Admissions Staff – Page 28 – Admission: Not Impossible

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

January 28, 2010

Thank You For Applying!

DianeSoboski.BLOG2 I sat down a few weeks ago, cup of tea in hand, glanced out the window at the snow coming down, and began to read files. As I moved through the stack of applications on the table before me, I encountered several notes and emails thanking the admissions staff for interviews, visits, and advice on the application process. Also in the files were hundreds of pages of letters, essays, and descriptions of amazing accomplishments that our applicants have decided to share with us. For that, I thank you!

It’s easy to look at a stack of 60 applications and feel overwhelmed by the volume of the work that lies ahead. But when you crack open that first folder and begin reading about that individual student , allow the materials in the folder to come to life, and introduce you to an amazing applicant – the task ahead no longer seems like work. It’s fun!

I love learning about the time you “accidentally” tripped your brother and chipped his tooth, or the time you overcame your fears and sang in front of a full auditorium for the first time. Many of you have shared stories of obstacles you’ve overcome, and how you’ve come out a better person because of them. We laugh along with you, we cry along with you, and we do celebrate all of your accomplishments along with you.

During this busy reading season, thank you for making me wake, stretch and want to head right for that stack of applications!

Diane Soboski
Assistant Director of Admissions

January 18, 2010

Deadline Day

6a00e54ed0db8e8833010536f8f30b970b-800wi Happy Deadline Day, everybody!

What a wonderful holiday it is – today is the deadline to apply for first year admission to College of the Holy Cross. Like many of you, we are in the midst of our Deadline Day celebrations. Here in the Holy Cross Admissions Office, we are eating the traditional Deadline Day breakfast – coffee and eraser shavings; we are exchanging the traditional Deadline Day gifts – mechanical pencils, carpal tunnel survival kits and prescription glasses; we have even performed the traditional Deadline Day circle dance around the Deadline Day tree. (Well, it’s more a stack of applications than it is a tree . . .)

So, now that Deadline Day is here, we are afforded the opportunity to reflect back upon this last recruiting cycle – several thousand admissions interviews, over a thousand high schools visited, 120,000 airline miles and nearly 400 hours of free Wi-Fi logged at Paneras located around the continental United States. It’s been an exhausting and exhilarating spring, summer and fall. Now all that’s left to do is to read, read, present, discuss, debate and then finally vote. A month from now, our committee process will begin selecting and completing the next class of Crusaders. But before we can do that, we first must read. And read. Every application. Twice.

So for now, I will bid adieu and return to my stack of applications. If you call my office in the next few weeks and don’t get an answer, know that I’m reading applications somewhere else. And if you find yourself in a Panera anytime soon and you see a spectacled, wrist-brace wearing, mechanical-pencil using academic surrounded by green folders and eraser shavings – don’t laugh. Just know that we appreciate calculus, we appreciate early morning swim team practice, we appreciate tech crew and we’d appreciate one of those enormous chocolate chip cookies.

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions

January 14, 2010

Read the Mission Statement

Though a certain amount of relief comes with finally getting all those applications in, I know some of you are probably still a little stressed. You might be thinking: Am I applying to the right schools? Is this place really where I want to spend the next four years of my life? When I was a senior in high school, my guidance counselor recommended that we read the mission statement of the colleges we were considering. Looking back, I wish I had taken her advice. I spent more time looking at guidebooks and placed more importance on statistics like average GPA or SAT scores than the actual mission of the college. While these things are important to consider, the mission statement really sets the tone for your entire college experience.

As a recent graduate and the newest Admissions Counselor at Holy Cross, one of the questions I get asked frequently is why I chose to attend Holy Cross. My answer to this question can be found in our mission statement. While there are many aspects of Holy Cross that I love, the community is something that I feel sets Holy Cross apart. The wonderfully compassionate people and the belief that we are “men and women for others” is something that is not just said, but is truly taken to heart. Take a look at a few quotes from our mission statement:

“Informed by the presence of diverse interpretations of the human experience, Holy Cross seeks to build a community marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility.”

“The College is dedicated to forming a community which supports the intellectual growth of all its members while offering them opportunities for spiritual and moral development.”

I urge you to read the entire mission statement to further understand the goals and objectives of Holy Cross. Because I did not consider the fundamental mission of each college I was applying to, I ended up originally choosing a school that was not a right “fit” for me. While I did end up transferring to Holy Cross and finding a home here, I think that if I had taken the time to read the mission statement, I would have been better able to assess what kind of school was right for me. So, while you are wrapping up the final touches on your applications, take a minute and look over the mission statements of each school. Make sure that your goals and expectations are in line with the college of your choice. It will make all the difference in the world.

Nicole Zervos ’09

Admissions Counselor

December 24, 2009

Happy Holidays from the Admissions Staff!

HC Adm Holiday Card 2009

December 24, 2009

An Unexpected Gift

AnnMcDermott.BLOG2 I had a million things to do this weekend. But like most of you living in the Northeast, I woke up to a winter wonderland. Snow was falling, the wind was blowing, and roads had yet to be treated. So the “to do” list was put on hold. Instead, I played. As a family we finished decorating the Christmas tree, giggling at homemade ornaments from pre-school days. My dog and I made snow angels and wrestled in the snow. I happily prepared a very complicated family favorite for dinner without the slightest concern for the time. I could not have asked for a better day.

The list of things to be done remains, but this break in the frenzy of holiday preparations was an important reminder to relax, slow down, and just enjoy the moment.

Wishing you the peace and joy of this holiday season!

Ann McDermott
Director of Admissions

December 15, 2009

Application Reading Has Begun!

AmandaJuriansz.BLOG2 It’s December 15th already. Here in the Holy Cross admissions office that means two things. First, that Christmas music is continuously streaming out of Fr. Markey’s office (even as I type this the sounds of “Do They Know It’s Christmas” are drifting across the hall). Two, travel season is officially over and reading season has begun! So what does reading season mean? Well it means that our 13 admissions counselors are spending the majority of their time reading and summarizing thousands of applications.

We all have our preferences for what time of day we like to read best. There are a few of us who like to read first thing in the morning. One crazy staffer gets up a 5 am to get a head start! But then there are a few of us who like reading in the evening better, sometimes until 2 or 3 in the morning. But whatever the time we prefer to read, we are each reviewing about 40-50 files a day!

It takes a lot of time, but it can be fun. We finally get to see all the hard work you’ve been doing over the past few months. Reading all of your essays and all of those recommendations, we’re hearing your story, one piece of paper at a time.

Amanda Juriansz
Assistant Director of Community Outreach

December 9, 2009

I Can’t Afford Holy Cross

Did you break out in a sweat, hyperventilate, or struggle to breathe for a second when you first saw the nearly $50,000 price tag for attending Holy Cross? Without a doubt, $50,000 per year is a hefty price to pay for a college education whether it be in this dire economy or in a vibrant economy of several years ago, and some of you may have decided to not apply because of the sticker shock. However, you might be surprised at how affordable Holy Cross can be for you and your family because of our very comprehensive and very generous financial aid package.

We are a school that is fully committed to meeting every family’s demonstrated financial need in order to attend Holy Cross. In essence, if you are admitted into Holy Cross and demonstrate financial need, you can be assured that we will meet that need by 100%.

There are two caveats to that policy. First, the need we determine is based on federal guidelines and looks at your family’s household income and asset values and is not based on what you determine to be your personal financial need. Second, we only consider you for financial aid if you submit all of your paperwork to us on time by February 1^st at the latest. There are two important forms that you need to submit to Holy Cross in order to be considered for financial assistance: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. To access these forms, please visit our financial aid site. In addition, if you come from a single parent household, the CSS Profile will require you to submit the Non-Custodial Parent form that asks for financial information from your non-custodial parent. Also, if your family owns a business or a farm, the CSS Profile will require you to submit a Business/Farm supplement that asks income information from these two sources. If either of these circumstances applies to you, it is very, very important that you submit the additional information that is asked of you. If for some reason, you are not able to get the required information (i.e. your non-custodial parent has never been in the picture), you need to contact the financial aid office immediately to explain your situation and get instructions on how to proceed. If you submit all the required forms in completion to Holy Cross, you will be fully considered for financial assistance from Holy Cross.

With all this said, at the end of the day, you should never let a college’s price tag deter you from applying. Every college has its own way of disseminating financial assistance and scholarship funds and you never know what you may qualify for and ultimately receive for financial assistance. The most expensive schools can sometimes be the most affordable schools because financial aid provides you with enough assistance to lower the price tag. Instead, you should choose a school that has the programs and the atmosphere that is the best fit for you, apply to those schools, complete all the necessary forms for financial assistance and scholarships and then see what you end up receiving in financial assistance. Once you get all your packages, you can sit down and decide what schools are financially viable for you and your family.

Tran Kim-Senior

Assistant Director of Admissions

Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment

December 3, 2009

Application Deadlines: Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute!

LynnVerrecchia.BLOG2 Every year around this time we take a staff photo which becomes our office holiday card. The card is sent to student volunteers and to guidance counselors we’ve met during our travels. It’s meant as a gesture of thanks for volunteers and one of goodwill toward our high school counterparts. We don Santa hats and Holy Cross gear and enthusiastically grin for the camera. Our smiles show that we love our jobs and that we truly wish those around us a wonderful holiday season.

The behind-the-scenes picture is a bit more harried. Our hectic fall travel season and various in-office responsibilities push the holiday card to the back burner for several weeks. It is typically all but forgotten until one attentive staff member points out that the holidays are in fact around the corner. We scramble to find a day when everyone will be in the office and a time when interviews are not scheduled. We raid the bookstore and scrounge for purple scarves that have not already been scooped up by students and visitors. We cringe at the gloomy skies that insist on threatening rain on picture day, because we know that rescheduling is not an option. We pay for expedited shipping and keep our eyes fixed on the mailbox. We stay late to print labels and address envelopes. We send the card out with hours to spare. Then, and only then, do we sit back and enjoy the picture ourselves.

In the end, our students and colleagues see only the final product. They smile at our gesture and pin our photo to their bulletin boards. They appreciate what we have done. The frantic nature of picture day does not show. Only we know that making this picture happen was a race to the finish.

Last minute application filers deal with similar stresses. The computer suddenly crashes; a teacher assigns a major project; a family emergency crops up. That essay is due tomorrow and suddenly the conditions are not ideal. Just as we learn (and relearn) every year, the applicant learns that a looming deadline leaves little room for error. Though your final product is meant for others, the process is for you. Aim for more than just a strong outcome–try to allow for a positive experience along the way.

Holy Cross’ Early Decision application deadline is December 15. The Regular Decision deadline is January 15.

Lynn Verrecchia

Assistant Director of Admissions

November 30, 2009

Purple IS Green: Environmental Sustainability at Holy Cross

SuzanneTimmons.BLOG2 I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I’ve had students ask me about the Environmental Studies major at Holy Cross. On these occasions, I typically can easily rattle off the number of majors we have on campus and the requirements of the program. Today though, I learned some even more important facts and statistics about the way in which Holy Cross is pursuing environmental sustainability. Listed below are a few things that I took away from this professional development opportunity:

Holy Cross has adopted a green building policy, with the intent of meeting LEED silver certification standards with all new major construction and renovations.

The College manages an active composting program (using leaves, hedge clippings, etc.) that generates approximately 700 yards of compost for use in the College’s flower/plant beds. Additionally, the College has purchased and employs mulching mowers for the 100+ acres of lawns.

Kimball Main Dining Hall went “trayless” in March 2009. It is expected that 25 to 50 percent less food will be wasted, and up to a half gallon of water will be saved per tray not washed, saving 900 gallons of water a day.

Beginning in the spring of 2009, the College began growing vegetables and fruits in a community garden adjacent to the Hart football practice fields. Faculty, staff, and students are involved in this collaborative project.

So, if you are considering Holy Cross and wonder if we plan to “go green”, the answer is, we already have! For updates on our sustainability, keep an eye on our sustainability website.

Suzanne Timmons

Assistant Director of Admissions