Want to Dance? Interviewing with Holy Cross

We do.  The college search and application process has definitely begun for many of you.  Some of you have visited campus, taken a tour, attended an information session, or met with a representative who visited your school.  All of these things are important activities for you to take advantage of, and all are steps in the “dance” that is the college application process.  Engaging in any or all of these things are important opportunities for you to demonstrate your interest in the college.

One of the most important expressions of interest in which you can engage is a personal interview.  We offer on campus interviews Monday through Friday, 9AM to 4PM.  The last day for on campus interviews will be December 29.  While on campus for your interview you may meet with a Counselor on staff, with an alumnus if you happen to interview on one of our select Saturdays, or with one of our twenty five Senior Interviewers.  To learn more about the diversity of our seniors, their academic and co-curricular involvement, and why they chose to enroll at Holy Cross, see them here: http://admissions.holycross.edu/contact-us/senior-interviewers.

If a trip to campus for your interview is not possible, as an alternative you could see if we are hosting an interview event in your area , or request a local alumni interview in your home area.  For more information on off-campus Alumni Interviews, simply follow this link.

James Richardson

Associate Director of Admissions

Interviewing Students Throughout the Country

During the fall months, as we travel around the country meeting with prospective students at various high schools, we also have the chance to offer interview nights in several cities. Often times, these interview nights will be hosted by an admissions counselor but may include the opportunity for interested students to meet with alumni who now live in their home state.

This past week, I was fortunate enough to meet with several high school students in Milwaukee and Chicago. As admissions counselors, we can learn a lot from your application file – but nothing will tell us more about who you are than an interview. Interviews are a great way to learn more about a candidate – to get a feel for what they’re looking for in a college, what dreams/aspirations they have, and what they’ve been involved with during their high school years. I love meeting with students and learning more about what makes you, you.

If you haven’t already had an interview, I’d encourage you to think about scheduling one. They’re painless, I promise! We just to get to know you better, and to add another dimension to your application.

Signing up has never been easier! If you’re interested in scheduling an interview for one of our off campus interview nights, please fill out our form online and someone from our office will be in touch to assign you a time slot.

We look forward to meeting you!

Diane Soboski
Assistant Director of Admissions

Newest Admissions Member Reflects on Committee Process

NicoleZervos.BLOG2About 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

How Can I Connect?

JamesRichardson.BLOG2By now, if you’ve made it this far in the search process, and this deep into the Holy Cross website, you’ve “done your homework” in a manner of speaking.  You’ve researched various schools and you know you like Holy Cross, but may still be wondering about a few things, and need some additional information.  So, how else might you connect with us to gather those final pieces of information you need?  No worries, there’s still time, and lots of ways for you to accomplish this.

  • As my colleague Amanda Juriansz mentioned in her most recent blog post, an interview is one of the most important “connections” you can make throughout the process.  Interviewing is one of the single largest expressions of interest you can make in the College, and one of the easiest ways for you to tell us you’re really serious about your application here.  Interviews are offered here on campus until the end of the year, or with an alumnus in your area if that’s easier.  SO, as Amanda said, “What are you waiting for? “
  • Chat it up with us! We will be offering several online chats over the course of the next several weeks and months, so login and chat away with Admissions Counselors, Holy Cross students, and other prospective applicants.  The next online chat will be happening November 4 … we’ll hope to see you online from 7:00 – 10:00PM EST, or for any portion of that time you may be available.
  • Meeting students is always a great way to connect with a college and get a good feel for what life is like there.  In our Meet Some Students section online, you can actually specify your criteria, and choose who you want to connect with!  Whether its connecting with another student from San Francisco, or someone from Visual Arts, you can choose with whom you correspond.
  • You can also make some additional connections with us on staff, or with our Admissions Senior Interviewers through the ‘contact us‘ link on the Admissions page.  We all have photos and email links there – – whether you recognize us or not, make a connection!

And finally, the absolute best way to “connect” is to apply!  Applications for Early Decision consideration are due here in the office December 15, but ED is a rolling process, and we’ll be reviewing applications as soon as November 1st, so feel free to submit your application as soon as it’s ready.  Regular Admission applications are due January 15.  Apply … and get connected!

Good luck!

James T. Richardson
Associate Director of Admission

Still Haven’t Scheduled an Interview?

AmandaJuriansz.BLOG2Well what are you waiting for?!  There are still lots of opportunities to have a personal interview through the admissions office.  Holy Cross offers interviews until December 30th.  Early decision candidates- your interview deadline is November 25th.  So get on the phone and give us a call!  On-campus interviews are offered every weekday 9-4 p.m.

If you’re traveling from outside the northeast and can’t get to Holy Cross, off-campus alumni interviews are available.  All you need to do is submit your common application and then fill out the alumni interviews request form on our Web site.

An interview is the best way to show your interest in a school and also the best way for the admissions committee to get to know you in a personal way.  Transcripts and recommendations are nice, but nothing beats an interview when we’re trying to get a clear picture of what you’re all about.  So if you’re wondering “what can I do to make my application stand out?” here’s your answer:  schedule and interview!

Amanda Juriansz
Assistant Director of Community Outreach

off campus alumni interviews

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

lynnBelieve it or not, I don’t care for the picture of me that accompanies my blogs.  The photographer said “don’t smile”, so I didn’t.  The result is a slightly confused-looking version of my better self.  I try not to look at it when I view my blogs, but it’s hard to ignore that unhappy face.  It’s not that the picture is more important than (or even as important as) the words beside it, but I just can’t reconcile that mean-looking person with the friendly words she writes.
 
I’ve felt this way before.  I interview hundreds of students each year.  The conversation I have with a student matters so much more than the look on their face or the outfit they wear.  But a confused/mean/bored face can be a distraction from a really nice story.  So no matter what anyone tells you…show me that smile.
 
Still waiting for photo make-up day…

 

Lynn Verrecchia
Sr. Assistant Director of Admissions

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

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.

I Want an Interview… and I Can’t Get One.

Lynn
Two months ago I wrote a blog about the importance of the interview.  Many of you got the message.  You probably got the same message if you attended an information session on campus or if you met a Holy Cross representative at your school this fall.  You nodded, you understood, you made a mental note — and then you missed the deadline.  Or you called our office recently and found out that we are booked solid through the end of the month.  What now?  Remember not just that we told you to have an interview, but what we said about why.  We want to know you, and our full schedule does not change that fact.  But unfortunately, that fact does not change our full schedule.  So you may not be able to have an interview after all, but you can still help us to know you better.  Some students choose to submit a letter or e-mail “filling in the blanks” that may exist in the absence of an interview.  Such letters can provide additional information about accomplishments, interests and passions.  They can answer some of the questions an interviewer might ask.

If you write it, we’ll read it.  So start filling in those blanks.

Lynn Verrecchia
Sr. Assistant Director of Admissions

The Power of Words – Interviews and Essays

Drew
This weekend, I was watching one of my favorite movies, V for Vendetta, and I was struck by one particular quote from the protagonist V and its connection to the college process:

“. . . words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth.”

I’m sure you’re thinking – how is he going to make this quote relevant to an admissions blog?  Well, words do retain their power and for current high school seniors, there are two areas are most important right now:

Interviews: There’s still a chance to interview here on campus at Holy Cross.  Tell us what you think; tell us what you know; tell us what you hope to be and where you hope to be.  For your words to have power, we need to hear them.  We want to hear them.
Interviews are strongly recommended as part of the application process here at Holy Cross. Check out the Admissions site for more information about scheduling an interview.

Application Essay: It’s so very easy for students to see the application essay as a homework assignment for which they do not receive credit.  But another way to look at it is this – it is your power in the process.  You can write about anything you want and your reader (the admissions counselor) is so excited to read what you want to write.  So don’t spend another minute thinking about what you should write; write what you want to write and write it with confidence.  Have confidence in your words and in your writing.  For your words to have power, for your words to offer the means to meaning, they must come through unfettered by the constraints of expectation.

We’re here and we’re waiting.  Now let us hear your words.

Andrew N Carter
Associate Director of Admissions