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Holy Cross admissions director,
Ann Bowe McDermott ’79,
shares insights about the process.
By Katharine Buckley McNamara '81
 Q: Ann, how did this year compare to previous years
for the Admissions Office?
A: This was an outstanding year. The College received
4,815 applications for the class of 2003, an 11 percent
increase over last year and a near record breaking number
for Holy Cross. As important, the quality of the applicant
pool also increased, making admission to Holy Cross even
more competitive.
Q: Just how selective is Holy Cross?
A: We are one of approximately 50 schools in the nation
that admits fewer than half of our applicants. This
year 43 percent of the students applying to Holy Cross
were admitted, compared with 47 percent last year.
Another indicator is our ranking in Barron’s
Profiles of American Colleges where we are listed as “most
selective,” the top category.
Q: How are the decisions made about whom to accept?
A: As you can imagine the assessment process is lengthy
and personnel-intensive. Every member of the admissions
staff reads applications. At the height of the “reading
season” each staff member is looking at between
80-to-100 applications per day. We spend about five-to-six
weeks reading, getting ready for the assessment phase.
This is typical when compared to other very selective
colleges. Applications are evaluated and assigned ratings
for both academic and personal accomplishments.
In determining an academic rating we consider the quality of the program of
study, grades, and class standing – all within the context of what is
offered at that particular high school. We’re looking for students who
take the most competitive programs offered at their school – honors and
AP courses. We have all that information in students’ files about what
each school offers at the highest level and we expect students to take full
advantage of it. We tend to weight that with grades and class rank – they
form a great indicator of a student’s ability to be successful here – as
opposed to SAT scores as one individual factor. Those tests are also considered,
but there is no score that would automatically preclude admission, just as
there is no score that guarantees a student’s acceptance. We had a lot
of questions this year about students who scored at a very high level on the
SATs, but their academic program was not at the level we expect.
Q: What sorts of things do you consider as you assign
a personal rating?
A: In our evaluations we are looking for students who
will not only benefit from the academic offerings here,
we are looking for students who will contribute
to the Holy Cross community. To that end, we consider what a student has
done with his or her time outside the classroom. We
look for evidence of leadership,
service to others and a willingness to contribute. We seek individuals who
commit energy and passion to things that are significant to them. Q: Do children of alumni get special consideration in
the admissions process?
A: The applications of children of alumni are read in
the same way as all others but are brought to the committee
in a special group. They are presented by an individual
who works with our alumni volunteers. This person is
responsible for making sure we are aware of the family
connection in the application.
Yes, we look at them separately and are looking to be pro-active for alumni
children. We believe they are part of the special Holy Cross tradition emphasizing
family, so we do look at them differently than other candidates.
Q: How do you address the important issue of diversity
in the admissions process?
A: The student body coming into Holy Cross looks very
different compared with when we were students, for example,
and certainly different than it was for older alumni.
We have made a concerted effort to become a more national
presence and, as a result, the percentage of students
from New England and Massachusetts has been declining.
And, likewise, the percentage from outside the New England
area has been growing every year for the last five years.
Typically we’ll have anywhere from 38 to 42 states
represented, which is a nice thing to see. We’re
always looking to bring a more national presence to our
student body.
Equally important, we’re looking to see that the student body become
more ethnically and culturally diversified. We’re looking to attract
students who bring different perspectives and different cultural experiences
to our campus so that our educational opportunities may be enriched.
Q: Is there an appeals process if a student is rejected?
A: We get that question a lot and, in fact, an appeal
is fairly unusual. What we tell a student or family
is that they must submit new and substantively
different information to really point to the fact that our decision was made
on erroneous material. That has happened, but very rarely. For example, we
might have received the wrong transcript. We don’t encourage appeals.
An option to consider is transferring to Holy Cross after spending a year elsewhere.
Q: How can an alumnus or alumna have an impact on the
admissions process?
A: We receive countless letters throughout the year and
it’s something
that helps us round out the personal information we have on a student. I welcome
and encourage people to write or phone. I enjoy hearing from alumni who can
give us insight into an individual. Obviously, calls and letters are only helpful
when the alumnus or alumna really knows the student. Writing on behalf of an
applicant you don’t really know isn’t helpful to us and simply
makes the student’s folder a little thicker. Q: If an alumnus or alumna calls to inquire about the
status of a particular student, how much information
can you provide?
A: Very little. We are covered by federal law pertaining
to confidentiality and cannot discuss credentials with
anyone other than the student – or their parents,
if the student is under age 18. So, we are not permitted
to discuss particulars – SATs, quality of the academic
program or anything else.
Q: What advice about the admissions process would you
offer to parents of college-bound students?
A: Start early, at least by the middle of junior year
in high school. It’s an appropriate time to have
a long conversation about what ideas your child has about
college and what your family can afford. Students should
develop a list of possible colleges by the end of their
junior year. Visiting can start that summer and into
the fall of senior year. Students seem to be so busy
that it’s hard for families to visit colleges in
the fall of senior year. While summer isn’t ideal,
because our students aren’t here, the summer can
be utilized for visits.
Parents should encourage their children to dream but it’s also their
role to keep them grounded, to make sure the student is realistic about the
possibilities. That applies to schools that may be “reaches” for
a student and it applies to the financing of college. Keeping a student grounded
during this pressure-filled experience is challenging, but it’s important
for parents to try do so.
Q: How should parents go about assessing a college?
A: Guidebooks provide a lot of valuable information,
particularly those that rate the schools by selectivity.
Keep in mind, though, that the data presented can be
up to three years old, even in the most current editions.
It’s important to research and collect information.
You want to know your child’s rank in their class
and their SAT scores, for example, so you might begin
to assess your child’s chances of getting into
a particular school.
Talk to your child’s guidance counselor for information. Most schools
keep good records about where other students have been admitted in past years
and that can give you an idea of the profile of those accepted to the schools
you may be interested in. It gives you an idea of how your child’s high
school is faring out there.
In addition, when you visit a college, ask the admissions office about their
acceptance rate and the percentage of students who then enroll. Be an informed
consumer and ask questions.
Obviously, the more competitive a college is, there are just no guarantees.
Even for the top students who are applying to the most competitive school,
there will be many other applicants just like them.
Q: How important is the campus visit?
A: It is critical for several reasons. A student gets
to see the facilities and see what a place is all about.
They can see beyond the attractive, glossy publications
they may have received. They can meet students and
get a sense of whether they may fit in.
Equally important, colleges, especially at the most selective level, are looking
to see the amount of interest that a student is expressing about the college.
A campus visit demonstrates real interest. Take a campus tour but be aware
of the power of the tour guide – both positive and negative. Evaluate
what they are presenting. If you’re interested in a school and the tour
guide doesn’t do a good job, go back and talk to other students. Don’t
be completely swayed by that person’s representation of the school.
While on campus spend some time away from the admissions office and its promotion
of the college. Go to the library and listen and watch. Spend time in the campus
center, eat in the dining hall and watch the interactions of the students.
It can tell you as much about the school as a tour.
I emphasize the visit and encourage a student to have an interview, if they
are used in an evaluative sense. Especially if a student is from the local
area, the interview is critical and plays an important part in the assessment
of their application. Be sure to dress appropriately for the interview. We
are more casual in the summer, so you may dress down a bit. But, we return
to formal, professional attire in the fall and you should, too. A tip: don’t
ever wear to campus a t-shirt or sweatshirt with the name of another college
or university on it.
If you cannot visit a particular college, pay a visit to the school’s
Web site. Use every possible resource to assess the possibilities.
Q: How important is the essay in your assessment?
A: It’s a very important piece of the package for
us. It gives a sense of how a student writes and the
care that is taken with the writing. It is interesting
to see what topic is chosen and what the writer actually
tells us. In some cases it may be the only voice we hear
from a student. We read the essays with red pen in hand,
marking them up for spelling and grammatical errors.
But the essay can be a real point of connection for us.
I can tell you that staff members come into the office
very excited after a night of reading essays that have
really touched them.
Q: Do you have tips for completing the application?
A: Keep in mind the number of applications that we are
reading and strive to make your application stand out.
Present information clearly – so the reader will
remember it. In the admissions committee meeting we
will consider anywhere from 100 to 700 applications
in a day. The speed is, of necessity, incredible. Students
must get their points across concisely. And, they must “sell
themselves” – be assertive in this process.
And, be sure to proofread and ask someone else to check
it again.
A look at the incoming class of 2003
- Applications received: 4,815
- Students accepted: 43%
- Available seats in class: 710
- SAT scores: 1270 average
- Median class rank: top 9% of high school class
- Acceptance rate for children of alumni: 69%
- Enrolled children of alumni: 76
- ALANA students: 11% *
- Geographic profile: students from 36 states and
five foreign countries
- Students from outside New England states:
45%
* ALANA: African American, Latino, Asian, Native American
Top 10 Tips for Parents and Students
- Start the process early, talk about realistic expectations
and financing issues.
- Be an informed consumer; conduct research and ask
questions.
- Visit campuses.
- Assess the campus away from the admissions office
program; watch and listen to students.
- Don’t be excessively swayed – for good
or bad – by the campus tour guide.
- Be interviewed – by the admissions office
or by an alumni interviewer.
- Check out the college’s Web site.
- Concentrate on the essay; proofread.
- “Sell yourself” – make your application
stand out.
- Remain open-minded.
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