Admissions Staff – Page 27 – Admission: Not Impossible

May 5, 2010

The College Fair: Where Do I Start?

This past week, I’ve been doing a few college fairs at high schools and at national events. College fairs are a good way to start seeing what types of colleges are out there, but they can also be extremely overwhelming. Students often come up to our table and not know what to do or say. I thought I’d share a few pointers to get you started:

Know that we’re here to talk to you. Our job as Admissions Counselors is to talk to students about our institutions. Don’t be afraid to approach us. We’re all friendly people and we want to tell you why our college is the place for you.

It’s OK if you don’t know anything about the school. One of my favorite parts of college fairs is talking to students who know nothing about Holy Cross. Often, by the time we’re through talking, they’re signing up for the mailing list and excited to come for a campus tour.

Go beyond asking about the numbers. While it’s ok to ask about average GPA or test scores, that type of information is easily accessible on the internet or in a school’s literature. Try to make your questions as specific as possible. Ask what makes an application successful or find out what campus life is like, how well the professors interact with students, if internships are offered, etc.

Filling out the card does matter. A lot of students who are already on our mailing list ask if they need to fill out an inquiry card. While this is not the case at all schools, we do keep track of the type of contact you’ve made with Holy Cross. We want to give you credit for putting in the effort to talk to us at a fair. Printing up pre-made labels is a quick way to avoid writer’s cramp at college fairs.

If you see me at a college fair this spring or next fall, don’t be afraid to stop by and say hi! Ask me a question and I’ll be more than happy to answer.

Nicole Zervos ’09

Admissions Counselor

April 27, 2010

Why Holy Cross? Community, Balance, Location

TranKim-Senior.BLOG2 In case you are still debating whether or not Holy Cross is for you, I want to offer some of my personal and professional thoughts on why Holy Cross is so special and why you should apply.

The community that exists at Holy Cross is incredibly supportive, nurturing and close-knit. It is a place where students look out for each other, where faculty members take time to help each student succeed and where administrators take the time to get to know and care for each student. You cannot get lost here as a student unless you are purposely trying to hide. Struggle is inherent to the college experience, but regardless of the challenges they face during their time on the hill, students at Holy Cross have always been able to find the support they need to overcome any adversity and succeed.

Second, you have the best of both worlds at Holy Cross, the excitement of a large school setting and the intimacy of a small school setting. Because we offer a Division I athletic program, you will find incredible support for athletics and a strong network of fans for our various sports teams. As I often say to students, you have the feel and energy of a bigger school at Holy Cross even though we are a community of less than 3,000. It’s a place where you can count on students to proudly don their Holy Cross gear at football games or paint themselves purple to attend a basketball game. At the same time, you can always count on receiving the best of what a small school can offer you: one-on-one attention in the academic arena. In the classroom, you are treated as an individual and as an intellectual. Professors will not just talk at you but they will talk to you, and you can always expect to have a collaborative relationship with faculty members.

A third reason is our location in Worcester. Worcester is the second largest city in the New England region and is an incredible environment for higher learning. It is rich in culture and industry with residents from all over the world and industries that range from medicine to education to business. There is a little bit of something for everyone. Such an environment is uncommon for a small liberal arts school, most of which are located in more rural environments. In Worcester, it is easy to find good food, good shopping and good entertainment among other things.

I could give you a plethora of other reasons to attend Holy Cross but there’s not enough time. I hope that these thoughts give you a few more things to consider as you make your enrollment decision. And of course, I hope to see you on campus this coming fall!

Tran Kim-Senior
Assistant Director of Admissions
Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment

April 21, 2010

Open House Reflections

AnnMcDermott.BLOG2 Open House for admitted students may just be my favorite day of the year. Why? The excitement, energy and enthusiasm of all who participate create an atmosphere that is well, electric. On Sunday, April 18th, 550 students arrived on our campus, along with parents and assorted other family members. They were greeted by an army of Holy Cross student volunteers. The Crusader (our mascot) also greeted our guests, offering souvenir photo ops. Faculty and staff were on hand to describe programs and answer questions about what makes the Holy Cross experience unique. But for a passing downpour, it was by all accounts, a great day. To those of you who attended Open House, thanks for coming! We hope you enjoyed your time on campus.

If you were unable to attend the program on Sunday, there are still visit opportunities available to help you get a better sense of what Holy Cross is all about. Tours are offered Monday –Friday at 10, 12, 2 and 3. Information sessions are also offered in April at 11:15 and 1:15. We encourage you to take advantage of a visit to campus as you weigh your college options.

Hope to see you soon!

Ann McDermott
Director of Admissions

April 9, 2010

The Perfect Burrito

Recently, I was at Tortilla Sam’s (Worcester’s finest establishment for Mexican food) and I began thinking about the perfect burrito. What makes a burrito the perfect burrito? Is it the ratio of rice to beans? Is it the freshness of the salsa? Or perhaps it’s the texture of the tortilla?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that a burrito is comprised of so many components, so many complementary parts, that it’s impossible to identify which one plays the largest role. Put differently, you don’t know what makes a burrito the perfect burrito until you taste it and even then you’re unlikely to know why it’s perfect – more likely, it’s the precise combination of all the assembled parts. In addition, perhaps we all have our own unique tastes which dictate what will make a burrito perfect for each and every one of us. The perfect burrito for one person might be far too spicy for someone else.

As the days tick by on April’s calendar and we move closer to the May 1^st deadline when all admitted students must decide at which college to set up their futons and mini-fridges next year, let’s remember the lesson of the burrito. Colleges are complex and complicated homes for living and learning and they can’t be summed up in a sound bite nor summarized in a Facebook posting. The best way to identify the perfect college is to think for yourself and know that when it happens, you won’t know why – you’ll just know that you’ve found the perfect college for you. In the meantime, keep an open mind and keep the salsa off your shirt.

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions

March 31, 2010

From Beginning to End

Spring marks an interesting time in the life of an admissions officer. Letters are in the mail, and we will work over the next month to convince our amazing body of admitted students that Holy Cross is where they should spend the next four years. At the same time, we will begin to work with high school juniors as they begin their college search. We are simultaneously working with students who are at the beginning of this process, and with students who have lived to tell about it.

Today I attended my first spring college fair event, where I met with a wonderful group of juniors and their parents. This I expected. What I didn’t expect was the conversation I had with an administrator at the high school. He approached me, business card in hand, and asked that I pass his name along to any graduating Holy Cross students who might be looking for a teaching job. He simply said that he’d had a “great experience” with our students. I have no doubt that there are companies across the country who hire Holy Cross students for exactly that same reason. And come to think of it, I shouldn’t have been surprised by our conversation at all.

Though many of you are ending your college search, you are just beginning a wonderful new chapter in your lives. And as our new students make their admission deposits and look forward to orientation and class registration, our seniors will be packing up their rooms and making plans for their next beginning.

Holy Cross is here to support you with this new beginning, and with your next one too.

Lynn Verrecchia
Sr. Assistant Director of Admissions

March 29, 2010

When Will I Receive My Admissions Decision?

LaurenThornton.BLOG2 It is that time of year again, the time where high school seniors sit in front of their mailboxes anxiously awaiting their admissions decisions. Do not fret, the wait is almost over! As of the end of last week, the admissions decision letters were boxed up and sent to our mail house in order to be sent to all of you. Here is a quick glimpse at us sending out our decisions to all of you. Enjoy!

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Lauren D. Thornton
Admissions Counselor

March 23, 2010

Newest Admissions Member Reflects on Committee Process

NicoleZervos.BLOG2 About five weeks ago, the twelve members of the Holy Cross admissions staff convened to start our “committee” process. As a first year Admissions Counselor, I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous. After weeks of reading applications, highlighting students’ academic success and getting to know them through their essays and extracurricular accomplishments, I knew the decision making process would be no easy feat.

Fast forward to a few weeks later. It’s the last day of committee and we’re making those final few decisions. I have to say, it’s been a lot harder than I ever could have imagined. As a first-timer in committee this year, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite aspects of committee to help you understand how we go about making our decisions:

I love the amount of time we spend discussing each and every applicant. Discussion is crucial in our committee room. I could be feeling one way one minute, and then a someone will make a comment that may help me see a completely different side of the applicant that I might not have seen before.

It truly is a democratic process. We take a vote on every application and majority wins. Often, there’s not a clear winner. So we vote again. And sometimes even a third vote is required! It can be tedious, but that’s the beauty of the committee process: everyone gets a fair shot.

We take a very holistic approach. Sometimes it feels like all we’re seeing is numbers. GPA’s. Class ranks. Numbers of honors and AP/ IB courses. It can be hard to distinguish between them, but then someone reads a nice quote from an essay or an interview write up and it makes all the difference in the world.

Nicole Zervos ’09
Admissions Counselor

March 7, 2010

From Inside the Committee Room

AnnMcDermott.BLOG2 We’ve just completed the third week of committee. 4,424 decisions made, 2500 left to go. And yes, all 6900+ applications will be seen by the twelve members of the Holy Cross admissions committee. The discussions so far have been very good. We don’t always agree, and very often we will dig deeper into the file, going beyond the reading sheet for greater clarity.

One of the most common requests this week has been: “Can we please see the essay?” And often, after reading the essay, the decision becomes clear. So while you wait to hear your decision (We expect to mail the decision letters on March 26th), please know that you do have a voice in this process. Your essay allows us to hear directly from you, and what you have chosen to share can be enormously helpful to our discussions. Thank you for sharing your stories with us, and making our job just a little bit easier.

Ann McDermott
Director of Admissions

February 13, 2010

Second-Reading Applications

JuliaSanders Surrounding me: Piles of files, post-it notes, mechanical pencils, and caffeinated beverages.

What I’m doing: Double-checking the “first reads” Drew Carter did of your applications.

Provoking anxiety: All that’s left to do.

Quashing anxiety: This is the final push. Committee starts Monday.

Why the HC admissions officers second – read: To make sure our colleagues didn’t miss that AP course, that service trip to Malawi, or the note you left when you passed through the admissions office on the way back to New York. Also, because you work really hard, and we want to make sure we capture the most brilliant snapshot of you we possibly can before heading into committee.

What would make it just a tad easier on us? Reminding your guidance counselors to send us your mid-year (or first trimester – if that’s all that’s available) grades, if they haven’t already.

Thanks for all your hard work.

Files left to go….

Julia Sanders
Admissions Counselor

February 3, 2010

Visiting Holy Cross in February

TranKim-Senior.BLOG2 When it comes to the college application process, it’s never too early to start. At this point as a junior or younger in high school, you may not know exactly what you want in a college, and that’s perfectly OK. You should treat this period as your window shopping stage where you’re simply going out and checking out a whole bunch of different things to see what you absolutely do NOT like and what you kind of like or really like. The college tour is the best way to window shop for colleges. It’s quick and gives you a great overview of what the college is all about. From there you can hopefully get a sense of whether you prefer a big school or a smaller school; a school right in the city or one in a more remote area. You should check out all the schools you can so that you can get a better sense of what type of school best matches who you are.

With that said, I invite you to come visit Holy Cross to see if we might be good match for you. Now is a great time to start visiting our campus and taking tours because it’s the down season for college visitors so you’ll be getting some personal one-on-one time with our tour guides. Even if you and your family members are the only group to come for a tour, a tour guide will take you out and show you around. Students are also on campus at this time so you get to see what the vibe is like and get a better sense of the Holy Cross culture. Summer is a wonderful time to see college campuses as well, but you won’t be able to see many students during that time. February break (Feb 15th -19th) is coming up in a couple of weeks so be sure to set some aside to start scouting for colleges. We are open for tours and information sessions all week long. I should warn you that we do get busier than usual during this week because so many students do take advantage of that break so you won’t be able to get the one-on-one experience as much. But the advantage of that is you’ll get to be in wonderful company with many other prospective students about to embark on the same and hopefully exciting journey as you. Who knows, you might even meet a future classmate!

Just as a reminder, tours are available every day in the spring (exceptions are noted on the admissions website) at 10 AM, 12 noon, 2 PM and 3 PM and during the week of February 15-19, information sessions will be available at 11:15. If we can help you with your travel plans, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 508-793-2443. Don’t forget your walking shoes!

Tran Kim-Senior
Assistant Director of Admissions
Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment