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Purdue College of Ag introduces new path for students

Some students will be accepted now for January 2025 enrollment.

Tom J. Bechman, Midwest Crops Editor

December 20, 2023

2 Min Read
Bernie Engel, Purdue agriculture dean, stands behind a podium
NEW PATH: Purdue Agriculture Dean Bernie Engel announced that some students will be offered admission into the college for January 2025, instead of receiving deferred enrollment. Willie Vogt

Being one of the few colleges in Indiana and nationally with increasing enrollment has its perks, but it also has a downside. Only so many students fit into a physical space. As a result, some students whose credentials would seem strong enough to gain admission to Purdue have received denial letters instead over the past couple of years. That’s not a pleasant letter to receive. Nor is it a pleasant letter to send, especially when jobs for agriculture graduates are plentiful.

“We have come up with a workable solution, and the Purdue admissions people approved it,” Purdue Ag Dean Bernie Engel announced recently. “A number of students — as many as 400, perhaps — will receive acceptance letters into the Purdue College of Agriculture in January 2024 instead of denial or deferral letters. The letter will congratulate them for admission into the Purdue College of Agriculture beginning in January 2025.”

Engel made the announcement at the 2023 Indiana Farm Bureau Convention in Fort Wayne, Ind. “We were waiting on final approval, and now we need to spread the word quickly,” he explained.

Here’s how the adjustment will work. “If the letter tells them they are admitted into the College of Agriculture for January ’25, we can accept them, and they can come on campus for the spring semester in ’25,” Engel said. “Space opens in spring semesters, allowing us to accept more students. At the College of Agriculture, we want to capitalize on it by obtaining those spaces for solid, prospective agriculture students.”

Ken Foster, who served as interim dean until Engel was named in mid-2023, says it will be a great opportunity for many students. He notes that they have the option of enrolling in a community college for the fall ’24 semester, taking basic courses that will transfer to Purdue. In many cases, they could hold down costs, still living at home. Then they will be ready to transition to Purdue for spring ’25.

“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Foster concludes.

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About the Author

Tom J. Bechman

Midwest Crops Editor, Farm Progress

Tom J. Bechman became the Midwest Crops editor at Farm Progress in 2024 after serving as editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer for 23 years. He joined Farm Progress in 1981 as a field editor, first writing stories to help farmers adjust to a difficult harvest after a tough weather year. His goal today is the same — writing stories that help farmers adjust to a changing environment in a profitable manner.

Bechman knows about Indiana agriculture because he grew up on a small dairy farm and worked with young farmers as a vocational agriculture teacher and FFA advisor before joining Farm Progress. He works closely with Purdue University specialists, Indiana Farm Bureau and commodity groups to cover cutting-edge issues affecting farmers. He specializes in writing crop stories with a focus on obtaining the highest and most economical yields possible.

Tom and his wife, Carla, have four children: Allison, Ashley, Daniel and Kayla, plus eight grandchildren. They raise produce for the food pantry and house 4-H animals for the grandkids on their small acreage near Franklin, Ind.

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