Admission: Not Impossible

It’s a beautiful place filled with warm and brilliant people, and though you might think Admissions folks are scary, after working here for over a year, I can assure you we don’t go around scratching our beards and glaring at each other through thick bifocals.  Come to think of it, I’ve never seen anyone sneer.  Not even once.  We’re actually all really nice…and a little nerdy.

My favorite part of my job is meeting prospective students  and hearing their stories.  What are you passionate about?  What makes you come alive?  Think about it, and then come tell me about it while I’m on the road in California (Northern and Southern) and New York City.  Do you really love, Italy, Jane Austen, or the Patriots?  Have you been on a mission to Central America, or to Bridge club with your grandma? Have you had any great falls lately?  We all have stories…they’re what make us human.  Cultivating your stories will make your essay writing and interviewing experiences that much easier, and that much more fun.  So please, don’t be afraid to try a few of them out on us.

I grew up here in the GREAT city of Worcester. After college,  I took my liberal arts degree out to Los Angeles to try my hand at Television and Film Production.  The majority of my time was spent casting Documentary and Reality shows, and as fun and exciting as that was, I had a persistent itch to do something a little more helpful.   I ended up moving back to my beautiful hometown, and am thrilled to be a part of the Holy Cross Admissions team.

Outside of the office, I like to get outside, hang out with my dog, take pictures, listen to music, watch The Office, and root for New England sports teams.

Once again, we’re all looking forward to hearing about what makes you, uniquely you.

Julia Sanders
Admissions Counselor

Hello everyone!  We’re excited for the new school year and for new HC blogs.  We hope that you will check back frequently to hear what’s going on in the world of Holy Cross Admissions.

My name is Lynn Verrecchia.  I grew up in Port Chester, NY and first came to Holy Cross as a student 1997.  I chose Holy Cross for many of the same reasons I hear students mention today, including our close-knit community and focus on creating well-rounded individuals.

I began my admissions career in 2002, and returned to Holy Cross in my current role just over four years ago.  I love having the opportunity to talk with students about a college that has played such an important role in my own life.  In addition to working with high school students, I coordinate our transfer process, and recently began working with our alumni volunteers.

I live with my husband, a fellow Holy Cross grad, in Somerville, MA.  I’ve spent much of the last two years picking out paint colors, and highly recommend “caliente”.   True loves of my life include foreign language, travel, cookies and Alton Brown.

My recruitment territories include Texas, Tennessee, Maine, and parts of Massachusetts.  I hope to see many of you “on the road”, and others on campus this fall!  I truly believe in the importance of finding the right “fit” in a college, and hope that many of you will find just that at Holy Cross.  Happy searching!

Lynn Verrecchia
Sr. Assistant Director of Admissions

My name is Diane Soboski and I am an Assistant Director here at College of the Holy Cross. I’m new to the staff, having just graduated with my master’s degree in May. I grew up about an hour east of Worcester in Winchester, MA and am a New Englander through and through. I love spending time outdoors, and especially enjoy being by the water. I come from a family of sailors, swimmers, and beach enthusiasts so I’ve never been able to keep away from the waves for long.

This year, I’m thrilled to be trying out some new travel territories and seeing parts of the country that I have never visited. If you happen to live in: Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Nebraska, or Minnesota – I hope to see you on the road! I’ll also be swinging by schools in the Albany/Saratoga Springs area of NY which is not new to me, but an area that I never tire of exploring.

I wish you all well throughout this process. And don’t forget to swing by and let me get to know you better!

Diane Soboski
Assistant Director of Admissions

Hi Everyone!

My name is Suzanne Timmons and I am an Assistant Director of Admission here at Holy Cross. I joined the Admissions Staff in July of 2006 and my experience here has been everything that I hoped that it would be. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been impressed with the Holy Cross students I’ve met and the stories they have to tell. I hope that in your college search you’ll be equally as impressed with the things Holy Cross can offer you.

Life both inside and outside of admissions has been busy these days with preparing for my annual admission’s travel while also helping my younger sister move into her first year of college and preparing for my older brother’s wedding.

Speaking of travel, next week I’ll be hitting the road and visiting with students all over Missouri, Illinois, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Massachusetts. I hope to see you somewhere during the journey.

As you continue with your college search, don’t be nervous of the unfamiliar. You should know that we recognize how hard you work on applications and essays, and we are here to work just as hard for you. Please take advantage by asking as many questions and gathering as much information as possible. We’ll definitely get you an answer, and if nothing more, point you to our fun website. We specialize in helping you find out as much as you can to know if this is the undeniable school for you. Good luck and I look forward to working with you during your college application process!

Suzanne R. Timmons
Assistant Director of Admissions

6 mo: purple and white Crusader onesie w/matching bib
18 mo: purple and white Crusader cheerleader outfit
5 yrs: purple and white Crusader sweatsuit
12 yrs: purple and white Crusader basketball t-shirt
17 yrs: purple and white Crusader hoodie
22 yrs: black and white Crusader diploma

I bleed purple.  I always have.  My father, uncles, and aunts began the brainwashing at a young age.  Years of watching football games, attending basketball camps and visiting my sister’s dorm room convinced me that there was only one college for me.  As the application process approached, I took the search seriously and visited many campuses.  These visits, however, only strengthened my love for Holy Cross.  My decision was a no-brainer.

My time spent on Mt. St. James revolved around student government, reading voraciously, and being a Crusader Superfan.  I sled on Kimball trays, tanned on Wheeler Beach, and climbed the Fenwick tower (not really).  On a daily basis I picked my English professors’ brains during office hours, sought help in the Calc Workshop, and repeated Spanish verbs in the MRC.  I attended a retreat, led a retreat and found comfort within the cozy walls of Campion.  I studied at Oxford, studied in my room, and studied in the fish bowl.  I soaked up everything this institution had to offer and still thirsted for more.

At the end of my four years, I wasn’t quite ready to leave.  It’s been nearly two and a half years since I graduated and in that time I’ve spent my days (and many nights) gushing about my experience at HC and meeting potential students, many of whom share my passion. This year I’ll travel to Colorado, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Westchester County, New York and Norfolk County, Massachusetts.  I hope to see you in my travels and would love the chance to tell you about my school.

Allison P. Rose ‘06
Assistant Director of Admissions

Hi! My name is Alyssa Trometter and I graduated from Holy Cross in May of 2008 where I majored in History and created my own minor through the CISS program in Indigenous Studies.  I decided to come to work in the Admissions Office after having a fabulous experience volunteering as a Tour Guide, Day Visit/Overnight Host, and Senior Interviewer during my time on Mt. Saint James.  As you probably could have guessed I love Holy Cross and life on the Hill — even though my junior year (which I spent abroad in Melbourne, Australia) was almost as picturesque!  I was born and raised in San Diego, California and moved to Gladwyne, Pennsylvania (a suburb outside Philadelphia) before high school with my family.  Even though I live in Massachusetts now, I still always look forward to visiting my parents, older brother, and our two Pugs, black Lab and Tabby cat whenever I can.  I also love rowing, the color pink (and HC purple), watching cricket, desserts, sundresses, Vegemite and anything involving the ocean.

Alyssa Trometter ‘08
Admissions Counselor

My name is Lauren Thornton and I am an Admissions Counselor here at Holy Cross. I am a recent college graduate and have just begun my career in the field of admissions as of July 2008. I am fortunate to be able to have such wonderful colleagues, as well as to meet such great prospective students! I am very excited about beginning my first year in admissions and am really looking forward to traveling, as well as reading all your applications.

This fall, I will be visiting New Hampshire, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Delaware, portions of Massachusetts, as well as the Philadelphia area. One of my greatest passions is traveling to new places and meeting exciting people. I recently returned from a trip where I spent twelve days in southern California and on the Mexican Riviera. In fact, a large amount of my free time is spent planning my next adventure! Besides travel, I also enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and golden retriever, Abby, in my hometown of Windham, New Hampshire. While at home, I enjoy kayaking on Cobbett’s Pond, taking Abby out to play, watching all New England sports with my dad, as well as reading history and travel related books. During the summer, my absolute favorite place to be is on or near the ocean and I frequent both the Maine and Massachusetts seacoast. To me, there is nothing better than the smell of the ocean while enjoying a lobster at Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine.

As the days slowly get shorter, the weather begins to get colder, and your senior year gets busier, please don’t be afraid to ask us any questions that you may have. We’re here for you and anxiously awaiting to answer all of your burning questions! Best of luck as you begin your senior year and I look forward to meeting many of you during my travels!

Lauren D. Thornton
Admissions Counselor

So you’re ten years old – you’re sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by stacks of unopened library books on a topic that you were supposed to have started researching weeks ago and now, here you are, the evening before your report is due and you are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.  In her book Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott describes her brother’s experience with a 4th grade report on birds this way:

“. . . he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy.  Just take it bird by bird.’”

If you spend too much time with your nose in the guide books, the college search process, much like the 4th grade report, can become absolutely overwhelming in its size and scope.  Our goal in the Admissions Office and particularly in this blog, is to help humanize the process and to encourage you to “just take it bird by bird”.

So to set an example for my co-workers to follow let me tell you a bit about myself.

I was raised throughout the Midwest and New England and now reside in the great city of Worcester (once known as “The Shredded Wheat Capital of the World”).  I’ve worked here in the Admissions Office at Holy Cross for four years now and in my free time I enjoy fighting crime, spreading world peace, singing duets and searching for the best American-made doughnuts (not necessarily in that order).  This fall, I will continue my search in parts of MA, CT and upstate NY; in between doughnut shops, I hope to find time to visit high schools, meet with students and make this process just a bit more human.

Andrew N Carter
Associate Director of Admissions