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Planning our Admissions Travel

amandaSo it’s July and while you’re (we hope) sitting by the pool enjoying your summer break, we’re here in the office thinking about your college applications.  Yes, we’re already planning for next year.  Over the past few weeks we have begun planning our fall travel schedules.  We put a lot of thought into what schools we will be visiting.  We consider where we have visited in past years, where we receive applications from, and also where we would like to build awareness about Holy Cross.  After much deliberating, scheduling and rescheduling,  each counselor will have approximately a seven week itinerary of high schools, community based agencies and college fairs to attend spanning from September to November.  We can’t always visit every school or attend every event we would like but we do our best to fit everything in.  In August,  our schedules will be posted on the web page, so be sure to check that out to see when we’ll be in your area.  We’ll see you on the road this fall!

Amanda Juriansz
Assistant Director of Community Outreach
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The Do’s of the Application Process

tranThis list is the culmination of my own experiences as an admissions officer as well as of my colleagues in this office and other admissions offices.  As you go through them, you may have a lot of “duh” moments and most of these are very much common sense but it’s usually the most obvious things that are the least visible to us.  With that said, I hope this list is useful to you as you focus in on the application process.

  • Meet all deadlines for Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision.  Not meeting a deadline reflects badly on your ability to be responsible and may make an institution feel like you aren’t that interested.  It may also reduce your chances of getting in because the class is getting filled and you may be too late to get a spot.  If you have an extraordinary circumstances, you should let an admissions officer know in writing or by phone so that we can take that into consideration. 
  • File your financial aid paperwork early and by the deadline at the latest.  Holy Cross requires both the FAFSA and the the CSS Profile forms to be considered for financial aid.  The FAFSA form is not available until January 1st but you and one of your parents can go ahead and file for a FAFSA Pin Number that will serve as your signatures on the forms.  The longer you wait, the bigger the risk that you may not get as strong a package and if you submit late, the chances of getting financial aid are even slimmer.
  • Pay close attention to what each school requires you to submit or strongly recommends you send in regards to standardized testing, essays, letters of recommendation, etc.  While strongly recommends doesn’t mean require in the sense that you are disqualified from admission, it does means that you may be placing yourself at a disadvantage if you don’t do what it is that is being strongly recommended.
  • Ask teachers early for letters of recommendations.  The earlier you ask, the more time they can put into it and produce a well written letter on your behalf.  It’s important to keep in mind that you will not be the only student who is seeking that student out for a letter of recommendation. 
  • Follow up with all counselors and teachers to make sure that they have submitted your paperwork on time and be sure to also send a thank you to them for doing so.
  • Proofread your essays very carefully before you submit.  I would encourage you to print out your application if you’re filing it online because what you see is mostly likely what we’ll see when we click on print so you want to make sure that it’s formatted to what you want it to look like.
  • Demonstrate your interest in a college institution before you apply.  A lot of students visit the schools that they get into and from there will make a decision as to where to attend without knowing that many admissions offices take applicants’ demonstrated interest into consideration as a way to determine whether or not the student would enroll if admitted.  Just like you all want us to like you and admit you, we want to be liked by you all as well and be admitted in essence.
  • Create a professional email address and check that email frequently.  Silly or suggestive email addresses, while comical for us to read, are not professional and do not reflect well on you.  It’s also important that you don’t use your parents’ email addresses as your own and we can typically tell when this is happening.  We like to see students take the lead in the application process because it shows that you’re ready for the independent environment that is a part of the college experience.

 

Tran Kim-Senior
Assistant Director of Admissions
Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
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July Advisory Days

suzanneEver wish someone from an admissions office would tell you exactly how to go about writing your college essay? Curious about the process of interviewing at a college or university?

 Here at Holy Cross, we want to help make these parts of the college process just a bit easier by answering your questions. This summer, join our staff on campus for our July Advisory Days. These three hour sessions will take you on a guided tour of campus, includes a traditional information session and gives you helpful tips on writing your college essay and preparing for a college interview.

                                                                                                           

Visit our Web site for more detailed information on this informative opportunity.

 

Suzanne R. Timmons
Assistant Director of Admissions
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Try to relax this summer!

alyssa-tI just got off the phone with my seventeen year old cousin who is inevitably freaking out. If you are a rising high school senior, like he is, you have a lot to think about. Face it, next year at this time you will have graduated from your respective high school and most likely will be attending college summer orientation. This upcoming year has a lot in store for you as you begin to finalize your college list, visit campuses, interview, write your essays, and send out numerous applications. You have a lot of goals that need to be set and prioritizing that has to be done. Trust me, if you work hard, everything will get done.

As I spoke to my cousin though I realized that he was becoming so stressed about his senior year that he was not going to enjoy his summer. I had to help him take a step back to realize that he could become organized for the busy autumn ahead while still enjoying these summer months he has off.
Here are some of the ideas we discussed:

  • Plan a road trip with your friends to visit schools you are interested in.
  • Get your family involved. Plan a vacation that involves looking at some distant colleges while you are away. Even plan to visit those long lost relatives that live in states where colleges of interest might be.
  • Make a day of it! Come to Worcester in July for a great lunch on Shrewsbury Street and then check out our July Advisory Days.
  • On a rainy afternoon have a “mock interview” with a friend or family member.
  • Go to a café or diner with your friends, get lots of food, and talk about each other. Recalling great memories or stories from the past could lead to valuable material for that college essay.

I hope you can take advantage of one or all of these ideas listed and of course, find some excitement in the busy months ahead.

Alyssa Trometter
Admissions Counselor
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It’s time for summer tours!

lauren-tSummertime is finally here!
While many of you are probably ecstatic that your final exams are wrapping up and you can finally relax, lie in the sun and enjoy your summer vacation, we here in the Admissions Office are conducting our summer tours.  With the official beginning of summer and the sun finally (barely!) gracing us with its presence, comes our full schedule of summer tours.  Making the visit to campus and going on one of our summer tours is a great way to get to know more about Holy Cross. Summer tours are offered Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.  We do not require pre-registration which makes popping in for a tour easy especially if you happen to be driving on I-290, heading on your family’s summer vacation!  If the ease of visiting Holy Cross this summer and your sheer curiosity about our campus is not enough to convince you, here are our top five reasons for visiting:

  1. See firsthand what is unique and special about Holy Cross.
  2. Admire our 174 acre hillside campus which in Princeton Review’s 2009 college rankings was placed in the top ten for “Most Beautiful College Campuses” (and increase your stamina by climbing our plethora of stairs).
  3. Feel the strong sense of community and discover more about our Jesuit traditions.
  4. Learn why studying liberal arts prepares you for all aspects of life.
  5. Hear from our current students about their experiences while on Mount St. James (and why they bleed purple).

Please see our Web site for  more information on campus tours.
Hope to see YOU on campus this summer!

Lauren D. Thornton
Admissions Counselor
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Top Five Reasons Why I Love Holy Cross

(This message is brought to you by “Picture Perfect”, the photo blog that illustrates day-to-day life at Holy Cross).

#5. Students from Texas are willing to try anything new, even ice skating inside the Hogan Campus Center.

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#4. Holy Cross students combine a love of the outdoors and a love of the Patriots by moving their couches and televisions outside on Sundays in the fall.

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#3.Skiing is as close as 15 minutes away.

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#2 Students from Maryland get creative with dining hall food and even win money for it.

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#1 Our President has a doctorate in computer engineering, is a Jesuit priest, jogs nearly every morning before most of us are awake, volunteers alongside our students AND he looks good in a baseball cap.

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Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions
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Yet Another Benefit of Interviewing

JuliaSanders I just finished up my first interview of the new season.   I must admit, prior to the interview, the rainy day was making me feel a little “blah.”   But there’s just something about a nice conversation with someone that makes me smile.   She didn’t have to do any magic tricks or back flips, or cure cancer, or bring me cookies (my favorite is chocolate chip with walnuts). (And no, you are not supposed to bring me cookies). (Unless you reeeeallly want to).  All she had to do was show up, and have a conversation.  She told me about her interests in service, law, and art;  we talked about the new Star Trek movie;  and we reminisced about how beautiful western Massachusetts can be when there aren’t so many tourists around.

She did a great job, and she made my day just a little brighter.

So what should you take away from this?  That in addition to helping you get into college, and giving you insider information on whichever colleges you’re considering,    interviewing makes admissions folks smile, and that never hurts.

Julia Sanders
Admissions Counselor

On-campus interviews are available now through December. To arrange an on-campus interview, please call the Admissions Office at 1-800-442-2421.  For more information, please see our Web site.

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Visiting Holy Cross This Summer

diane-sHey, Juniors: What are you doing this summer?

We know you’re busy finishing up the school year. You probably have papers to write, exams to study for, and final projects to wrap up. It’s a hectic time of year, but as your thoughts turn to warm summer days, you have more to look forward to than just hitting the beach. We’ll be inviting you to visit us!

Summer is a great time to come and visit the admissions office here at Holy Cross. In addition to our regularly scheduled tours, information sessions (check website for details), and interviews (simply call the office a few weeks ahead of time to schedule), we’ll be holding our July Advisory Days (or JAD) every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday beginning on July 6th.

JAD is a great program and one that is not to be missed. Many schools will be offering to give you a tour of the campus and informational session on the college. Here at Holy Cross, we like to take your visit one step further by providing you with some general information on two topics that we’ve heard time and time again, cause students stress: the college essay and the admissions interview.

There’s no reason to fear either of these tasks and we’re here to provide you with some admissions insight about how to survive the college application process with minimal stress (and hopefully optimal results). So come join us for a visit this summer. We look forward to meeting you!

*For more information on the JAD Program, please visit our Web site:

Diane Soboski
Assistant Director of Admissions
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“Why I love Holy Cross”

tranThere are so many wonderful qualities to Holy Cross that it’s hard to just focus on one…but that is my assignment for this entry.  Of all the characteristics that define Holy Cross, the one that impresses me the most is our active commitment  to social justice and service.  Having been at two other small liberal arts institutions prior to coming to Holy Cross, I have seen three different versions of the small, undergraduate liberal arts experience,  and the main differentiation for me is the call to service that stems from our Jesuit mission.  Helping those in need is something that is personally and professionally important to me and I always felt somewhat alone in my commitment to social issues but when I came here, I was pleasantly blown away by the strength of Holy Cross’s commitment to serving the greater community.  Students, faculty and staff truly believe in the Jesuit mission to serve others and because of our mission, there is a certain tone of caring and compassion on campus that I just haven’t seen anywhere else.  I find myself constantly inspired and challenged to find more meaningful ways to help and serve because of the environment here at Holy Cross.

Tran Kim-Senior
Assistant Director of Admissions
Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
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“Why I love Holy Cross”

lauren-tWe know you have a big decision to make.  Over the next few weeks, members of the Holy Cross community will share their thoughts on what makes Holy Cross so special.

As a newcomer to the Holy Cross community, I am often asked “Why Holy Cross?” The thing I love the most about Holy Cross is quite simple:  We have motivated, interesting students.

From my interactions with various students on campus, I have come to find that our students have an amazingly wide variety of interests.  Each individual pursues their passions fiercely, whatever they may be.  I have met the Music/Premed major who is also the president of the ballroom dance team and volunteers through SPUD (Student Programs for Urban Development). I have met the Studio Art major who hosts students through Admissions Office, but also participates in one of the most spirited organizations on campus, the Purple Key Society. I have met the undeclared first year student who is part of Oxfam America, Best Buddies, plays on the Women’s Rugby team, and is a Eucharistic minister.  No matter what a student’s interest might be, they are encouraged to pursue it during their four short years here.  And although I was not a student here during my undergraduate years, I have come to love this campus and its students as if it were my very own.

Lauren D. Thornton
Admissions Counselor