Welcome to Make it Miami!

Greetings from Oxford. I'm Bethany Perkins. And I serve as the Assistant Vice President and Director of Admission. On behalf of the team, it is my privilege and honor to welcome you, our admitted students, as the newest members of the Miami family. And it should be an honor because even a global pandemic didn't stop you from being admitted as part of Miami University's most academically accomplished, most diverse applicant pool in its 212 year history. So congratulations. Congratulations on the academic achievements, and the obstacles that you have overcome in order to be in this moment, in this place. By our February 1 application deadline, we will receive almost 29,000 applications from over 100 countries and all 50 states for a class that we hope to be only just over 4,000 in size. So this is a big deal. And we celebrate you in this moment.

Out of the 29,000 applications, each of you brought to us a unique set of insights, experiences, essays and documents for us to review. And while I understand that the application review process may still seem a bit mysterious to you, I can assure you that at Miami University your application received an extensive and thorough review. We read every page of every application. We scrutinized your courses and grades. We read your recommendations. We went through your list of extracurriculars, your contributions at work, and at home, your recognitions and awards. We read your essays. And some of you wrote about significant issues nationally and globally or to you. Or significant experiences, maybe even the experience of extreme adversity and disruption to life as you knew it in the past year. I have personally been moved by the support and strength that many of you have brought to your homes and to your communities. In this time when your routines, your responsibilities, and oftentimes your resources were significantly changed, and overnight. Some of you on the other hand, wrote about people who have provided support and strength to you over the years. Who've inspired you, whether it's a mother, a father, a sibling, another family member, who has really been your support. So while we have applauded your accomplishments, I'd like to take a moment to celebrate those who have come alongside you in your college search journey. To those of you who have come alongside your students and are watching right now, who have masked up and visited our campuses, or slipped college mail under a bedroom door to keep your student motivated, with their eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. For those of you who are listening and weighing in on pros and cons, while also managing unprecedented demands. I see you and I commend you. Thank you so much. And we look forward to supporting your student with you in the future. All in all, it has been a privilege to review applications for admission this year. Thank you for letting us in. For letting us get to know you a little bit and to see what contributions you might make to the Miami University community. It helped us make a wonderful decision.

And now it's our turn. Miami's turn to help you make a wonderful decision to determine whether or not Oxford is where you will call home for the next four years. So you have several opportunities to take advantage of. You can explore and even register for some of these programs directly in this platform, or even explore our virtual tours. But I'd like you to stay in tune with your email as well as text messages, especially if you're not signed up already. And parents or family members if we have your email address. Don't worry, we will copy you on these invitations as well. There are a few things. You'll be invited by faculty to explore majors and programs you're interested in further. You'll have the opportunity to learn more about next steps with financial aid from our Office of Student Financial Assistance or to schedule an appointment if you have questions about your specific financial aid offer.

We also kickoff on February 9 our virtual Red Brick Road Shows where you will hear directly from our current students and alumni. And in March, you'll have the chance to participate in learning, and perhaps a little bit of fun, with your fellow Miamians as a part of our Sundial Series. We have a lot of fun in store, please have fun and explore.

And I'd like to end with a few call outs. Alumni. If you are watching this with the next Miami generation, please join our Family Facebook page and share the spirit of Love and Honor with our newest members of the Miami community. For current parents of Miami students, or past Miami students, please join our Family Facebook page as well. Because you have walked the walk, you have paid the bills, and you offer an invaluable experience and insight to our newest Miami parents. To our admitted students, we already see you coming into our Admitted Student Facebook group and dropping your Snaps and your Instas. Keep it up because you are connecting right now with who very well might be your future roommates, neighbors, and lifelong friends. And that's important.

Lastly, dear class of 2025. You have been through a lot, especially in this past year. And you have earned every minute of an unparalleled wonderful college experience. Now we believe that there is no better place for you to spend four years to learn, to grow, to fail, to develop, and become the person and professional you desire to be than at Miami University. The entire Miami University community is here for you. So please feel free to call chat, email, tweet, DM. We want to introduce you to a place we hope you call home for the next four years. So we hope to see you in Oxford soon. Love and Honor.