Jennifer Winge named Wooster’s next vice president for enrollment
WOOSTER, Ohio (Mar. 12)—Jennifer Winge, a 25-year college admissions executive and current dean of admissions, has been named to the role of vice president for enrollment, effective July 1. Winge succeeds Scott Friedhoff, who will retire at the end of the academic year after 40 years of exceptional leadership in the field and more than 11 years in the vice president role at Wooster.
“Jenn brings a passion for the ever-changing dynamics of enrollment management and college counseling, and Wooster is fortunate to have someone of her exceptional experience, knowledge and abilities to lead our vision and direction for student recruitment into the future,” said President Sarah Bolton. “She is well-known by colleagues across campus as a collaborative partner, and her deep commitment to ensuring Wooster’s values remain at the forefront of the admission process aligns powerfully with our mission. She is deeply committed to access and affordability, as well as to strengthening Wooster’s diversity and global community. Her limitless creativity and enthusiasm throughout her tenure, and in particular, during the pandemic has played a key role in our continued enrollment strength and ensures Wooster’s ability to offer critical engagement opportunities to students and families.”
As dean of admissions, Winge leads a team of 14 admission staff and counselors and oversees the admissions process to ensure the best possible experience for prospective students and their families. During her time at Wooster, she has expanded the calendar of campus visit programming, implemented Slate CRM to create a more robust integrated communication plan and online application review process, and established the Early Aid Estimator in collaboration with the financial aid office. She also played a lead role in the College’s move to test-optional admissions.
“I’m extremely humbled and honored to accept the vice president role and look forward to leading an incredibly talented admissions and financial aid team,” said Winge. “Scott Friedhoff has been integral in the College’s enrollment success, and I am fortunate to have served alongside him. I look forward to collaborating with campus partners to strengthen our enrollment strategies, broaden Wooster’s global reach, and remain nimble in a challenging marketplace.”
Prior to joining Wooster in 2011, Winge held a succession of progressively responsible positions at her alma mater, Allegheny College, including associate director of admissions from 2001 to 2006, director of admissions from 2006 to 2010, and dean of admissions from 2010 to 2011, serving on the President’s Cabinet. She also spent time as director of college counseling and as an English instructor at The Kiski School, a private high school near Pittsburgh, PA.
She is an active member of professional associations in Ohio and nationally, advocating broadly before government and the public for the institutions and families served by private higher education. Currently, she is on the executive committee for the Ohio Association of College Admission Counselors (OACAC) and chairs its committee for admission practices; is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counselors (NACAC), where she has previously served as delegate to the NACAC Assembly; and is on the advisory council for SAGE Scholars where she helps to promote the values and affordability of private higher education.
Winge is a sought-after expert on college admission topics and has presented frequently at high schools across the country and as part of national panels of industry leaders and journalists. In June, she will lead a panel with Whitman College at the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Virtual 2021 Spring Conference on the topic of financial aid transparency and Wooster’s distinct tools for students to learn aid eligibility early.
Winge is a graduate of Allegheny College with a Bachelor’s degree in English and teacher certification. She resides in Wooster with her husband Joe, son Ben, and two dogs Darby and Ella.
In a letter announcing the transition to campus, Bolton lauded outgoing Vice President for Enrollment Scott Friedhoff for his role in meeting new-student goals every year, with consistently strong first-year classes despite a competitive recruiting environment challenged by a national decline in the number of high school graduates. “Under his leadership, our percentage of U.S. students of color has doubled, our number of international students has increased from 20 to almost 100 per class, and the number of low-income students coming to Wooster has increased each year,” said Bolton, drawing attention to the College’s longstanding partnership with the POSSE Foundation, the Tuition Free Guarantee for Pell-Eligible students from Ohio, and new collaborations with International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. “His work to make college financial aid more transparent has been profiled nationally, and led to Wooster being featured in the national best-seller, “The Price You Pay for College” earlier this year.”
Friedhoff will continue at Wooster in a part-time role to support a successful transition and several special projects through January 22, 2022.
“Jenn is just terrific! She is nationally admired and is acknowledged as one of the true enrollment experts. She will continue to build and shape the wonderful new student classes that we have become known for,” said Friedhoff said of his long-time colleague. “I look forward to working with her during the transition and will be very sad when our nearly 20-year partnership ends. I won’t, however, miss her telling me what to do all the time!”
Posted in News on March 12, 2021.
