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Summer Visit Opportunities

Summer is an interesting time for us here in Admissions. With the stress of application reading and the selection process behind us,  summer is a great opportunity for admissions officers to plan travel, take some vacation days, and admire the gorgeous  trees and flowers blooming all over campus.

But we haven’t forgotten about you, high school juniors, who are just starting your college search. Once you’ve had some time to relax, think about making some college visits.

Summer is an excellent opportunity to visit Holy Cross. Come for a tour and information session.  You’ll hear directly from students as they guide you around campus and from an Admissions Counselor about the college process. If you happen to be here in the next few weeks you might want to take advantage of our July Advisory Days, where you’ll receive insider tips on interviewing and writing your college essay. It might be nice to get all of this done before your hectic senior year starts up (where you’ll likely be juggling AP classes, soccer practice, band rehearsal, community service, etc.). We will be here and looking forward to your visit!

Nicole Zervos ’09

Assistant Director of Admissions
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Why Holy Cross? Because Our Alums Have So Much Pride

The most recent edition of the Holy Cross employee newsletter featured a 16 year member of our graphic arts department. When asked about the strangest job request she’s ever received, she shared that an alumnus once called to request a high resolution file of the Holy Cross school seal. Perhaps he wanted to print it on his letterhead, or on a set of note cards? Wrong. It was so he could be sure his new tattoo was an accurate depiction! At a local high school a few years ago, another alumnus sought me out in the crowd to show me his own Holy Cross tattoo. His was of the Crusader mascot, and yes, it was spot on. Though we don’t all have tattoos representing our beloved alma mater, the pride that these alumni show on their arms is shared by us all. Go Cross! 

And congratulations to our newest class of alums.

Lynn Verrecchia ’01
Associate Director of Admissions
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The Power is Yours

It’s great to be a high school senior right now. Yeah, that’s right, I said great. Not stressed to the point of nausea or overwhelmed to the point of tears, but truly GREAT. Know why?

Because you hold all the power.

Last fall, when we were giving information sessions and visiting you at your school and interviewing you, the amorphous title of “Admissions” dictated the flow of events. (Or it probably seemed that way.) As a student, you were learning about schools, and then visiting campuses, and then expressing your interest to specific institutions, and then working tirelessly on applications that you hoped would be enough to make you stand out in a pool of 7,400.

Finally, after all that, you waited. And waited. Maybe you called or e-mailed, inquiring about our decision mail date. Eventually, you received the big acceptance packet you deserved. In all likelihood, you now own acceptance packets from a number of fine colleges and universities.

And with that, the tables have turned. Today, and for the next four days, admissions offices are now anxiously waiting for YOU. We hope you do get that a-ha! moment and find that Holy Cross is the right choice. We hope you have questions, find time to visit once more, or call us up just to chat, because we can’t wait to give you a million more reasons to clad yourself in purple and find a home on The Hill.

Zach Wielgus
Admissions Counselor
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Why Holy Cross? The People.

When no one is watching, in the dim early morning light, employees scurry around this campus like parents on Christmas Eve.

Some are planting perfectly placed impatiens on Linden Lane while others apply the final glaze to the decadent chocolate doughnuts in Kimball Dining Hall.  Other times of the year they might be sanding and salting sidewalks in front of Dinand Library or delicately seasoning the clam chowder at Crossroads.  Perhaps my favorite would be this – on mild spring mornings, as the sun rises and warms O’Kane Hall, I look out the window of my office and see one veteran school employee turn on the fountain in Memorial Plaza so that when students parade to class an hour or two later, they might be soothed by the sound of the bubbling water and tempted just for a minute to test the temperature with their hand.

No matter the time of year, each and every day, while students sleep, there are literally hundreds of people preparing this campus and this school just for them.  I’m often asked what my single favorite thing about Holy Cross is and I know for a fact that I’ve given more than just one answer to that question.  But if someone asked me today, I’d say this: my favorite thing about Holy Cross is the people – those employees who care enough to make sure the flowers are perfectly aligned and those curious students who stop just for a moment to run their hand through the warm water of the fountain and appreciate where they go to school.

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions
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Our Decision Making Process

There is a reason few schools in the country create the next freshman class the way we do. To go through every single application – that’s right, every single application – as a group and allow a democratic vote to decide each student’s fate takes a lot. It’s a lot of time, it’s a lot of pressure, and it’s a lot of energy.

But there’s something strangely exhilarating (if exhausting) about the prospect of creating our Class of 2016. Our brains are constantly working as we learn interesting tidbits about our 7200 or so applicants. Our eyes slowly despise us more and more as the glow of two large projector screens serve as our information tablets. We scan the important evaluations of our colleagues as the room is filled with comments of quick analysis and personal stories of meeting or interviewing you (as well as the faint smell of various snacks). The hardest part, however, is finding ways to make sure every applicant, whether it’s the first or the last of the day, is evaluated with equal freshness and enthusiasm.

For me, that means reminding myself that it wasn’t all that long ago I was in your shoes.

I can still recall sitting in Physics class, paying little attention to the importance of free fall and instead wondering when and how colleges decide whether I’m worth admitting to their school. Many family members told me there was no rhyme or reason to the college admission process, that the mood of an admissions officer could sway my potential spot at a university.

In the Holy Cross Committee room, however, that’s not the case, because I see myself up there. The instant fatigue and apathy begin to creep in, I sit up straight (maybe even stand up and pour myself another cup of coffee) and recall how much influence we hold over a significant number of high school seniors. For all the hard work you put in during your nearly four years in high school, I can reciprocate that, one application at a time.

Few schools craft a class the way we do, but even after a few weeks of our arduous process, I wouldn’t want to decide your fate any other way.

Zach Wielgus

Admissions Counselor
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Parent Recommendations: My Love of These Ooey, Gooey, Mushy Messages

I really like that our office invites the parents of applicants to join in the application process and to start a dialogue with HC Admissions about their son/daughter.

(To any of you parents reading this right now: No, you/your son/your daughter do not get “extra points” for this exercise and you don’t “lose points” either.  You simply take away some piece of mind—at least you should.)

In some of these letters that we receive, I can literally see the parents appreciating their son/daughter more and more as the letter unfolds. 

These parent letters make me think: It is not often in life that we are asked to put life on hold, reflect for a moment, and form into words all of the specific things that make a special someone in our lives so special.  The exercise allows you to rediscover all of those hidden gems about that person who has been living under your roof for the past 17 years.   

Parents, it may be too late to submit a letter of recommendation on behalf of your child, but it is never too late to take a moment to tell them how proud you are of the person they have become.

Dan Weagle ‘08
Admissions  Counselor
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Thoughts on Application Reading

With every application I read, I try to conjure up a mental image of the student. The essay, resume or recommendations often provide the information I need to form this picture in my mind. Our applicants are so much more than just the pages in their file, and I try never to forget that. I might picture a student during that nail-biting championship game, on that life-changing mission trip or spending time with a beloved grandparent. A picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Lynn Verrecchia ’01
Associate Director of Admissions
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Thoughts From a Newbie Application Reader

Embarking on my first season of application reading was somewhat daunting. Initially, I was overwhelmed to think that my colleagues and I would collectively read more than 7,000 freshman applications from cover to cover. I wondered (and worried) whether all of the candidates would eventually blur together in my mind. I’ve realized, though, that when I give each application the thorough read it deserves and immerse myself in each file, it becomes more than just a collection of documents and truly brings to life the unique individual it represents. Each read becomes a chance to get to know a new student, one with the potential to join the vibrant student body here at Holy Cross. Though I’ve never talked to Student A, I’ve read his college essay and can picture him giving the mind-blowing speech that helped him win the election for Class President. I’ve never stepped foot in Student B’s high school, but based on her letters of recommendation I can almost hear the chit-chat in the teachers’ lounge as they talk about how excited they are to have such an intelligent, hardworking, and motivated student in class this year. According to the write-up of my colleague who interviewed Student C, I’ve been able to unpeel another of his layers to discover that in person he is witty, charming, engaging, and mature… not to mention that he speaks fluent Greek. It may sound crazy, but I sincerely look forward to “meeting” all 7,000+ of you!

Kate Stewart

Admissions Counselor
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

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The Invisible Gorilla

Many people have seen the well-known “Invisible Gorilla” experiment on YouTube.  Viewers are instructed to watch a short video clip with two groups of people – some wearing black shirts and others wearing white shirts.  Both groups of people move around in a seemingly random, jumbled fashion and the challenge for the viewer is to count how many times the participants wearing white pass the basketball. 

The answer is fifteen.  But that’s not the point. 

The point is that in the middle of the clip, a person wearing a gorilla suit enters the frame and most viewers are paying such close attention to counting the passes that they simply don’t even see the gorilla.  It’s a wonderful study in “looking without seeing” or how our focused attention can cause us to miss obvious realities that are staring us in the face (and pounding their chest).

While traveling this fall to meet with students, I’ve heard the following statement several times:

“I love that college – the tour guide was awesome!”

When I hear that, I think to myself – they missed the gorilla.

Taking an official campus tour is a valuable part of the campus visit.  But, when walking the campus, you should not only pay attention to the tour guide, but also to all the information you can gleam from your observations of the campus, the environment, the students, faculty and staff that you may notice during your tour. 

During your college search, tour guides (and even admissions counselors like me) can help relay important information about a college but we are merely basketball-passing conduits.  It’s only when you slow down on your visit and take the time to notice all that’s around you that you’ll see the gorilla and gain true insight into how that college might fit for you.

Andrew N. Carter
Associate Director of Admissions