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GREETINGS FROM
ADMISSIONS AT UNION
First, thank you for taking the time to read my annual missive. Many of you have
passed on your appreciation for my candor about college admissions and financial
aid. In that vein, I want to start this year’s letter by acknowledging: I don’t get it.
This year, we surveyed students who chose not to attend Union. The top two reasons
students declined our admissions offer were finances (number one) and location.
I get the first; we are an expensive place. While we give generous financial aid and
have the ability to meet the full need of all students we accept (with an average Union
scholarship of $32,500), our measurement of need doesn’t always match a family’s
real or perceived ability and/or willingness to pay. We also know there are colleges
and universities offering large merit scholarships that influence decisions.
What I don’t understand is the location rationale. Students are missing the boat
big time on this one. I honestly consider Schenectady the most underrated college
town in America. My sense is that people’s perception of us — often recycled from
college guide books — is based on images from the 1970s and ’80s. Though our
broader metro area of roughly 1 million is invariably categorized as “large” in most
listings, Schenectady itself is a small city. The beauty of Schenectady is that I can
walk from my office onto the Hudson-Mohawk Bike Trail, pass the Mohawk River
and keep walking for 20 miles, all while enjoying great wildlife and scenery. Within two
miles of campus there are more than 30 restaurants and four corporate headquarters,
including GE Power.
This is not the Schenectady of my student days. There is a vibrant social and cultural
scene here now, ranging from the Greenmarket on Sundays to sold-out shows at
Proctors Theater. Our visitors are apparently missing this. Perhaps it’s the danger of
a GPS-world (note that I do not mention Pokemon Go here), where people orient
themselves to their prospective college town by the highway route they take. Is there
poverty in Schenectady? Of course there is, just as it exists in any American city.
But I ask you to encourage families to check out Schenectady with a fresh eye.
I think they will be pleasantly surprised. And if you haven’t been here in a few years,
ask someone who has, or come visit us on the SUCH tour (suchcounselortour.org)
or UNYT tour (unytcounselortour.org). Or swing by on your own. I would love to take
you to lunch at one of the many great eateries that populate this very bright Electric City.
Best,
Matt Malatesta ‘91
VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADMISSIONS, FINANCIAL AID AND ENROLLMENT
NEW @ U
VISUAL ARTS BUILDING A BIG DRAW
This fall, students can follow their muse in
the Feigenbaum Center for Visual Arts, a hub
for artists and art historians as well as students
in all majors who want to explore the arts.
Following a major transformation, this historic
building now features such highlights as
photography suites and studios, a media lab,
a public gallery for large exhibitions and a
design studio for metalworking alongside an
outdoor sculpture space.
CO-GENERATION PLANT NOW ONLINE
Union’s new cogeneration plant, a combined
heat and power plant, will ease demand on
current systems, result in significant energy
saving costs and move the College closer to
its goal of carbon neutrality. It will allow for
the production of electricity to power most
of Union’s campus. Sustainability is one of the
key priorities of the College’s Strategic Plan.
BYSTANDER INTERVENTION PROGRAM
Union’s bystander intervention program is a key
component in addressing the national issue
of sexual assault and misconduct on college
campuses. Members of the campus community undergo training to help them effectively
intercede in situations where sexual harassment
or violence appear imminent. To date, hundreds
of members of Union’s athletic teams and Greek
organizations, resident advisors and others have
participated in training workshops organized by
Union’s full-time Title IX coordinator.
FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR MAKERSPACE
Our interdisciplinary Makerspace is quintessentially
Union, combining the sciences, technology, arts,
engineering and math (STEAM). Based in the
Collaborative Design Studio in the Wold Center,
it’s aimed at fostering and accelerating novel
research. Students work closely with the
Makerspace coordinator and faculty to harness
the power of rapid prototyping design, 3D printing,
digital fabrication and hands-on making.
ADMISSIONS DEANS’
REGIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
AT A GLANCE:
CLASS OF 2020
ADMISSIONS STATISTICS
Applied
6,645
ANN FLEMING BROWN
JACLYN MANDART ’12
Accepted
2,449
Director of Admissions
[email protected]
California, Connecticut, Louisiana,
New York City
Assistant Dean of Admissions
[email protected]
Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico,
Long Island and Western New York,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
Texas, Wisconsin
Enrolled
ABBEY MASSOUD-TASTOR ’07
NICOLE BUENZLI
Associate Dean of Admissions/
Director of International Admissions
[email protected]
India, Latin America
VERNON CASTILLO
Senior Associate Dean of Admissions
[email protected]
Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire,
Puerto Rico, Vermont
KATHERINE DESIENO
Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions
[email protected]
Capital Region (NY), New Jersey,
Western Massachusetts
SUSAN HANKS
Senior Associate Dean of Admissions
[email protected]
Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada,
North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Utah, Virginia, Washington,
Washington, D.C., Wyoming
MATTHEW MALATESTA ’91
Vice President for Admissions,
Financial Aid and Enrollment
[email protected]
California, Hawaii, Ohio, Tennessee,
West Virginia
Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions
[email protected]
Bergen County (NJ), Canada, Central
New York and the mid-Hudson region,
Putnam/Rockland/Westchester counties (NY)
XAVIER MCKINZIE ‘15
560
GEOGRAPHIC STATISTICS
New England
38%
New York
31%
Mid-Atlantic
9%
Rest of U.S.
12%
International
10%
GENDER
Female
45%
Male
55%
RACE/ETHNICITY
Assistant Dean of Admissions
[email protected]
Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri,
New York City
American Indian/Alaska Native
Asian
<1%
6%
Black/African-American
4%
Hispanic/Latino
9%
KATIE SCHUFF ‘12
Multi-Racial
4%
Assistant Dean of Admissions
[email protected]
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
South Carolina
TESTING
MARY KAREN VELLINES
Avg. SAT for enrolled students is 1960
(650/670/640).
International Admissions Officer
[email protected]
Asia
IMMEDIATE IMPACT + LIFELONG VALUE
#11: Liberal arts colleges whose graduates earn the most (Forbes)
Union is test optional.
Middle 50% SAT range is 1810-2100.
Middle 50% ACT range is 28-32.
Avg. ACT for enrolled students is 30.
DIVERSITY
VISIT PROGRAM
We host an overnight program for
high-achieving students from diverse
backgrounds who might not otherwise
be able to visit Union. This year’s Get to
Know Union event is set for Oct. 9-10
(Columbus Day holiday). Learn more
at union.edu/gtku.
$62K: Typical early career salary (College Scorecard)
ONGOING @ U
800+: Number of employers who interact with the
Becker Career Center each year
Union offers $43 million annually in
scholarships to more than 60% of students.
#16: Best Alumni Network (The Princeton Review)
The average need-based scholarship
is $32,500.
#19: Best Value Liberal Arts Colleges (PayScale.com)
#6: Most popular study abroad program
(The Princeton Review)
Top 40: Best National Liberal Arts Colleges
(U.S. News & World Report)
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The average merit award is $10,000.