In the midst of a year that had unexpected national delays and challenges, Longwood University is on pace to bring in its largest freshman class since before the Covid pandemic, building on an expanding reputation and a focus on personal engagement with students and families. We sat down with Dean of Admissions Jason “Ferg” Ferguson to talk about how he and his team dealt with challenges and doubled down on Longwood’s strengths.
What made this cycle more challenging than most?
The changes to and delayed rollout of the FAFSA form and calculation as a circumstance that every college and university out there had to navigate. Those changes and delays caused a lot of uncertainty among families as they thought about paying for college and what aid they were going to be eligible for. It upended the timeline of a normal admissions year—we extended our deposit deadline to May 15, and released our financial aid offers about four months later than typically, which was still sooner than so many institutions were in a position to do.
We doubled down on what we are good at, and we’re good at helping people. I say it all the time: the reason people have such a good feeling when they walk away from campus is because we are genuinely who we are.
Dean of Admissions Jason “Ferg” Ferguson Tweet This
How did the Admissions staff navigate that challenge?
We doubled down on what we are good at, and we’re good at helping people. I say it all the time: the reason people have such a good feeling when they walk away from campus is because we are genuinely who we are. So when the FAFSA delays started impacting the cycle, we started communicating with families and students often, letting them know where things stood and talking them through the process. The Financial Aid office offered virtual or in-person one-on-one sessions with anyone—and I mean anyone—who needed to talk it through. We geared up to work overtime so we could release offers as quickly as possible once we got the information from the Department of Education. But from the top down, we treated families like we would want to be treated: with respect, understanding their frustration, and always with a helpful hand out.
Was that approach effective?
We had a really positive cycle this year, with a lot of good indicators we can continue to build on. Our visits were up, which is something we always look for, and at the deposit deadline the size of our incoming freshman class was not only over last year’s numbers, but we were able to exceed our internal benchmark as well. That’s a testament to a lot of hard work across the university, and to the continuing strength of Longwood’s mission, which resonates with students and families.
When you come to Longwood, you are truly joining a family—and that’s not just lip-service.
Associate Director of Admissions Nicole Gilson ’18
Your approach to the job is somewhat unique among deans of admission at mid-sized universities. Can you talk about how you developed that approach and its effect?
Instead of me answering that, I’ll let Nicole Gilson ’18, our associate director of admissions take it on.
Nicole: It’s such a personal approach to anyone who walks in the door, and it really sets the tone for all of us. Ferg doesn’t really say it, but he does it. No job is too small, and he’s always willing to drop whatever he’s doing to give a tour or sit with parents and talk about the admissions process or walk them over to a particular office. That is the type of personal touch from someone at the dean level from small private colleges. But it’s very much what makes Longwood special and it makes the rest of the staff want to approach their jobs with the same level of unbelievable customer service.
Tell me about that customer service. What goes into it?
Nicole: A couple of things. When you come to Longwood, you are truly joining a family—and that’s not just lip-service. Families go out of their way to do things for each other, and that’s the type of feeling we want to leave people with when they come for a big admissions event, or a group tour, or even when they pop in unscheduled for a quick tour during Spring Break. Beyond that, this year we restructured our department so that admissions counselors aren’t Farmville-based. They live in the areas where they work, which means they can go to band concerts or basketball games or high school plays and develop much deeper relationships with students than they could previously. And that mirrors the experience they’ll have here at Longwood—an academic community where professors and staff are invested in student success and in supporting their development.
We like who we are, we do it well, and I think that comes across when you step onto campus.
Dean of Admissions Jason “Ferg” Ferguson Tweet This
After a successful cycle, where do we go from here?
Ferg: The college admissions landscape is shifting, there’s no doubt about it, and every college and university no matter the size is dealing with that. What’s encouraging is that Longwood has a great sense of momentum, and there is the desire for the college experience that we offer. We’re seeing growth in many important areas—for instance our applications to the Cormier Honors College continue to rise rapidly as its reputation grows among Virginia’s best students. It’s a place where students can grow in a supportive yet challenging environment and have the space to develop into the people they are going to be. One thing I’ve always liked about Longwood is that it’s not trying to be something it’s not – we aren’t depending on exponential growth. We like who we are, we do it well, and I think that comes across when you step onto campus.
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