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Parent Recommendations: My Love of These Ooey, Gooey, Mushy Messages

I really like that our office invites the parents of applicants to join in the application process and to start a dialogue with HC Admissions about their son/daughter.

(To any of you parents reading this right now: No, you/your son/your daughter do not get “extra points” for this exercise and you don’t “lose points” either.  You simply take away some piece of mind—at least you should.)

In some of these letters that we receive, I can literally see the parents appreciating their son/daughter more and more as the letter unfolds. 

These parent letters make me think: It is not often in life that we are asked to put life on hold, reflect for a moment, and form into words all of the specific things that make a special someone in our lives so special.  The exercise allows you to rediscover all of those hidden gems about that person who has been living under your roof for the past 17 years.   

Parents, it may be too late to submit a letter of recommendation on behalf of your child, but it is never too late to take a moment to tell them how proud you are of the person they have become.

Dan Weagle ‘08
Admissions  Counselor
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Thoughts on Application Reading

With every application I read, I try to conjure up a mental image of the student. The essay, resume or recommendations often provide the information I need to form this picture in my mind. Our applicants are so much more than just the pages in their file, and I try never to forget that. I might picture a student during that nail-biting championship game, on that life-changing mission trip or spending time with a beloved grandparent. A picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Lynn Verrecchia ’01
Associate Director of Admissions
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Thoughts From a Newbie Application Reader

Embarking on my first season of application reading was somewhat daunting. Initially, I was overwhelmed to think that my colleagues and I would collectively read more than 7,000 freshman applications from cover to cover. I wondered (and worried) whether all of the candidates would eventually blur together in my mind. I’ve realized, though, that when I give each application the thorough read it deserves and immerse myself in each file, it becomes more than just a collection of documents and truly brings to life the unique individual it represents. Each read becomes a chance to get to know a new student, one with the potential to join the vibrant student body here at Holy Cross. Though I’ve never talked to Student A, I’ve read his college essay and can picture him giving the mind-blowing speech that helped him win the election for Class President. I’ve never stepped foot in Student B’s high school, but based on her letters of recommendation I can almost hear the chit-chat in the teachers’ lounge as they talk about how excited they are to have such an intelligent, hardworking, and motivated student in class this year. According to the write-up of my colleague who interviewed Student C, I’ve been able to unpeel another of his layers to discover that in person he is witty, charming, engaging, and mature… not to mention that he speaks fluent Greek. It may sound crazy, but I sincerely look forward to “meeting” all 7,000+ of you!

Kate Stewart

Admissions Counselor
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

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The Invisible Gorilla

Many people have seen the well-known “Invisible Gorilla” experiment on YouTube.  Viewers are instructed to watch a short video clip with two groups of people – some wearing black shirts and others wearing white shirts.  Both groups of people move around in a seemingly random, jumbled fashion and the challenge for the viewer is to count how many times the participants wearing white pass the basketball. 

The answer is fifteen.  But that’s not the point. 

The point is that in the middle of the clip, a person wearing a gorilla suit enters the frame and most viewers are paying such close attention to counting the passes that they simply don’t even see the gorilla.  It’s a wonderful study in “looking without seeing” or how our focused attention can cause us to miss obvious realities that are staring us in the face (and pounding their chest).

While traveling this fall to meet with students, I’ve heard the following statement several times:

“I love that college – the tour guide was awesome!”

When I hear that, I think to myself – they missed the gorilla.

Taking an official campus tour is a valuable part of the campus visit.  But, when walking the campus, you should not only pay attention to the tour guide, but also to all the information you can gleam from your observations of the campus, the environment, the students, faculty and staff that you may notice during your tour. 

During your college search, tour guides (and even admissions counselors like me) can help relay important information about a college but we are merely basketball-passing conduits.  It’s only when you slow down on your visit and take the time to notice all that’s around you that you’ll see the gorilla and gain true insight into how that college might fit for you.

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions
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Giving Thanks

I’m thankful, above most else, for my parents. Recently—perhaps due to my newfound work as a college admissions counselor— I’ve been realizing how a portion of this gratitude is for my parents’ belief in higher education and their unwavering encouragement as I’ve pursued my own. My mom was the first person in her family to go to college; she took herself to visit schools and paid her own way at a state university. My dad, on the other hand, grew up with the expectation that he would attend a private college without worrying about the cost. Despite the differing paths they took to get their college degrees, they both came away understanding the value of a college education and even went on to pursue master’s degrees. They worked hard and saved carefully, knowing that one of their most important goals was to be able to provide their own children with the same opportunities. My dad once said that as a parent, he did not want to be the barrier standing in the way of his children’s futures—he dreamed big for us all. Did my sisters and I still need to apply for financial aid? Yes, college can be expensive! Yet what we appreciated even more than the significant financial contribution our parents made was their limitless belief in our potential and their unmistakable pride in our accomplishments.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Kate Stewart
Admissions Counselor
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Giving Thanks
I am thankful for the limitless patience held by the 10 veteran Counselors on staff, who have answered every question I’ve had since I started in July.
Zach Wielgus
Admissions Counselor
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Giving Thanks

With looming application deadlines, it’s a busy time of year for college applicants.   To combat stress, we encourage you to take a minute to  stop, smell the turkey, and focus on all of those things for which you are grateful.   If you’re having a hard time finding that gratitude,   take some inspiration from the entries to follow, from my fellow admissions officers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Julia Sanders
Assistant Director of Admissions
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Application Stress

As of last week, the Holy Cross admission office is paperless!  This means that we will review all applications and make all decisions online.  For the past year or more, I have been part of a small working group tasked with making this happen.  At times the project felt dauntingly huge.  The level of detail required to document our processes seemed impossible to attain.  The only thing longer than the “to do” list was the “to figure out” list.  Still, we always knew it would all be worth it and the finished product would be a source of great pride.  So we worked.  And worked.  And worked.  We gave it our best, and now we look forward to the reward made all the sweeter because of that hard work.
Sound familiar?

Lynn Verrecchia ’01

Associate Director of Admissions
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So…What do you do all day on the road?

This time of year, when admissions counselors are spending more time in rental cars than in their own homes , that is the question I most often get from my friends, family or even prospective students. So here you go: the deep, dark secrets of what we do on the road will be revealed.  Every day is an adventure and certainly different from the next, but here’s a snapshot of my life on the road – just a typical Wednesday during travel season!

6:00am – Alarm goes off. I take a minute to orient myself to where I am, oh right – Omaha. Time to get moving!

7:45am – Arrive at my first high school visit a few minutes early and am greeted by the marching band practicing in the parking lot – I’m awake now!

8:00am – 1st High School visit of the day; here I speak with a great senior who has clearly done research on Holy Cross and has some terriffic questions. She’s looking for a small, liberal arts college in the north east – which is great, because we fit that bill!

8:45am – Leave that school and hurry over to the next, thank God for GPS!

9:00am – Arrive at my second school of the day to discover that no students have signed up to meet with me; spent time chatting with the guidance counselors about Holy Cross and what we can do to attract more kids from Nebraska.

9:45am – Have arrived a bit early for my next visit so I take a few minutes to catch up on a few things.  A quick call to check in with the office, respond to an e-mail from our Public Affairs office giving the okay for a message to be send out, and finally call back my dentist’s office about rescheduling that cleaning (got to take care of the teeth!) – and now I’m ready to head into school #3!

10:15am – Met with a great group of girls (all girls, Catholic school) – mix of juniors and seniors who asked important questions about campus culture, social life, academic opportunities, etc.

11:30am – Arrive at their all boys counterpart school and am lead to a conference room. We got a great student from here so I’m expecting to see some interest, and I do! Speak with a few different students and confirm an interview or two for later this evening.

12:30pm – Time to head to my last visit of the day! (Stomach is starting to growl)

1:00pm – Visit #5 of the day is a bit different from the rest, more of a fair format. There are a few schools here and students are free to walk around and speak to different college reps – it’s a great chance to meet with multiple kids and get the Holy Cross name out there!

2:00pm – Done with visits for the day so I head off to a lunch spot that a guidance counselor recommended. I’ll catch my breath, and make some notes on my days visits to help with next year’s planning.

3:15pm – Finally back at my hotel – time to check e-mail, hit the gym and relax for a bit.

6:00pm – Time to head down to the lobby where I’ll meet the first of two students who are interviewing tonight. These students signed up online for one of our off campus interviews – knowing I’d be in the area, they’re taking advantage of the chance to meet with me and tell me more about themselves.

7:30pm – Done with interviews, heading back up to my room where I’ll order room service and type up some notes on the candidates I’ve interviewed waiting for my dinner to arrive.

8:15pm – Dinner arrives!

9:00pm – Spend a few minutes organizing my notes for tomorrow, making sure that I know where I need to be and that I have my materials all packed and ready to go.

10:00pm – Lights out! Time to rest up so I can do it all again tomorrow!

Diane Soboski

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions