathematics Modern Languages Music - Music: Conventional - Music: Traditional Neuroscience Outdoor Leadership Peace and Justice Studies Philosophy Physics Religious Studies Sociology and Anthropology Theatre
All students at Warren Wilson work 10 hours a week as part of crews assigned to the day-to-day operations of the college, from printing to forestry. Being engaged with the campus and with other students in this way is one of the hallmarks of our unique community spirit. We have more than 95 work crews, such as: 3-D Studio Admission Office Athletic Training Auto Shop Blacksmith Shop Carpentry College Press Community Bicycle Shop Cowpie Cafe Design and Construction Dining Services Diversity Electric Environmental Justice Farm Fiber Arts Fine Woodworking Forestry Garden Geographic Information Graphic Design Holden Arts Gallery Horse Crew Instructional Technology Library Mountain Bike Music Outdoor Programs Sage Cafe Spiritual Life Student Caucus Theatre Wellness
SPECIAL ADVISING AREAS Honors Biology Honors Chemistry Honors English Honors Environmental Studies Pre-Law Studies Pre-Medical Studies Pre-Peace Corps, International and Non-Governmental Service Preparation Pre-Veterinary Medicine Studies DUAL DEGREE Pre-Environmental Management Cooperative College Program
SERVICE. To prepare you for effective lifelong engagement in your community, we have made service a part of your education. While you’re here, you’ll explore your own skills, values and passions and go deeper in your understanding of the social and environmental issues that speak to you. You will engage with issues such as:
Through experiences including:
• • • • • • •
• • • • • • • •
Food Security Housing and Homelessness Environmental Issues Youth and Education Race and Immigration Animal Welfare Health
Service-learning courses Break trips Issue workshops Internships with non-profits Community-engaged research Regular weekly service opportunities Tutoring and mentoring Service with work crews, sports teams, residence hall groups, clubs
IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, OUR STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED MORE GRANTS AND AWARDS FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE THAN STUDENTS FROM ANY OTHER COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE.
ACADEMICS TAKE YOUR INTERESTS IN ANY DIRECTION.
REAL RESEARCH. IDEAL TRAINING.
Our environmental studies department lets you work on the campus landscape and collaborate with the community to provide solutions to pressing environmental issues. As an outdoor leadership major, you can partner with Outward Bound to have transformative field experiences. You can choose from 36 academic programs; 22 minors; and concentrations in everything from applied geospatial technology to pre-Peace Corps, international and non-governmental service. We also have the nation’s number one low-residency MFA program in writing. Plus an integrative studies option that lets you design your own major—you can take your interests in any direction you want.
At the heart of our science programs is the Natural Science Undergraduate Research Sequence. Major in the sciences and you’ll conduct original research with a faculty mentor who will guide you through the process. You’ll write grant proposals and a thesis and defend your work in front of students, staff and faculty. This is learning-by-doing at its best—and ideal training for graduate school or professional licensure.
100
%
OF STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS AND PRESENT IN THEIR SENIOR YEAR.
60
%
OF OUR STUDENTS STUDY ABROAD AT LEAST ONCE.
BEYOND BOOKS. BEYOND CLASSROOMS.
WANT TO SEE THE WORLD?
Here, education happens all over campus and all over the world. Ecology classes build campus wetlands. Our students backpack through wilderness regions in the American Southwest, Bolivia and Nepal to conduct field research. They also work on projects with local nonprofits, community organizations, and faculty and staff mentors.
With study-abroad opportunities ranging from a few weeks to a year, you’ll have plenty of ways to see the world and broaden your experience. Our students have spent semesters and full years studying in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. Too long? We also offer plenty of short-term study abroad courses. Faculty have led trips to Cuba, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Costa Rica and Turkey.
10 earn hours b $2,175 A WEEK WITH AN ASSIGNED WORK CREW.
TOWARD THE COST OF TUITION PER YEAR.
“I have so many opportunities through the work program to gain skills and experience that enrich my education.”
work
Emily Lehman-Rios ‘19, Psychology major, Richmond, VA
WORK. LEARNING. Warren Wilson is one of eight federally-recognized work colleges in the nation, and our students are essential to the daily operation of the campus. All resident students log 10 hours a week with one of more than 95 work crews. Students perform essential functions for the college and are responsible for everything from installing plumbing and designing publications to harvesting timber, repairing campus bikes, raising grass-fed cattle or updating our global information systems.
SKILLS FOR NOW. SKILLS FOR LATER. With the work program, you’ll earn $2,175 toward the cost of tuition each academic year. Its payoff is much bigger than that. You’ll gain critical professional skills such as organization, time management and communication. You’ll also assemble an impressive (and eclectic) set of practical, transferable skills by doing work with a real purpose—a distinct advantage when applying for jobs or graduate school. It’s no wonder our graduates are regularly accepted into graduate programs, medical schools and organizations like Teach for America and the National Park Service.
WORKING. KNOWLEDGE. These experiences are as fundamental to your education as any you’ll receive in the classroom. Work crew supervisors are educators and mentors. They identify specific learning and performance goals and outline the skills and abilities you’ll develop throughout the semester.
community engagement
SERVE WHILE LEARNING. Community engagement, is fully integrated into the Warren Wilson experience. The community engagement commitment, designed by students, faculty, staff and community partners, provides you with opportunities to explore how to make a difference in your world and apply what you’re learning in the classroom and workplace.
DESIGN YOUR OWN SERVICE PATH. There are many ways to engage in the community; students choose experiences that match their own interests, talents and schedules as they fulfill our community engagement commitment. The Community Engagement Program provides many kinds of opportunities with over 50 community partner agencies working on a variety of social and environmental issues. They also support service on-your-own at home, during study abroad or in other communities during break trips.
SERVICE-LEARNING COURSES. Many of our courses, including all first-year seminars, include an opportunity to take what you’re learning in the classroom out into the community. The service experiences are fully connected with the academic content of the courses and happen in every discipline. Students studying GIS mapping have routed trucks for a food bank, Spanish classes have tutored elementary school ESL students, and environmental ecology students have helped to monitor a population of wild horses.
SERVICE BREAK TRIPS. Each fall and spring break we offer Alternative Break Trips, weeklong service trips designed and led by students. During one spring break, students worked with the Lakota tribe in South Dakota, built houses in a coal mining community in West Virginia, learned about the lives of undocumented immigrants in Georgia, engaged with faith traditions in Pennsylvania, and performed conservation work in Kentucky.
Compared to the national average of 28%, 69% of Warren Wilson College alumni participate in community service often or very often.
715 STUDENTS b59,000 hours DURING THE 2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR,
PERFORMED OVER
OF SERVICE WITH OVER 258 COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WASHINGTON MONTHLY RANKS US AMONG TOP SCHOOLS FOR “COMMUNITY SERVICE PARTICIPATION AND HOURS SERVED.”
WE’RE ONE OF ONLY 25 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NATIONWIDE NAMED IN THE U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT SERVICE-LEARNING CATEGORY OF “PROGRAMS TO LOOK FOR.”
NEWSWEEK RANKS OUR SERVICE PROGRAM #3 ON ITS NATIONWIDE LIST OF “MOST SERVICEORIENTED” COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
Ellison Library
IF IT’S OUTSIDE, WE’RE INTO IT. Backpacking, hiking, cycling, running, rock climbing, caving, snowboarding, skiing, kayaking—it’s all here. Our Outdoor Programs Crew runs weekend trips, plans activities and offers technical-skills workshops. You can even take one-credit classes in activities such as kayaking, top-rope site management, orienteering and winter camping. Explore nature—1,100 beautiful acres to find yourself —while swimming in the river, visiting the farm or picnicking in a field.
VARSITY MEN’S & WOMEN’S SPORTS. We belong to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association and our men and women compete in: • Basketball • Cross Country • Soccer • Swimming
CLIMB, PLAY, DANCE AND SING.
We also belong to USA Cycling and compete in:
The Student Activities Crew plans dances, festivals, lectures, concerts, movie nights and coffeehouses all year. The DeVries Athletic Center features a gym, a weightfitness room, tennis courts, soccer fields and an outdoor basketball court. Bryson Gymnasium houses our climbing wall, aerial silks and is the location for our annual circus. Our Community Bicycle Shop repairs and lends bikes for campus use. Need a band practice space and recording studio? We’ve got one of those, too.
• Mountain Biking • Road Cycling • Cyclo-cross And we’re serious competitors. Our 2016 achievements include winning the 2016 mountain bike national championship (the first in Warren Wilson history!), getting third place for Timbersports team at the Cradle of Forestry Annual Event and first place for our women’s (and second place for our men’s) paddling teams at the American Canoe Association collegiate championships.
TAKE THE LEED.
FIND YOUR BALANCE.
Choose from a range of housing options, including single-gender or co-ed halls and halls dedicated to healthy living and cooperative living. Our LEED® Certified Platinum EcoDorm, constructed from recycled wood and timber milled on campus, features a salvaged 10,000-gallon tanker car that stores rainwater for flushing toilets and irrigation. The Orr Cottage and the Village South and Village North residence halls are also LEED® Certified Gold.
On campus, you’ll find Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Quaker, Pagan and Unitarian Universalist religious groups as well as traditional Sunday-morning worship, a studentbuilt meditation hut, bodywork and labyrinth walks. Our Wellness Program schedules classes in yoga, Tai Chi, vegetarian cooking and acupuncture, among others.
MAKE YOUR OWN MUSIC. ASHEVILLE, THE ADVENTURE-SPORTS CAPITAL OF THE SOUTHEAST. Go from forest trails to a sidewalk coffee shop in downtown Asheville in 10 minutes. Whatever you’re looking for—great food, nightlife, shopping, arts and culture—Asheville’s got it. Plus, the Appalachian Trail is less than an hour away. Hike, bike and climb in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. Like boating? You’ve got your pick of premier whitewater—the Green, Chattooga, Nolichucky, French Broad, Nantahala and many steep creeks are close by. So are the best ski resorts in the Southern Highlands.
Whether your music comes through a saxophone or you join an impromptu bluegrass jam in front of the cafeteria, music is everywhere on campus. Staff, faculty and students mix it up in formal concerts and jam sessions day and night. The Swannanoa Gathering, a premier musicians’ workshop, has been a part of summer at Warren Wilson for over 25 years.
student Life “At Wilson, every student has an experience that is uniquely their own. Together, we create a passionate, creative and unique community.” Skyla Delerme ‘17 Outdoor Leadership Major, Asheville, NC
“Warren Wilson students want to be engaged with what’s happening. They’re more socially conscious and aware of global responsibility than students at other places.”
b DIVEST ENDOWMENT FUNDS
Gary Hawkins, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Faculty
IN 2015, WARREN WILSON’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO
FROM FOSSIL FUELS BY 2020.
the common good
EDUCATION BASED ON VALUES. Warren Wilson’s mission statement commits our community to “cross-cultural understanding and the common good.” Our students seek to embody these values throughout their Wilson experience. Perhaps you’ll participate in Black Lives Matter demonstrations like Dr. Rima Vaseley-Flad’s Race, Morality and Politics of Crime class. Or join Showing Up for Racial Justice, a campus organization dedicated to discussion about white identity. You may join us in celebrating Transgender Awareness Week or participate in our InsideOut program, taking classes alongside women incarcerated in the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women. No matter how you choose to engage, your commitment to the common good will have a big impact.
SUSTAINABLE AND SUSTAINING.
We grow over 20% of our own food right on campus. Our award-winning farm includes pasture-raised beef, pork, poultry and on-site feed production—all run by students. Students also maintain five acres of organicallyraised vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs, as well as an apple orchard. To provide fresh vegetables to the campus community throughout the winter, we use a heated greenhouse and three unheated hoop houses. We were the first college or university in N.C. to have a LEED® Certified Gold building—the Orr Cottage—which houses the Admission Office.
A WELCOMING COMMUNITY. It is easy to welcome others who think, act and look like us. Warren Wilson aspires to be a truly welcoming community, where diversity of thought and experience strengthens our community. We are not perfect at achieving our aspirations. But our system of shared governance, where students, staff and faculty actively engage in college administration, helps us identify where we need to work harder or be better. Students are active partners in this work, even serving as members of the Board of Trustees, giving them influence at the very highest level of the College.
Our longstanding commitment to sustainability and social justice has earned us awards and recognition by a host of organizations. • The National Wildlife Federation named us one of the nation’s leading institutions for “students and staff working for a sustainable future.” • The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education awarded us the National Campus Sustainability Award. • Princeton Review’s “Most LGBTQ-friendly.” • Again in 2016, we are listed in the “Top 50 Green Colleges” by The Princeton Review. • Sierra magazine includes us on their “Coolest Schools” list, which recognizes schools addressing climate issues and making significant efforts to operate sustainably. • U.S. News & World Report lists us among the “10 Eco-Friendly College Campuses.” • eCollege Finder names us North Carolina’s “Most LGBTQ-friendly college.” WARREN WILSON COLLEGE IS A SIGNATORY ON THE AMERICAN COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS’ CLIMATE COMMITMENT LIST.
THE FISKE GUIDE TO COLLEGES HAS NAMED WARREN WILSON AS ONE OF THE NATION’S 22 “BEST BUYS” AMONG PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FOR NINE TIMES SINCE 2005.
Admission & Financial Aid
At Warren Wilson, we’re committed to providing an affordable education to all students, regardless of their financial situation. Through the Work Program, all resident students receive compensation toward their tuition. We also offer scholarships as well as financial aid programs for students. Fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Warren Wilson College’s code is 002979-Asheville, NC.
A campus visit is the surest way to know if a college is right for you. Being there and seeing it for yourself, meeting the students and faculty, sitting in on a class—all these experiences give you a real feel for a place. As a high school senior, you can even stay overnight with a current student and attend campus events.
b b
How to apply We use the Common Application at Warren Wilson. You can find the link on our website or go to www.commonapp.org.
Application Deadlines Early Decision (binding): November 1. Students are notified by December 1 and agree to attend if accepted. Deposits are due January 15. Early Decision applicants are eligible for additional need-based and scholarship opportunities. Early Action: November 15. Students receive their admission decision in December. Deposits are due by May 1. Regular Decision: Rolling Admissions Regular Decision applicants are notified on a rolling basis and deposits are due on May 1.
SEEING IS BELIEVING To schedule a visit, go to our website
WARREN-wilson.edu and click on visit. Contact the admission department at
800.934.3536.
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID SWANNANOA, NC PERMIT NO. 26 O F F I C E OF A D M I S S I O N P.O. Box 9000 Asheville, NC 28815-9000 www.warren-wilson.edu www.viewbeyondwwc.com 800.934.3536
Ready for something different? PROFILE STUDENT BODY • 710
ACADEMICS • Average Class Size: 10
• (650 traditional undergraduates, 62 graduates in our low-residency MFA)
• Average SAT CR: 594
• Percent of students living on campus: 90%
• Average ACT: 25
• “Barron’s Best Buys in College Education.”
• Number of states: 45
• Average H.S. GPA: 3.6
• Number of countries: 15 • Students from North Carolina: 24%
• Percent of full-time faculty with a doctorate or other terminal degree: 93%
• Miriam Weinstein lists Warren Wilson in her acclaimed guide, Making A Difference.
Additional top home states:
• Student-faculty ratio: 10:1
Virginia Pennsylvania New York Tennessee Florida South Carolina Maryland Massachusetts California Georgia
CAMPUS • 45 Buildings and facilities housing our
• Average SAT M: 539
- Geographic Information Systems Laboratory - Holden Visual Arts Center and Gallery with a metal foundry and 3-D studio - D-Space including a technology laboratory and digital collaborative space - Kittredge Theatre, a 320-seat proscenium theatre
RECOGNITION FOR WARREN WILSON COLLEGE • 2016 Fiske Guide to Colleges “Best Buy” (9th time since 2005).
• We’re in Cool Colleges for the HyperIntelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming, and Just Plain Different by Donald Asher. • The Parent Soup Financial Aid and College Guide selected Warren Wilson for inclusion in “Discounts and Deals at the Nation’s 360 Best Colleges.” RECOGNITION FOR ASHEVILLE, NC • One of the “10 Most Beautiful Places in America” by ABC’s Good Morning America. • “One of the South’s hippest hangouts” by USA Today.
• 300-acre farm
• One of the “Top 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S.A.” by Money magazine.
• 5 acres of organically-managed garden and orchards
• The third most livable city in America by Outside magazine.
• 600 acres of forest
• One of the “Top 25 Arts Destinations in the U.S.” by American Style magazine.
• 25 miles of hiking trails
ACCREDITATION Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Fine Arts Degrees.
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