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Thanksgiving Break Suggestions

Thanksgiving break is only days away and, while it may be tempting to eat the turkey and give into napping your vacation away, it is also a great time to work on those college applications. If you are submitting your application ED, then this is the perfect time to read over that essay one more time before the December 15th Early Decision deadline.

Instead of sitting in front of the TV, call upon your relatives to proof read your  essay. They will most likely approach your work with a fresh perspective that mom, dad, or even siblings may have lost by the 6th time reading your college essay. Perhaps your cousin, who is just back from his first semester of college, can give you some great editing tips that will make your essay that much more exciting.

Use your extra time to polish your college applications or even add supplements.  An art, theater, or music supplement may be one more great way to show Admissions your personality and interests. With a 4 day weekend, you could easily put together a portfolio or even record your musical performances. The application season can fly by so use this extra time when you are not busy with school work or extra-curricular activities to get ahead of the deadlines that are lurking after Christmas.

Krystle Leveille

Admissions Counselor
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When Will I Receive My Admissions Decision?

LaurenThornton.BLOG2It is that time of year again, the time where high school seniors sit in front of their mailboxes anxiously awaiting their admissions decisions. Do not fret, the wait is almost over!  As of the end of last week, the admissions decision letters were boxed up and sent to our mail house in order to be sent to all of you. Here is a quick glimpse at us sending out our decisions to all of you. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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Lauren D. Thornton
Admissions Counselor
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Application Deadlines: Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute!

LynnVerrecchia.BLOG2Every 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
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How do I Know if Admissions has Received all of my Application Materials?

DianeSoboski.BLOG2You’ve filled out the Common Application and submitted it online, double and triple checking to make sure that you’ve attached your essay upload. You’ve filled out the paper work at your guidance office requesting that they send along your transcript and recommendation letters to Holy Cross (in Massachusetts, not Indiana). You’re positive that everything has been sent to us. We have it, right? You think we have it. You hope we have it. How do you know if we have it?

There’s no need to stay up nights worrying about whether or not we have your materials, you can now check the status of your application materials online! Simply go to our online checklist, click “register”, put in your personal information and you will be provided with a glimpse into our database. More specifically, you’ll see your application checklist as it appears in our records.

Furthermore, you’ll be able to tell exactly what (if anything) is still missing. A list of required application materials will appear along with notation of whether or not each item has been received.

***One caution – It takes some time for us to receive your materials in the mail, open our mail, sort our mail, and input the pieces of your application into our system.

DO NOT PANIC if you do not see all of your materials listed. You may be positive that you sent in that Verification Form, you know that you put the right postage on it, it should have been here, it’s not listed, you may check compulsively – it WILL eventually appear. Give it some time, and if after 10-14 days you still don’t see your materials appear, feel free to call our office and we’ll tell you whether or not we think you need to submit the missing piece again.

We wish you all the best of luck as you finish up those college applications over the next few months. You’re in the home stretch of your application season, and we can’t wait to begin ours!

 

Diane Soboski
Assistant Director of Admissions
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Early Decision Versus Regular Decision

AnnMcDermott.BLOG2During my travels last week I received a number of questions about Early Decision…who should apply, what is the process, are there benefits to applying ED?  If you have had similar questions, please read on!

By applying Early Decision you are stating that Holy Cross is far and away your first choice for college. There should be no doubt in your mind that this is absolutely the place you want to be.  The process is binding, which means that if admitted to Holy Cross, you will withdraw all other applications and enroll here.  This is a serious commitment, so the decision to apply ED should not be made casually.

Unlike Regular Decision, Early Decision files are reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning November 1.  Once an application is complete, the application will be read by two members of the Admissions staff, and then presented to the full Admissions Committee. Students are notified of the decision as soon as they are made.  Therefore, the earlier you apply and complete you application, the earlier you will receive your decision. The deadline for applying ED is December 15.

If you plan on applying for Financial Aid, you will want to submit the CSS Profile at the same time you submit your application for admission.   Our financial aid policies for ED are exactly the same as for Regular Decision.  We are need-blind in the application process, which means that we do not consider the level of financial need in making our admissions decisions. We also meet full demonstrated need for all admitted students.  Financial aid for Early Decision is packaged in exactly the same way as in Regular Decision. However, if you and your parents are interested in comparing aid packages from other colleges, then applying Regular Decision would be the better course of action.

So what are the advantages of applying Early Decision? An Early Decision application demonstrates your commitment to and excitement about attending Holy Cross. Because the applicant pool is smaller, we have more time to evaluate your candidacy.  We respect the commitment you are making to Holy Cross, and value the fact that you are committed to attending the College.  Both of these factors are given serious consideration as part of our decision making process. Also, an Early Decision acceptance alleviates the stress of the college search during the remainder of your senior year!

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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Should I apply Early Decision or Regular Decision?

Jim_r_tnMany of you have likely met some of us here in Admissions,
maybe even me(!), over the course of the last two months if we’ve been in your
part of the country, or even the world traveling around visiting
schools and seeking out the best students!  Some of you have attended a
college fair, or an evening reception, met some alumni, maybe had a personal
interview, and hopefully you’ve been to campus by now at least once to see for
yourself all of the simply amazing things you’ve been hearing about.
You’ve followed the advice of others and “demonstrated
interest” to us … but you’re wondering, “how else can I
demonstrate my interest? “.  Well, the strongest demonstration of
interest you can make is to apply; that’s the next step.

So what happens to your application after you click
‘submit’, or place it in your mailbox for the postal worker to deliver it
to us?  Your application travels many miles, whether through the postal
system, or in cyberspace, there are many hours that are investing in your
application after its submitted.  Our clerical staff processes it, matches
it up with all the miscellaneous materials that may already be here, and they
build a physical file for you.  Your application is then read by several
of the Counselors and given a full cover-to-cover review and evaluation.
Once it has been prepared by the Counselors in the read process, it then goes before
the 13 member selection committee for a full presentation and further
discussion.  Together, all 13 of us make all application decisions.
The process then comes full circle with a decision letter being generated by
our clerical staff, and mailed off to you to arrive back in your mailbox.

So now the question comes up in your mind, how do I
apply?  Some of you have already asked us for our opinion, “Should
I apply Early Decision, or just file a Regular Admission application? ”
To enter the Early Decision process [deadline: December 15] is a highly
personal choice; one only you, the student, can make.  You may only apply
to one college or university under an Early Decision plan.
Why?  It’s binding.  If you were to apply Early Decision
here (or anywhere) you will be saying in effect, “Holy Cross, you’re my
number one choice .. I love you more than anywhere else (and, well, after you
visit here, how would you not be able to say that!?) .. and if you take
me, I guarantee I’ll enroll, and will withdraw all of my other college
applications whether I’ve received a decision from them yet or not.”
That’s a pretty big statement to make, right?  Even with that said, ED can
be an absolutely terrific process to go through … but you just absolutely
have to know 110% that this is where you want to be, and know that you won’t be
changing your mind later.

Why is ED so terrific?  For one, you’ll find out
our decision much earlier than if you were Regular Admission.  This is
called “rolling notification”.  Our decision process typically
takes about four weeks from the time your application becomes complete.
Many times it happens somewhat quicker than that, but four weeks is an
average.  We can make three possible decisions with your ED application:
“Accept” (Congratulations, you’re coming here!); “Defer”,
which simply means we’re moving your application to the Regular Admission pool,
and you’ll now learn your final decision alongside all of the Regular Admission
candidates (you’ll still be notified of the “Defer” decision within
approximately 4 weeks); or “Not Admit”.  Whatever the decision,
we utilize a rolling notification so that you, the student, will know how to
proceed with any other application you were considering submitting – –
either to move forward with them and make sure they’re all complete, or
withdraw them because you’re coming to Holy Cross!  🙂

If you decide to apply Regular Admission [deadline: January
15] you will receive your decision letter in the mail either in the last few
days of March or first few days of April.  While this seems like a long
time away, trust me, it will be here before you know it.  Applying
Regular Admission keeps all of your options open, and allows you to consider
all of your admission decisions from all the schools to which you’ve applied
until May 1.

There are certainly pros and cons to both application
processes.  Because Early Decision is such a personal choice, and a big
commitment, its a decision we can’t answer for you … only you, the student,
can know for sure that this is the place you would like to attend for the next
four years, and be connected with for the rest of your life.  Best of luck
with your process, however you choose to apply, and never hesitate to ask us
questions as you go through it – – that’s why we’re here.

Finally, if you’re eligible to do so, get out and VOTE
on Tuesday … this is history in the making!

James T. Richardson
Associate Director of Admissions