Posts Tagged ‘admissions decisions’

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I Just Got My Letter and I’m Not Happy

 Thursday, March 28th, 2013

To the Holy Cross Office of Admissions:

I just received my decision letter, and you guys got it WRONG.  JUST PLAIN WRONG.

P.S. WRONG

Sound about right?

We in the Admissions Office recognize that many of you are pretty disappointed right now and we just want you to know — we understand, we know this is tough, and we’re really bummed, too.

The frustration you’re feeling is indeed justifiable. You’re probably brilliant, hard working, charismatic, thoughtful, and talented. You’re a three sport captain. A class president. An Irish step dancing mathlete. A bassoon-playing robotics champion. And on top of all of that, you are getting an A in AP Calc! You are an admit-a-la-mode. It may not feel like it right now, but we think the world of you. And though you may have visions of us sitting around some big table, laughing devilishly, drumming our fingers together a’ la Mr. Burns, casting out careless decisions while contemplating the many delicious ways to destroy your life, the fact is, none of us enjoy letting you down. Our decision making committee consists of a bunch of sappy, sensitive nerds, who’ve committed the last four months of their lives to meticulously scouring your applications for every morsel of goodness. Deciding between such wonderful and often equally deserving students is incredibly grueling, and simply heartbreaking. Smiling devilishly? No. We rather feel like sulking in the corner.

Please try not to doubt yourself or wonder what you could have done differently. Due to an insanely competitive applicant pool, we simply couldn’t admit all of the admissible applicants we wanted to. So, while we hope you can trust that we did our best to make the fairest decisions we could, we acknowledge and understand your disappointment.

Please know that you are all stars. You’re part of the most exceptionally talented applicant pool Holy Cross has ever seen, and we’re confident that wherever you end up, you’ll find unlimited success.

Julia Sanders
Assistant  Director of Admissions

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The Calm Before the Storm

 Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Now, all that’s left to do is to wait.

All the decisions have been made on first year applications and the decision letters will be released through the mail in 24 hours.  For the first time in 180 days, there are no transcripts waiting to be evaluated, no essays waiting to be read and no applications waiting for a vote by the committee.  The silence is eerie.

Like bakers who arrive in the middle of night, for the past six weeks, we’ve been doing all our work in private – very precise measuring, some skillful adding, delicate mixing, artful shaping and now, waiting.

To those students who will receive disappointing news from us, know that we appreciate your interest in Holy Cross and that we take our decision making responsibility very seriously.  It is the most important and the most difficult part of our job.

To those students who will receive good news in the mail from us – congratulations.   You’ve impressed us with your record as committed students, passionate volunteers, standout athletes and even better people.  You’ll be faced with a decision soon – we hope you’ll come visit.  We’ll be waiting for you.

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions

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Reflections on a Year in Admissions

 Thursday, May 26th, 2011

As a newer member of the Admissions Office at Holy Cross,  I’d like to share some of my impressions about my first year:

1. I really appreciate the committee process and the fact that 13 of us make a decision on every applicant together.

2. It is a democratic process. Each person has a vote and every vote helped shape the class of 2015.

3. We spend a lot of time on each applicant.  In the committee room, we discussed the positive attributes of each applicant and looked at each application holistically before voting. Hearing the different opinions and viewpoints of my colleagues taught me to  recognize what it is to be a competitive college applicant,  and what it means to be a “fit” for Holy Cross.

4. We read your essay. I found the most common question in committee was, “Can we see the essay again?” After making tough decisions all day, I found that a sweet, endearing, or funny essay could really lift the  mood of the room.

My favorite memory from this year occurred when a student, whom I met on the road and interviewed on campus, stopped by my office with a smile on her face and a deposit slip in her hand.  She could not wait to tell me she would be joining the class of 2015!

I look forward to meeting the 2016 hopefuls.

Krystle Leveille
Admissions  Counselor

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Committee is Over! (Well…almost)

 Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Whew! That was a long and exciting process. Breaking news from the Holy Cross Admissions office….. committee is over and all (but for a few) decisions have been made! Letters will be mailed at the end of the week; keep an eye out for the postman!

Amanda Juriansz
Assistant Director of Community Outreach

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Notes from Committee

 Thursday, March 17th, 2011

The other day, our receptionist Mary poked her head into our committee room where we were all sitting in the dark reviewing applications.  Twelve sets of eyes eagerly looked over to see who she would be calling out for a phone call.

Was it the counselor from Minnesota that I was hoping to speak with about an applicant? Or the catering company for Lauren regarding our upcoming counselor tour? The community based organization that was looking to set up a tour this spring with Amanda?

As Mary said, “Excuse me, Father Markey, I have Bob Cousy on the phone for you”, the rest of the staff realized that none of our calls (as exciting as they may be) would live up to hearing from an NBA Hall of Famer. Just another day in the Holy Cross Admissions Committee room…

Diane Soboski
Assistant Director of Admission

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Notes from Committee

 Thursday, March 10th, 2011

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

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Notes From Committee

 Monday, March 7th, 2011

We’re in committee.  For three more weeks, the twelve members of the Admissions committee will meet in an impossibly small conference room (pictured below) to discuss and debate the 7,350 applicants for the Class of 2015.  Despite its small size, our “home” for the next several weeks is well equipped with all the things we need to do our work. Lap tops, projectors, and a document imaging camera are essential to our process, and the way in which we do our work.  But the two most critical items without which committee members could not function:  coffee and snacks.   Experience has shown that a fully caffeinated, well fed committee is a productive committee.  So far, we’re doing well.  We’re actually running a little ahead of schedule. Maybe it’s the coffee.

Ann McDermott
Director of Admissions

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Committee Has Begun!

 Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

After a frenzied few months of application reading, we’re back, and ready to blog.   Miss us?  We missed you, too.

For the next month, the HC admissions committee will be selecting the next class of Crusaders.  Decisions won’t be mailed until  March 26th, so to alleviate your anxiety,   we’ll do our best to keep you updated on  what’s going on behind the closed doors.

What to expect?  Play-by-play, hard-nosed reporting, pictures, color commentary, food reviews, and historical re-enactment.  What not to?  Answers to the question “Did I get in?”

First up – Where 12 of us will be  spending the next month:

Conference room before…

Stay tuned for more.

Julia Sanders
Assistant  Director of Admissions

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A Recipe for Application Reading Success!

 Sunday, January 2nd, 2011


The gifts have been exchanged,  and the resumes and recommendations arranged,  but have you clicked submit or put your application in the Postman’s mitts? Many of you have, we’re sure (because your applications are now on our desks), and so we’re saying, ” ’tis the season”,  for reading the application you’ve assembled.

In a few days we’ll shut the doors of the admissions office, and gear up for reading all of your applications.  For this, we’ll need supplies. There are many components that allow us to have a successful reading session. I thought I’d share with you my recipe:

50 applications for admission; 25 early decision, 25 regular admission

1 sharp or refillable mechanical pencil

1 eraser stick

1 calculator

1 pack of post-it flags and memos

1 highlighter

1 reader evaluation pad

1 box Krispy Kreme donuts

40 ounces of coffee (not shown here)

Pull the first application from the top of the stack. Sift through the transcript by reading honors and AP courses, as well as grades. Using the  mechanical pencil, transfer data from the transcript, Counselor and Teacher recommendations and essay on to the reader evaluation pad. Have calculator, eraser stick, highlighter and post-it flags nearby, just in case.  Place Krispy Kreme donut (or, donuts) in microwave oven for 20 seconds on medium heat; consume slowly to savor the full flavor and flair of the application. Add final thoughts and enjoy.

Best of luck with the home stretch of the application process everyone.  We’re excited to “devour” your applications!

Jim Richardson

Associate Director of Admissions

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Admissions and Additions

 Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

I submitted my Regular Decision application way back in October, why will I not hear the decision until April?

Great question.  Although math is not my strong suit, I will put on my Stat. Hat and consult with the Fraction Faction to provide you with an answer:

Holy Cross will receive roughly 7,000 applications this year.  Each application is carefully read by two members of our thirteen member admissions staff between January 1st and February 15th.  Therefore, each counselor must read ((7,000 apps x 2 reads)/12 counselors) applications over that six week period.  I will not go any further with the math in terms of applications read per day, but I will note that a typical 5 day/8 hours a day work weeks go out the window in the Admissions world during reading season (and travel season for that matter).

So, why don’t we hear on February 15th?

Full of great questions, are we?  Well, the process does not stop after reading season is over.  Our twelve person Admissions staff then goes to Committee through the end of March to revisit every single file to make our final Admissions decisions as a group (majority rules – all votes counted evenly).  Therefore, (12 counselors discussing 7,000 apps/6 weeks) = (396 cups of coffee/x bathroom breaks)+(8,326 insightful questions asked + 178 Counselor calls) A.K.A. The creation of the Class of 2015.

So, please remember that we are working on par with Santa’s elves this holiday/application season before you pick up the phone to inquire if we have made a decision on your Regular Decision application yet.  My advice: Munch on Holiday cookies, enjoy time with your family and friends, and leave the application stress to us.

Dan Weagle ‘08

Admissions Counselor

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