From the Nominator

Hobart and William Smith’s (HWS's) mission is to prepare students to lead lives of consequence. A liberal arts and sciences institution, HWS is known for consistently and successfully preparing students for meaningful lives and fulfilling careers through an outcomes-based focus on their futures. To authentically convey this message, we produced a video showcasing six students and their HWS experiences. Through their own words, the impact of an HWS education was expressed and our mission statement was defined. The video emphasizes that all HWS students have the opportunity to participate in life-altering experiences, and the path to a life of consequence is truly unique. With a goal of impacting first-year enrollment, we played this video during the welcoming remarks at each admitted student day in spring 2023. Fifty-four percent of attendees at our admitted student days enrolled at HWS for fall 2023, and our overall yield rate increased by three percentage points compared to the previous year. We also began showing the video during information sessions, junior visit days, and open houses for prospective students.

From the Judges

We offer our congratulations to the Hobart and William Smith team behind this purposeful video. The video was authentic, allowing students to articulate their relationship to the college and its mission in their own way. The video delivered something for everyone. Production quality was high, and fabulous b-roll!