Southern-Spring 2017

14 / 68

10 / ’southern
CAMPUS
Hess Fellows pair hands-
on community engagement
with advocacy
BSC students are preparing to spend eight weeks this
summer tackling projects such as coordinating lobbying
events on Capitol Hill, tracking environmental projects on
the Gulf Coast, and advocating for Birmingham’s homeless
population as part of the 2017-18 class of Hess Fellows.
The Hess Fellows program, part of BSC’s Krulak
Institute for Leadership, Experiential Learning, and
Civic Engagement, places students at leading nonprofit
advocacy agencies around the country, including the
Clinton Foundation, Bread for the World, and the Global
Campaign for Education. The sophomores and juniors
serve as full-time staff members with their organizations,
learning about the challenges and opportunities of
advocacy work. They also participate in the Krulak
Institute’s Summer Poster Expo and a donor luncheon.
The dedication and generosity of Ralph and Susan
Doughton, Ronne and Donald Hess, the Independent
Presbyterian Church Foundation, Gayle and Pat Pelham,
Dan and Linda Young, and several other private donors
make the Hess Fellows program possible.
The 2016-17 Hess Fellows, along with two of the program’s sponsors, are (front row,
from left): Ansleigh Davies, Shibani Chakrabarty, Caralyn Patton, Jordan Porter, Donald
Hess, Ronne Hess, Hattie O’Hara, Sarah Bowman, Mersedes Engle, and Anna Eggers;
(back row, from left): Tuner Collins, Blaire Alexander, Shannon Walsh, Toby White, Allen
Doyle, Morgan Schneider, and Caroline Grove. Not pictured is Molly Isen.
Web connect:
Read more about the Hess Fellows’ summer experiences here:
BSC adopts test-optional admission process,
adds early decision
In an effort to reduce barriers to
attendance, Birmingham-Southern has
moved to a test-optional application for
prospective students.
Students applying to BSC now decide
whether to report their scores for
standardized college admission tests
such as the ACT or SAT. Those who do
not include test scores instead have their
qualification for admission determined by
an evaluative interview and an academic
portfolio that includes graded papers or
school projects with teacher comments,
in addition to the usual measures such as
grade point average, high school ranking,
and extracurricular activities.
“This move has in no way compromised
the caliber of our incoming class or
reduced BSC’s admission standards,”
said Sara Newhouse, vice president
for admission and financial planning.
“Rather, we hope it gives bright, engaged
students who fear that BSC is out of their
reach another way to apply.”
The college’s decision to move to test-
optional admission is part of a growing
national trend. BSC has joined the ranks
of dozens of high-quality institutions
who have taken up the banner including
Bowdoin College, Wake Forest University,
Middlebury College, George Washington
University, and Colby College.
Schools that have made the switch
have found that doing so broadens
their application pool and increases
applications from students of color,
women, first-generation students, and
students with learning differences—all
groups that traditionally do not score as
well on standardized tests even though
they excel in college.
BSC also added an Early Decision
option to allow students who know
early in their college search that BSC
is the best fit for them to stand out
during the application process. Early
Decision, which is common among
elite colleges and universities, requires
students to commit to attending if they
are admitted. BSC received 46 Early
Decision applications.
“There are already so many barriers
to higher education that some of these
students have to scale, and we’re trying to
ensure that everyone has access to the kind
of high-quality educational experience we
offer at BSC,” Newhouse said. “None of
our students are just a number to us—we
judge all applicants as individuals with
growth potential who will bring their own
strengths to the Hilltop.”