WT Alumni Now Empowered to Recommend Future WT Students for Fast-Tracked Admission

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University alumni will soon be empowered to help expand the size of the Buffalo herd.

The WT Alumni Scholars program will allow alumni to recommend WT admission for up to five potential students per admission cycle from any high school or community college.

“We recognize that the traditional admissions process can overlook bright students with the potential to succeed,” University President Dr. Walter Wendler said in announcing the new program. “We acknowledge that those who know these students and are willing to vouch for their drive to succeed is a reliable and trustworthy indicator of potential, which we value. It is the WT way. We are excited to partner with WT alumni through the WTAS program to identify and serve students of the great state of Texas and beyond.”

Alumni will be empowered to identify scholars for the program who may benefit from the recognition of someone they know and trust, who need encouragement down the path of higher education, or who possess potential that may have not yet been recognized in a traditional admissions process, Wendler said.

Students recommended by alumni will have their application fee waived, will be given express admission to the University and will be automatically in consideration for WT scholarships, including the WT Merit Scholarship Program.

“We will contact each student individually and let them know of the confidence expressed in them by our alumni,” said Jeffrey Baylor, executive director of admissions. “We also will walk each potential student individually through the process of becoming a Buff.”

Alumni should recommend students who meet WT’s admissions requirements.

“We are very excited to partner with our alumni to reach more potential Buffs,” said Ronnie Hall, WT Alumni Association executive director. “Recruitment is incredibly competitive, and we know that our alumni can play a major role in helping attract talented students to WTAMU. Alumni know our school the best, and they know the impact that our University can make in their life.”

To nominate students, alumni should complete the WT Alumni Scholars Recommendation Form.

The WT Alumni Scholars program is similar to the WT Principal’s Scholars Program, which was announced in 2019. Principals at 1A and 2A high schools around the state may nominate up to five students a year for the program. For Fall 2021, approximately 500 students have been recommended for WT admission by principals and superintendents.

The WT Alumni Scholars Program reflects a desire to build undergraduate academic excellence, a key maxim in the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 40 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 15 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WTAMU—