Recently, Drew University announced the start of a new admissions program. The Fall Forward program, oriented toward helping students with their transition into the college experience, allows students to enroll in classes mid-semester.
Fall Forward students are provided with a specially curated eight-week experience which will give them the tools and confidence they need to be successful in a full-time college environment.
Dean of Enrollment Management Colby McCarthy said, “The program came about because, during the first couple weeks of the semester, students were reaching out to us asking if it was too late to enroll. They had selected another school and decided pretty quickly that it was not the right decision for them. We developed Fall Forward as an opportunity for students to ease their way into the college experience and not miss an entire semester of credits.”
Each student will attend a one-day orientation and participate in three courses, earning six college credits. The classes will be across multiple disciplines, including “Psychology of Stress and Coping” with Professor Jill Cermele, “Writing Studio 1” with Professor Jens Lloyd and “American Folklore: Supernatural Folklore in the United States” with Professor Juliane Bilotta. This wide breadth of topics will allow students to expand their knowledge and build connections within the Drew community that will help them in the future.
In addition to academics, the students will be able to take advantage of life in the Forest, with the option to commute to campus or live in one of Drew’s residence halls. Fall Forward students can participate in campus events, which will also help to develop social connections on campus.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has consumed students’ lives for almost two years, these social connections are especially important.
“The pandemic disrupted so many students’ junior and senior years of high school, making the college search process difficult and also making it harder than normal to transition into college life,” McCarthy said. “We see Fall Forward at Drew as a way to address some of the consequences of that disruption.”
The final application deadline to the program passed on Oct. 11 and Fall Forward courses are set to begin next Monday, Oct. 18. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday for the next eight weeks.
