Making Webb a Place Called Home
Freshman, George Hambleton, recounts his Orientation Experience
By George Hambleton ’23
I was not sure what to expect when I came to Webb. I knew the degree path was something I wanted to pursue but I had reservations about moving away from my friends. I was going in blind since I had not communicated with any of my new classmates and it was my first time moving out of my home state of Florida. However, after I arrived at Webb, I was happily surprised by the number of activities planned for the class to get to know each other. We had a clue hunt around Webb, a drawing class, beach trip, and a scavenger hunt in New York City. These activities really helped me connect with my classmates and feel comfortable at Webb.
I particularly found the clue hunt around Webb helpful. We were given tours during our prospective freshman visits and at the beginning of orientation, but it was the clue hunt that helped me understand the layout of campus best. For the hunt, we were given short riddles or picture clues and then we had to find the location the clue was directing us towards. It took my group all over campus, so I was able to navigate myself around campus and really figure out where everything is located. The hunt was run by upperclassmen, so it also helped me meet some of the other students. My experiences with the clue hunt and other activities have made Webb feel like home.
Webb completes its 2nd year of Meeting Full Demonstrated Need of All Students with Support from the Gardiner Foundation
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation was founded in 1987 with the purpose of providing support to the State of New York by promoting New York’s history, culture, and heritage. In 2018, the Gardiner Foundation chose to support Webb Institute by awarding Webb a $250,000 grant to be used over three years in order to assist Webb in meeting the full demonstrated financial need of all students.
William H. Webb, known as the foremost shipbuilder in New York City during the 19th Century, established and endowed Webb’s Academy in 1889. His vision included providing full financial support for the cost of attendance. Today this support comes in the form of Webb’s full-tuition scholarship. Recently, however, even with the generosity of this full-tuition scholarship, other expenses including room and board fees, activity fees, and transportation costs have made affording the Webb experience difficult for some students with high financial need.
The term “demonstrated financial need” has been defined as the difference between total college cost of attendance and the family’s ability to pay, which is determined by the information families provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Webb’s admissions process has always been need-blind. Now, with the support of the Gardiner Foundation, Webb has joined a small group of institutions who currently meet the full demonstrated financial need of all students, making Webb accessible to students regardless of their ability to pay. The success of this initiative can be seen in looking at the statistics. Since implementing this program just last year, Webb has seen a 50% increase in the total amount of demonstrated financial need. In fact, the current freshman class represents 62% of total need this academic year, all of which was met by scholarships and limited loans. In addition, this program has provided Webb with the time to begin to develop an endowment to sustain this initiative and ensure limited debt upon graduation. The continued support of this initiative has also been named as a priority in Webb’s strategic plan.
Webb Institute is thankful for the Gardiner Foundation’s support. The Foundation has assisted Webb Institute in recruiting and educating students who are interested in pursuing a career in naval architecture and marine engineering and preserving the history of this unique educational institution.
Webb Announces New Assistant Director of Student Affairs and Residence Life
Webb would like to introduce Marissa Alperin as the new Assistant Director of Student Affairs and Residence Life.
Before joining the team at Webb, Marissa worked in higher education at the State University of New York at New Paltz in Undergraduate Admissions as a Student Manager and Ambassador, and for Student Affairs as a Work Studies Manager and Student Activities Manager. Most recently, Marissa worked as a Residential Director at Skidmore College. While working in these positions, Marissa helped provide prospective and current students with an enriching, safe, and educational environment, so that students could excel in academic and social communities on campus. Having experience in running school Open houses, overseeing student employees, organizing/running events, and being a point person for emergencies, Marissa is eager to begin her journey here at Webb.
Marissa has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the State University of New York. Upon graduation, Marissa’s research was electronically published by the school, and she received a Distinguished Senior in Student Affairs award.
As the new Assistant Director of Student Affairs and Residence Life, Marissa will be in charge of student wellness, student health, student activities, residential life, emergencies, parking, and van access, among other tasks.
When Marissa is not on campus, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, singing, traveling/exploring new places, watching some of her favorite shows: Game of Thrones, The Office, and Gilmore Girls, and going to museums.
Webb Institute Featured in The Princeton Review’s “Best 385 Colleges” Guide for 2020
Webb Institute is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduates to earn their college degree, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company profiles and recommends Webb in the 2020 edition of its annual college guide, The Best 385 Colleges (Penguin Random House, August 6, 2019, $24.99).
Only about 13% of America’s 3,000 four-year colleges are profiled in the book, which is one of The Princeton Review’s most popular publications. The company chooses the colleges for the book based on data it annually collects from administrators at hundreds of colleges about their institutions’ academic offerings. The Princeton Review also considers data it gathers from its surveys of college students who rate and report on various aspects of their campus and community experiences for this project.
“We salute Webb for its outstanding academics and we are truly pleased to recommend it to prospective applicants searching for their personal ‘best-fit’ college,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 385 Colleges.
In the profile on Webb, The Princeton Review praises the school for its admissions committee that “is dedicated to finding students who will excel in the school’s rigorous program” and quotes from Webb students the company surveyed for the book. One student commented that winter work term “gives each student a feel for industry sectors and allow them to make improved career decisions when selecting a first job.” Another student speaks about the family atmosphere at Webb, saying students “become best friends very quickly, giving everyone great support systems both academically and socially.”
The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book from 1 to 385. Instead, it reports 62 ranking lists of top 20 schools in the book in various categories important to prospective applicants and their parents. Categories of ranking lists range from “Best Career Services” and “Great Financial Aid” to “Professors Get High Marks” and “Best Campus Food.” The rankings in this edition are based on the company’s surveys of 140,000 students at the 385 schools in the book.
Webb is on the following ranking lists in “The Best 385 Colleges”:
#5 Most Accessible Professors
#9 Students Study the Most
The Princeton Review’s school profiles and 62 ranking lists inThe Best 385 Colleges are posted at www.princetonreview.com/best385 where they can be searched for free with site registration.
The Best 385 Colleges is the 28th annual edition of The Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” book and one of 150 Princeton Review books in a line published by Penguin Random House.
It has been featured on NBC “TODAY” more than a dozen times, and referenced by reporters in publications from Inside Higher Education to The Wall Street Journal.
The Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com) is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep courses, books, and other student resources. Headquartered in New York, NY, it is not affiliated with Princeton University.
About The Princeton Review:
The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school-bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and its more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House. Its Tutor.com brand is the largest online tutoring service in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 15 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York, NY. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit The Princeton Review. Follow the company on Twitter @ThePrincetonRev and Instagram @theprincetnreview.
Homecoming 2019
The Last of Its Kind!
This was an extremely special Homecoming, the last one of its kind until the opening of the new Couch Academic Center, where the landscape of the campus will be forever changed for the better!
Presentations were made focusing on the history and future of Webb, starting with a viewing of Spencer Schubert’s Zeien lecture about the concept and creation of the life-sized, bronze sculpture of William H. Webb. Afterwards, a presentation was made by students, describing their recent Winter Work experiences. Reneé Tremblay ’20 and Linda Waters ’20 spoke about the “The Braes”and the history of the Glen Cove campus. This was followed by a presentation by President Michel and architect, Dr. Carol Bentel of Bentel & Bentel, about the landscaping and construction of the Couch Academic Center.
Special highlights included personal tours of the new Couch Academic Center given by President Michel ’73, Dean Werner ’95, PG’97, and Dr. Bentel.
As always, the WooFS gave an excellent performance, as did the Webb Student Jazz Band.
Special thanks to Gailmarie Sujecki and the Development, Culinary, Media Relations, and Facilities teams that made this all possible!