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Asking About Financial Aid

As a new Admissions Counselor I am really enjoying my time on the road visiting different student and high schools around the country. I just got back from Atlanta where I saw a lot of amazing students and really enjoyed the beautiful (but hot!) weather. However, in my travel I have come across a lot of commonly asked questions.

The first question I am always asked is usually about scholarships at Holy Cross. My response is always the same: “We have limited merit aid options because we are a financial aid based school. However, should you apply for aid,  we meet 100% of your family’s demonstrated need.”

Nonetheless, students seem to think that Holy Cross is a financially unreachable goal when they hear that scholarships are limited. What I have to tell you is that you should never cross a college/university off of your list because of the “sticker price” of the school. Look into each school’s financial aid or merit scholarship options and do research on different colleges’ financial aid packages. Try reaching out to some financial aid offices as well. You may be pleasantly surprised and learn that colleges that seemed out of reach financially are affordable options with great aid packages.

A better question to ask these different college representatives when you see them at a fair or high school is “What kind of aid do you offer: financial aid or merit scholarships? Could you also tell me more about the specific type of aid your school offers?”

Krystle Leveille

Admissions Counselor
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Most Frequently Asked Questions from the Road

The last few weeks have been exciting and rewarding as all of us in the Admissions Office have been traveling the country, meeting with students in their hometowns and in their high schools.  After traveling for a few days, it becomes apparent that many students tend to ask the same questions in town after town.  Here below are the most frequently asked questions with my answers.

  1. 1. “Is ___ a good topic for my essay?”

Yes — if that’s the topic you’ve selected.  No – if someone else told you to write about it.

2. “Are interviews required at Holy Cross?”

No, but they are strongly recommended.  For more information regarding interviews, click here.

3. “What’s that on your shirt?“

Ketchup.  Or salsa.  Or both.

4. “Do you offer Early Action?”

No.  But we do offer Early Decision.  For more information, see here:

5. “What’s your single favorite thing about Holy Cross?”

The people.  The food.  The Jesuit mission.  The Admissions Office.  Worcester.

6. “Isn’t that more than one?”

Yes.

7. “Should I submit my SAT scores?”

That’s a great conversation to have with your guidance counselor but know this – in our review process, we are going to focus on your accomplishments over the course of four years, not four hours on a Saturday morning.

Thanks to all those who have come out to meet with us on the road this fall.  If you still have more questions or just want to learn more, we hope you’ll be able to attend one of our two Fall Open House events.  For more details, see here.
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Want to Dance? Interviewing with Holy Cross

We do.  The college search and application process has definitely begun for many of you.  Some of you have visited campus, taken a tour, attended an information session, or met with a representative who visited your school.  All of these things are important activities for you to take advantage of, and all are steps in the “dance” that is the college application process.  Engaging in any or all of these things are important opportunities for you to demonstrate your interest in the college.

One of the most important expressions of interest in which you can engage is a personal interview.  We offer on campus interviews Monday through Friday, 9AM to 4PM.  The last day for on campus interviews will be December 29.  While on campus for your interview you may meet with a Counselor on staff, with an alumnus if you happen to interview on one of our select Saturdays, or with one of our twenty five Senior Interviewers.  To learn more about the diversity of our seniors, their academic and co-curricular involvement, and why they chose to enroll at Holy Cross, see them here: http://admissions.holycross.edu/contact-us/senior-interviewers.

If a trip to campus for your interview is not possible, as an alternative you could see if we are hosting an interview event in your area , or request a local alumni interview in your home area.  For more information on off-campus Alumni Interviews, simply follow this link.

James Richardson

Associate Director of Admissions
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Interviewing Students Throughout the Country

During the fall months, as we travel around the country meeting with prospective students at various high schools, we also have the chance to offer interview nights in several cities. Often times, these interview nights will be hosted by an admissions counselor but may include the opportunity for interested students to meet with alumni who now live in their home state.

This past week, I was fortunate enough to meet with several high school students in Milwaukee and Chicago. As admissions counselors, we can learn a lot from your application file – but nothing will tell us more about who you are than an interview. Interviews are a great way to learn more about a candidate – to get a feel for what they’re looking for in a college, what dreams/aspirations they have, and what they’ve been involved with during their high school years. I love meeting with students and learning more about what makes you, you.

If you haven’t already had an interview, I’d encourage you to think about scheduling one. They’re painless, I promise! We just to get to know you better, and to add another dimension to your application.

Signing up has never been easier! If you’re interested in scheduling an interview for one of our off campus interview nights, please fill out our form online and someone from our office will be in touch to assign you a time slot.

We look forward to meeting you!

Diane Soboski
Assistant Director of Admissions
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Fall Day Visits Have Begun!

What’s the best way to see if a potential college is the right place for you? Come visit! Even if you’ve already taken a campus tour of Holy Cross, you might want to think about signing up for a Full Day Visit. High school seniors have the opportunity to come to campus and essentially live the life of a Holy Cross student for a day. We will do our best to match you with a student who will share similar academic or extracurricular interests. You’ll attend class, eat lunch in the dining hall, meet professors, and possibly attend club meetings.

Why should you come to Holy Cross for a Day Visit?  Spending some quality time on campus, both in and out of the classroom, can be a real eye-opener. You’ll have a better sense of whether you can potentially see yourself as a future Crusader. Additionally, by making the commitment to spend a whole day here, you’re letting us in Admissions know that you’re serious about applying to Holy Cross.

To sign up for a Day Visit, please visit our registration page. We look forward to seeing you on campus!

Nicole Zervos ‘09

Admissions Counselor
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Senior Year Matters

Hurrah! I’m a senior! Did you say or think something similar in the past few weeks? How long did your excitement last before you became overwhelmed by your seemingly endless to-do list? Probably not too long. Many of you are preparing to dive head first into the college application process, which may be equal parts exciting and terrifying. You might be tempted to let it take over your life, and at some points you might feel like it has.

So I’d like to offer a few words of advice. As you spend time writing your essay, figuring out your parents’ job titles, memorizing your social security number and squeezing in campus visits and interviews, don’t forget to continue being the amazing student and person that you’ve always been. In the minds of admission officers-and certainly those of us at Holy Cross-senior year matters, and it matters a lot. This is the year when you have the greatest opportunity to show off your talents in and out of the classroom. You didn’t sign up for all those upper level courses or take on leadership roles just for show, did you?

As you start to focus on your applications, try not to let school-or life-take a permanent back seat. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.
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Newest Admissions Officer, Julliana Jennings

Hi!  My name is Julliana Jennings and I am the new Assistant Director of Admissions/ Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment here at Holy Cross.  I can definitely relate to the class of 2014 who moved in the Saturday prior to my first day. In many ways, I feel like a first year student at Holy Cross, learning my way around campus (meaning I get lost a little less each day), meeting key people who will be important to my success while here at the college, and mapping out my road to success. I’ve come to Holy Cross by way of Brandeis University where I was a member of the admissions department coordinating diversity recruitment.  I am thrilled to be at Holy Cross and feel extremely fortunate to be able to work with the amazing students, faculty, and staff here and, of course, all of you. Every day I am here,  I am impressed by the warm and welcoming community found at Holy Cross and am excited to contribute to this environment

I grew up in Central New Jersey, went to college in Williamsburg, VA, and now live in Waltham, MA. Exploring the East Coast has been a lot of fun thus far, but I am proud to now call New England home and I look forward to helping you learn more about Holy Cross, Worcester, and New England. I absolutely love working in undergraduate admissions.  Being able to guide high school students through the admissions process is extremely rewarding to me and I can’t wait to meet any interested students here on campus or on my travels to New York City and the D.C./Northern Virginia areas. I know that the beginning of a new school year can be tough, especially one as hectic as senior year, but if you have any questions about the college process along the way, please do not hesitate to ask.  We’re here to help!
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On the Road Again…

When I was growing up, I was always the child who was overly excited for the summer to come to an end and the school year to begin again. The night before my first day, you could always find me choosing my outfit carefully, laying it out on my whicker rocking chair and making sure that every pencil, pen, notebook and binder were in their precise place in my blue L.L. Bean backpack. Although those days are long gone, every September, I still become a bit nostalgic for those magical first days of school.

Even though I no longer have those first days of school to look forward to, I am fortunate enough to visit high school students that do. Although I no longer have to make sure I am at the bus stop on time, I do have to make sure I arrive at my high school visit according to schedule. Before my first days of travel season, I still go through the same routine of choosing my outfits carefully (there is only so much space in my luggage), laying out all the things I need (a good book, my iPod, and of course my GPS to navigate my way through unknown territory), and making sure that every Holy Cross pen, inquiry card, banner and brochure is in its precise place in my black travel bag.  As I go through this yearly routine, I cannot help to feel the same excitement as I did back then at the upcoming days, particularly because I am looking forward to meeting all of you.

Please feel free to visit our website to learn more about Holy Cross visiting your high school this fall.

Lauren Thornton

Assistant Director of Admissions
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Course Offerings at Holy Cross

The semester is in full swing up on the hill!  Fall classes began on September 1st and we couldn’t be more excited for another year full of discovery and accomplishment.  Passing through the music department the other day, the hall was filled with jazz music.  It made me curious about the topic of the course seeing as how it was only the second day and they were already listening to some amazing music.  Come to find out the music department offers several courses with topics in jazz.  Just another fantastic opportunity at Holy Cross.  Take a look at the catalog and see what courses catch your attention!

Amanda Juriansz

Assistant Director of Admissions
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New Admissions Publications

Since you are reading this, you have undoubtedly seen the changes to the Admissions website.  The addition of video and audio slide shows really adds a lot to the on-line experience.  I hope you like these new features!

While we were working on the upgrade to the Admissions website, we were also tackling a redesign of all our print material. It was an enormous undertaking. But now that it is done, I can honestly say that it was well worth the effort.  The new viewbook, the first piece to go out, hit the mail last week.  So far, reaction from students and parents has been tremendous.  Be sure that you are on our mailing list so you don’t miss out…

So what do I like best about the new web and print pieces?  Well, the photography is gorgeous and you really get a feel for the campus. But what I really love is hearing and reading about the Holy Cross experience directly from our students.  Who better to describe the amazing opportunities available here?

Ann McDermott

Director of Admissions