Admission: Not Impossible
Notes from Committee
I admit it: I am a dork, a dweeb, a geek, a nerd. I am all of these things. I exhibit these dorky qualities every day during committee. I find a way to amuse myself when each new high school, hometown, or applicant’s name appears on the projector. I believe it is important to clear my thoughts and put myself in a positive mindset before viewing and discussing each applicant. I employ all of the following mental techniques in order to get myself excited to explore each and every applicant:
1. Create a rhyme using the applicant’s last name – i.e. “Daniel Weagle owns five beagles.”
2. Read the applicant’s name/school/hometown in an Irish brogue, French inflection, Southern drawl, robot voice or any other way that will cause me to smile (it’s really not too difficult to get me to smile).
3. Question whether an applicant is related to a celebrity with the same last name (one of my favorites).
4. Create a simple pun using the applicant’s name – i.e. Daniel “Weagles wobble, but they don’t fall down” (Investigate or ask your parents about “weebles” if you don’t understand this pun).
5. Try to read the high school backwards (my least favorite option, but still a viable option).
I suspect that each Holy Cross counselor has his or her unique method of mentally preparing for the discussion of every applicant (7,400 -ish total, at this time); my method just infuses a split second of silliness into the otherwise overwhelmingly serious process of selecting the Holy Cross class of 2015.
Daniel Weagle ‘08
Admissions Counselor