Purdue’s College of Agriculture is ranked third in the U.S. and fifth in the world—which is why a lot of students are drawn to the university. It’s also why there’s an overflow of student applications. However, Purdue has developed a new Spring Start program to allow more students into its College of Agriculture.
“We hope that every student that gets invited to the College of Ag Spring Start program will accept that offer,” says Dr. Christine Wilson, Senior Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs with Purdue’s College of Agriculture.
“This Spring Start program is really designed for students who have applied to the College of Agriculture to Purdue University for a fall start, but as most people know, Purdue has held tuition flat for the last 13 years. That is great and helps make a college education very affordable for a larger group of individuals, but that also comes with some challenges as more and more students want to come to Purdue,” says Wilson.
Those challenges mean there are a limited number of classes and living spaces for students in the fall. However, as students graduate in December, that opens more space for new students to start in the Spring.
“Our Spring Start program gives the opportunity to students who have applied for a fall admission, but due to capacity constraints, they’re probably not going to be able to start with us in the fall. They are accepted as a College of Agriculture student if they’re accepted into the Spring Start program and they’re able to begin their college career directly at Purdue, but it will be just one semester later than what potentially they had originally planned,” says Wilson.
College of Agriculture Spring Start (CASS) students will meet with their academic advisor this summer to discuss their off-campus plan for the fall semester and put together a full-time schedule for Spring of 2025.
The CASS program will be distinctive in its level of programmatic support. A program manager will host in-person and virtual activities in the fall semester for students to meet each other and begin to build relationships, connect with faculty and staff, and experience campus life. CASS students will also be invited to participate in Boiler Cold Rush, a university wide orientation for students starting their Purdue career in the spring.
