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“Why I love Holy Cross”

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We 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.

So what do I love about Holy Cross?  Simply put: the people who comprise the community.  From the Trustees, to the President, alumni, students, faculty and staff, this is an institution with a seemingly unending lineage of truly amazing people.  They are passionate, sensitive, engaged people who are committed not only to their own edification, but also to those they teach, those they serve, and those they sit and debate and exchange ideas with in- and out- of class.  They’re committed to service, social justice, and to living out the mission of being men and women for others.  They’re a community of people, committed to their own pursuits while being interested and engaged with those around them.

James T. Richardson
Associate Director of Admission
FACHEX Coordinator
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“Why I love Holy Cross”

amanda

We 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.

I love Holy Cross because the people here really look after one another.  Before coming here,  I had never experienced such a selfless community. Here,  getting lost in the crowd is impossible.  If you lose your student ID card, start to feel homesick,  or need help with a class,  there will be ten people there to help you get back on track.  You’re not in this college thing alone.  If you ever need help, you just have to say the word (and usually help is there before you can finish the thought).

Amanda Juriansz
Assistant Director of Community Outreach
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“Why I love Holy Cross”

alyssa-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.

What does the College of the Holy Cross have in common with famous designers like Oscar de la Renta, Nanette Lepore, Vivenne Tam, Monique Lhuillier, and Carolina Herrera?  The color purple.

Having attended Holy Cross for four fabulous years I have acquired more purple than most people can fathom:  I love my purple Holy Cross t-shirt that I wore to my first Holy Cross football game.  I love my purple polka-dotted belt that I wore for two amazing summers as a Gateways Orientation Leader.  I love my purple headband that I sported at every home basketball game.  I love my purple shorts that I wore when I saw Guster in concert during Spring Weekend of my sophomore year.  I love my purple shoulder-bag that lugged class books to Dinand library numerous times a week.  I love my purple tights that I put on before going to Holy Cross’ on-campus pub my senior year.  I love my purple “Holy Cross 2008” banner that now hangs proudly in my office.

Like all Holy Cross Crusaders, I love purple, I have a lot of it, and I am ready for this spring fashion statement.  At Holy Cross we are clearly ahead of the fashion curve.  We have been wearing purple for ages, and we’ve always made purple look good.

Alyssa Trometter
Admissions Counselor
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“Why I love Holy Cross”

Ann McDermott

We 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 I was walking through the Admissions Office waiting room, I overheard one of our students speaking with a group of visitors.  “I absolutely love it here!  I can’t imagine myself anywhere else,”

That is what I love about Holy Cross.  Our students are not only amazing, they are amazingly happy.

I encourage you to take some time to learn why.  On April 15th and 22nd,  log on to our on-line chats and “talk” to our students about their experiences here.  Come to the Open House on April 19th and see first hand what is unique and special about Holy Cross.

Ann McDermott
Director of Admissions
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End of Winter Marks End Of Admissions Committee

suzanneFrom the previous weeks’ blog entries you have read about our committee process. You’ve learned about the dozens of cups of coffee we drink, the reading sheet we use and the cozy room that we inhabit. As our committee process winds down and we close the computer screen on another admit cycle, I find myself reflecting on the things I’ll miss the most. Below are five of the things I’ll miss most about the past six weeks.

1. The fresh brewed Dunkin Donuts coffee that inevitably is always sitting in the committee room when I arrive, thanks to a sweet Holy Cross housekeeper and a generous colleague.
2. The sight of counselors’ hands being raised as one more applicant gets admitted into the class of 2013.
3. Watching as the stack of applications from a day of work are carried downstairs and into the hands of our support staff members who then make sure that the correct letter gets printed and sent to you.
4. Hearing my colleagues’ thoughts on a student and realizing how undeniably cool it is (once again) that we spend this much time evaluating our applicants.
5. Watching our class grow with every decision we make and realizing that your varied interests and talents will affect Holy Cross for years to come.

I’ll miss committee and all that it represents in our process. Whether you get the large envelope or small one, or whether you choose to accept our offer or find another place to call home, we thank you. Thank you for your efforts in high school, for taking the time to send the “perfect” essay, for finding a teacher who could write on your behalf, for taking a tour, sending an email, or having an interview. We thank you for your efforts and wish you every success.

Suzanne R. Timmons
Assistant Director of Admissions
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Admissions Director: Selection Process Nears End

AnnmcdermottOnce again, the twelve members of the Admissions Committee will gather in an impossibly small room, coffee in hand, to discuss and debate the remaining applicants for the Class of 2013.  We are almost done.

As I reflect back over the past few weeks, I am struck by the overall quality of this pool of applicants.  It is truly amazing, and I admit a bit humbling, to see what you have managed to accomplish in just a few short years.  My staff and I have enjoyed “meeting’ you and learning about your journey through high school.  We applauded your academic successes, cheered with you as your achieved victory on the field, laughed along with you at the comedy of high school, and yes, cried at the losses many of you have suffered.

Thank you for sharing your personal stories with us.  You have achieved so much already, and I am certain that the best is yet to come!

Ann McDermott
Director of Admissions
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How Do We Make Our Admissions Decisions?: An Insider’s Guide to the Committee Process

JuliaMonday morning, 9:00 AM:  Company in.  Twelve admissions counselors.  Twelve cups of coffee.  Our mission?  To decide who gets in.

With so many remarkable candidates, just how do we decide?  While some contend we could simply throw the applications into the air, grab a few thousand at random, and hope for the best, the Holy Cross admissions process is a democratic one, where all applications are voted on;  majority wins.

As today’s committee fly on the wall, I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on our unique process.  So follow me, behind the closed doors.

Every day, for nine hours a day, for about 5 weeks, we gather together, in the cozy space pictured below:

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Back when we were reading all of your applications, we were also summarizing everything in your file, onto what we call a “reading sheet” – a crucial piece of paper that houses a breakdown of your transcript, bits from your recommendations, quotes from the letter from your mom, impressions gathered from your interview, an evaluation of your essay, notes on the academic curriculum offered at your high school, a listing of your test scores (if you decided to submit them), bits about your extra-curriculars,  awards,  jobs,  etc.

During committee, the reading sheets are projected onto the wall, one at a time, for all committee members to see.  Everything in your file finds a place onto your reading sheet, and thusly, everything in your file is evaluated by twelve sets of eyes, before a decision is made.  IMG_3593

With your reading sheet projected onto the wall, we do, in fact, talk about you. We talk about your achievements, your personality, your background, your goals, your successes, and your failures.   Conversations can last anywhere from two minutes to twenty – depending on the case.   If there are any questions, we rummage through the file and fill in the blanks.   We might re-read the essay.  We might double-check the transcript.   We examine your school profile.   If necessary, we call your guidance counselor.  We check again.  And again.   And again.  We might even call your mom. (I kid).  The point is, when it comes to assessing your candidacy, there are no stones left unturned

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When we are ready, it’s decision time.  “Anyone want to Accept?”  Hands are raised. And counted.  Majority wins.  And this is how it works, each and every time.

Why do we do it this way? While admissions-sponsored snacks  (important decisions require sustenance) and the option to dress down are obvious perks, we make our admissions decisions as a committee because we feel that a democratic voting process is the fairest way to handle such an overwhelming and often times subjective task.

Why am I telling you all this?  Because you have worked very hard on your application, and we believe your hard work affords you reciprocity.   We want you to have faith in the fact that your application is in the hands of people that will stop at nothing to make the fairest decisions possible.

And with that, it’s time to get back to work.

Julia Sanders

Admissions Counselor
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Our deadline to finish reading all these applications (for the second time) is this Sunday.

Drew

This is my final blog entry in a week long series inside the application reading process here at Holy Cross.
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Our deadline to finish reading all these applications (for the second time) is this Sunday.  And while, at times, this reading process can seem so solitary – when we’re reading alone in our office or in Panera with our headphones on – we are never truly alone.  It takes so many people to get your completed application into our hands and but there are also innumerable people along the way who enable us to finish reading all these applications in time.

We have so much help.

There are tireless guidance counselors who fax your updated grades.

There are baristas who clean up the pile of pencil eraser shavings at the coffee shop.

There are receptionists who open the mail looking for that last recommendation.

There are slightly sleepy college sophomores who alphabetize all the incoming mail.

There are patient newborn sons who hold still during a good essay.

There are compassionate parents who provide toast with jam while we read your teacher recommendations at the kitchen table.

There are the multi-talented husbands who stir the sauce while holding our infant child allowing us to finish one last application before dinner is served.

There are considerate roommates who use headphones so as to not disturb our concentration.

There are summer employers who write about your dependability and work ethic.

There are kind-hearted boyfriends and girlfriends, cousins and siblings who listen to us read yet another essay out loud that they may or may not find funny.

And there are sweet hound dogs that wait patiently for their walk as we calculate class rank.

Help

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions
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Because your parents said so

DrewThis is my fourth in a series of five blog entries – one week inside the application reading process at Holy Cross.
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Because your parents said so

Whether you know it or not, many of your parents have written us letters.  You see, we are one of a few schools that welcome letters from applicants’ parents.  The point is, as our letter to your parents states, that “we attempt to learn as much as possible about each applicant, both academically and personally.”  As I’ve been reading some of these letters today, I’ve been wondering if student have any idea of what their parents are saying about them.

As you might imagine, most of these letters take on a similar tone.  They are reflective and proud, laudatory and nostalgic.  They tell of premature births, broken arms, undefeated seasons and straight A’s.  But, often the most valuable stories are much smaller than that – a kind word to a younger sibling, a smart decision made in the face of peer pressure and chores done at grandma’s house.

I often wonder if parents show these letters to their children.  I’ve often wondered what it would be like if we included a copy of this letter in the envelope with our admissions decision letter.  I have no doubt the effect it would have on students.  The decision that a room full of strangers had made on their application would suddenly seem far less significant – the letter of acceptance would seem less momentous and the letter of denial would carry less sting if students truly knew how proud their parents were of them.

So here you are – all your applications have been submitted and now you await your admissions decision.  You’ve got some time on your hands.  Say “thank you” to your parents for all their support through this process.  I promise you, if you do, they just might tell you how proud they are of you.

Associate Director of Admissions
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Six Words

Drew

This is the third in a series of blog entries – one week inside the application reading process at Holy Cross.
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So I was listening to NPR today as I was reading applications and I heard a story about Smith Magazine and their 6 word memoir project – the point being to tell a person’s story in exactly six words.  (www.smithmag.net)

This got me thinking and writing.

So here follows some of the applications I read today, individually summarized in exactly six words:

Sophomore year do over,
pretty please?

Woman for others.
HC for her.

So much potential,
So few A’s.

Shredded right knee,
Athlete no more.

Chemistry, physics, calculus –
A’s!
Oh, my.

Great with puck,
Not with calculator.

She did what?
Oh, dear me.

More A’s, fewer C’s.
Please, please.

With all those activities,
Still valedictorian?

School at home,
Teacher is who?

Strong application.
Perfect cake, amazing icing.

Neighborhood not safe,
Please come here.

Oh, calculus!
Like the Titanic’s iceberg..

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions