Message from the Dean
Students are the heart of Whitman. They inspire and drive our dedicated faculty and staff on our mission to help them achieve their potential. It’s always an exciting time when we welcome our new and returning students to Whitman at the start of the new academic year. The building fills with energy, excitement and anticipation for what is to come. It’s a time for forging new connections and rekindling old ones after a few months away. Fall is, in many ways, the best season in Syracuse.
In this issue of Whitman magazine, we explore a central theme that reflects our commitment to delivering an exemplary educational experience for our students — our experiential programs. These hands-on learning opportunities, including global experiences, New York City study away programming, collaborations with leading businesses on class projects and immersion trips, are among the ways we provide practical learning opportunities for students.
As the landscape of top-tier private business education becomes increasingly competitive, and the demand for talented students — and future professionals — rises, we remain focused on preparing students for success in their professional and personal lives. At Whitman, one of our distinctive edges is delivered through experiential programs. These
programs differentiate us from other institutions while complementing and enriching the classroom experience, broadening students’ perspectives, providing exposure to innovative ideas and approaches and encouraging the application of knowledge.
While we continue to build our portfolio of experiential programs, we are eager to provide a glimpse at some existing opportunities. We’re also thrilled to announce new initiatives including one that better supports students’ mental health and another meant to foster professional connections with Syracuse community business leaders. We invite you to join us in our mission by engaging directly with students and/or enabling students’ participation through a financial commitment. Our Orange Network is powerful — and your involvement ensures Whitman students have the best experiential education possible. This is just the beginning.
The Whitman School is in high demand. This fall, Whitman welcomed our second largest incoming undergraduate class on record: 530 first-year and 92 transfer students. First-year applications exceeded 7,000, making student intake highly selective. The academic credentials, diversity and talent of our incoming class were maintained at an average high school GPA of 3.80 and average SAT of 1330. For the first time, Whitman enrolled more incoming female than male students (approximately 53%, up from 37% in 2018). Approximately 22% of the incoming class was from underrepresented minority groups (up from 15% in 2018), and 19% were first-generation students. We are very proud to have this diverse, talented group join the Whitman family this year.
Our residential master’s programs are also thriving with 136 new students entering, including our largest MBA class in over a decade. The residential master’s programs continue to attract students from around the world. This newest class represents 17 countries and five continents, with about 9% of the incoming class coming from Nigeria — a record for Whitman.
Our commitment to excellence is reflected in several external rankings with Whitman climbing to No. 34 in the Poets & Quants undergraduate rankings and No. 47 in U.S. News & World Report. Our residential MBA program is also on the rise, now ranked No. 61 nationally by Bloomberg Businessweek. Rankings are developed based on a variety of metrics, but the continued ascent of Whitman, despite the variety of measures used, shows that our investments and innovations over the past few years are making a difference.
The fall semester represents new beginnings and new opportunities for the future. I am deeply grateful for the support of our alumni, corporate partners, donors and friends. You all play a vital role in Whitman’s success. I welcome your help again this year as we continue to develop innovative opportunities and experiences for our students.
Best wishes,
Alex McKelvie
Interim Dean