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I am pleased to announce that 190 applicants were invited to the Candidates' Weekends. We expected 10 declines, but 188 have accepted our invitation. A total of 785 students applied and 260 of these were selected by four reading teams and presented to the Faculty Admission Committee. The reading teams worked extra hard this year, due to a 30 percent increase in applications and because some of us read folders assigned to other teams to help calibrate our ratings for team consistency.
In addition to the obvious (rigorous preparation, academic excellence and interest in engineering) the teams look for attributes that will enrich the academic, social and cultural life at Olin. All of these applicants are top students, so we have the luxury of giving weight to non-academic things such as cultural and ethnic diversity, gender, talent, geography, leadership, enterprise, risk-taking, life-changing events and community involvement. The 188 candidates represent 41 states, Korea and Denmark; 98 men; 90 women and 55 individuals who designated themselves as students of color. They are class presidents, athletes, actors, researchers, musicians and entrepreneurs.
Recently there has been discussion about whether the admission process at Olin is different for women than men. Here are some facts to keep in mind in these discussions.
• Olin College strives for gender balance in its student body and faculty.
• Men apply to Olin at a 3 to1 ratio over women.
• There were almost no women in the bottom third of the applicant pool, so the male - female ratio for academically competitive students is 2 to1.
• Since the admission qualifications (academic and personal ratings) of the women match the men we invite roughly equal numbers to Candidates' Weekend. If the qualifications for any group do not hold up we do not invite them. Over the years and again this year, there is no statistical difference between our men and women on testing, average gpa or the admission rating sheets.
• All students invited to Candidates' Weekend are deemed extraordinary (on paper) by the Admission Committee. All of them can do the work at Olin.
• During CW, Candidates are evaluated on their personal qualities – their admission folders, testing, grades, rating sheets are not evaluated.
• In the end, it's the evaluation team summary notes and ratings that most influence the final decisions of the Admission Committee.
• Since there is balance between men and women at CW there is no need for the Admission Committee to manipulate the final decision making process in favor of any group. However, when the committee fills the last dozen slots in the admit pool they attempt to enrich the class by considering gender, underrepresented students, artistic and creative talent, entrepreneurs, someone from another country or fencing champion.
• The applicant pool was, across the board, spectacular.
The admission process at Olin College or at any highly selective college is not perfect, but ours is the closest to “pure” that I have witnessed in my 40 plus years in the field.
The Board of Trustees has approved tuition and fees for the next academic year:
Tuition (offset by Olin scholarship) |
$32,100 |
4.90% increase |
Per credit rate for visiting students |
$1,000 |
new |
Room |
$7,500 |
7.14% increase |
Board: Blue Plan |
$4,100 |
5.94% increase |
Board: Silver Plan |
$3,750 |
5.93% increase |
Health Insurance |
$682 |
no increase |
Student Activity Fee |
$150 |
no increase |
Application Fee: Domestic |
$60 |
no increase |
Application Fee: International |
$80 |
new |
Enrollment Confirmation Deposit |
$500 |
no increase |
Laptop/Technology Fee |
$2,500 |
no increase |
Late Payment Fee |
$150 |
no increase |
The fee increases for meals and housing are the result of significant increases in operating costs, primarily escalating utility prices. As announced in the last edition of the Link, Babson's Payroll and Human Resource departments, which process Olin paychecks, recently implemented an integrated HR/Payroll system. This is a reminder that all employees should check their paychecks for accuracy over the next few pay periods due to this change. Employees were emailed if an error was found in their check; however Financial Services would appreciate your assistance since certain items, such as tax withholdings, are not easily verified. Financial Services is actively working with Babson personnel to not only correct errors, but also pinpoint the cause and apologizes for any inconvenience. Your patience is appreciated as these issues are worked out and solved. Please contact John Easland (x2418) if you have any questions.
The College is currently seeking qualified candidates for several positions. Employees are reminded that HR is always happy to accept referrals.
Community Bulletin Board
The Babson College Student & Alumni Business Fair will be held Tuesday April 4, 2006 from 9-11:30 a.m. in Babson's Olin Hall. Come and showcase your business at Babson's Founders Day. Interact with students, alumni and veteran entrepreneurs at the same time you are promoting your business. The Student & Alumni Business Fair is hosted by the elite Babson Entrepreneurship Club in coordination with the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship. This is an opportunity to connect with new and exciting people who may be your next customers. Contact Marissa Reisman by March 17 to register. For more information on Founders Day, visit http://www3.babson.edu/Events/FoundersDay/. The Babson Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a program that will give Olin and Babson business owners free legal consultation without ever having to leave campus. This great offer is being provided free by Morse, Barnes-Brown, Pendleton a prestigious New England law firm located on Route 128. These sessions will be offered 3 times during the semester and are open to any member of the Babson – Olin community.
To attend please come to the Small Conference Room in the Arthur M. Blank Center at 3:20 p.m. on March 1 or April 12 to be assigned a 30-minute time slot between 3:30–5:30 p.m. If you have a specific issue you are planning on asking about, please send it to chamber@babson.edu, which will ensure the lawyers come prepared to address your issue.
The following events will take place on March 6 in celebration of Martin Luther King Legacy Day:
- Panel Discussion: Business, Katrina, and the MLK Jr. Dream: How Far Have We Really Come?, 12-1:30 p.m., Needham/Wellesley Room, Olin Hall
An interactive discussion featuring Rick Presbrey, Executive Director, Housing Assistance Corporation and Major Susan Kelley, Corps. Officer, Salvation Army, among others. Both Major Kelly and Mr. Presbrey were instrumental in coordinating efforts to shelter evacuees from Katrina at Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, and in relocating and resettling evacuees in the Massachusetts area. Bring your lunch to this interactive panel. Dessert and coffee will be provided.
- Legacy Day Keynote Program, 5–6:30 p.m., Sorenson Theatre
Speeches from the essay contest finalists, presentation of awards, presentation of the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award and a keynote address by Juan Williams, National Political Correspondent for National Public Radio, Fox Television and FoxNews Sunday and award-winning author.
- MLK Jr Legacy Day Reception and Art Opening, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Sorenson Lobbies
This exhibit will feature "Strange Fruit Hanging from the Tree of Life: Reflections on Bruno," by Artist, Kevin Sipp.
- Artist's Talk: Kevin Sipp, 7:30–8:30 p.m., Sorenson Theater
In his large sculptural installation, Atlanta-based artist Kevin Sipp recalls the death of Renaissance philosopher Giordano Bruno, burned alive by the Inquisition in 1600, as a point of entry into the long history of victims of injustice and intolerance the world over. Sipp's “memory tree” projects the sounds of prayers and laments for the lost, from Bruno to lynching victim Emmet Till, organized around the haunting anti-lynching song, “Strange Fruit.” This exhibition is sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Division and the Sorenson Center for the Arts in connection with Babson's Arts and Humanities Foundation course, “Challenging Boundaries: The Self in Art and Philosophy 1800 – 2006.”
The entire Babson/Olin community is invited to participate in the following musical opportunities:
- JAZZ: Join the Babson Olin Jazz Ensemble, which meets Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. in the Park Manor Central Bandroom. For more information, contact Joe at jbrogan@dedham.mec.edu.
- CLASSICAL: Join the Babson Olin Chamber Ensemble, which meets Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Glavin Chapel. For more information, contact Adrienne at adrienne@newphil.org .
- RHYTHM: Jam with the Babson Percussion group on Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. in the Babson Campus Center Main Street. Drums and hand percussion instruments are provided for the percussion jam. For more information, contact Grant at grantleysmith@comcast.net.
No other music on the planet can match the drumming and singing of West Africa for pure power and rhythmic intensity. On February 25 three groups of talented and dedicated musicians will come together for an unforgettable night of West African music, with all of the proceeds going to Oxfam to benefit hunger relief work in the West African nation of Niger. This night of West African drumming and singing will take place at the Homegrown Coffeehouse, Saturday, February 25, at 8:00 p.m. For more information, call 781-444-7478 or visit www.uuneedham.org/Coffeehouse.
The presentation of the video "Return to Norumbega," which was postponed due to bad weather, will show Sunday, February 26, at 2 p.m. at the Needham Historical Society's headquarters (53 Glendoon Rd., Needham). The video presentation, a history of the famed amusement park, is free to all Olin community members.
Angel Flight New England is hosting their 9th Annual Penguin Classic 5K Road Race/Walk, which will be held on Sunday, April 2 at Comverse in Wakefield, MA. Many thanks to Andrew Hollett who was last year's penguin mascot and Alison Lee, the mascot helper. Rebecca Christianson also participated in the run. If you are interested in pledging or participating, visit the Angel Flight website.
“Olin Engineers Art Gallery,” By Valentina Zic, Needham Times, February 16, 2006
“Editorial: Teaching Engineering Uniquely,” By John C Falcioni, Editor-in-chief, Mechanical Engineering Magazine, February 2006
2/6/06: Rita McNulty joined as the Development Assistant. Her office is located in OC 300 and her phone extension
is 2292.
2/13/06: Loretta Dinon became the Student Accounts Manager. Her office is located in CC 300c and her extension is 2346.
Please welcome both to the college.
In the last issue we asked you to identify these two members of the Olin Community: Person A / Person B.
"Person A" is Sherra Kerns and "Person B" is Christine Kelly. No one responded correctly so the prize goes unclaimed. Trivia buffs, do you know... Q: How many siblings did Franklin W. Olin have?
A: First person to correctly respond to Jennifer Thomas receives a prize.
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