<p>Sunshowers - you make some good points and ask several relevant questions. </p>
<p>In terms of getting more applications, I think the answer is two-pronged: it will take considerable energy and a little bit of innovation. I've been doing alumni interviews for many years now, and just in the past couple years, I've seen the U of C admissions rep take more interest in my (major metropolitan) area. The U of C admissions office will need to concentrate on continuing to build strong relationships with high schools all over country, continue targeting and sending effective marketing materials to students from the get-go, and rely on Nondorf's well-connected presence to get more appropriate applications. As a directory of recruitment at Yale for quite a while, I'm sure Nondorf has great connections already with college counselors all over the country. By building on that, more of these counselors will suggest Chicago and speak about the school accurately, and we'll garner more applications that way. </p>
<p>A little innovation never hurts either - the clever mailings and postcards, keeping the "personalized" touch alive, and continuing to demonstrate that Chicago is just a bit different of a place are key goals. Moreover, there are specific regions to target that Chicago does not target enough, such as the South and Southwest (Chicago oftentimes concentrates its recruiting heavily in the east and west), and even with the big public high schools in the midwest. Nondorf seems to be a known commodity to counselors at places like New Trier High School, so this will again work in Chicago's favor. The key here again is building relationships all across the critical regions. </p>
<p>I don't think its necessary to build an engineering school or emphasize math/sciences more to get to this position. Chicago has not saturated its growth areas yet - it can definitely get its name out there more before considering this sort of drastic step.</p>
<p>In terms of the "fun comes to die" reputation, admissions is all about branding. Rather than emulating the "work hard party harder" atmosphere at a Princeton or Dartmouth, I think Chicago should focus on telling its own story better. The "fun comes to die" quote is perhaps the most misunderstood mantra in all of college life. As current Chicago students will confirm, Chicago now is a far cry from the dark, dreary, and financially unstable place of the 80s and early 90s. Chicago students now have a wealth of resources and opportunities to utilize, and the atmosphere around campus is changing. It'll be up to the admissions office to capture what the new essence of Chicago is, and then accurately convey this information to the interested public. It wouldn't be in Chicago's culture to have a vibrant frat row like at Dartmouth, but at the same time, applicants should be aware of events like Scav Hunt, the Lascivious Costume Ball, or Kangeiko that make the U of C culture distinctive.</p>
<p>What I really enjoyed about Chicago is that it was NOT a work hard/party harder school. Instead, I worked hard and then enjoyed my time relaxing and unwinding, with none of the social pressures found at the more social hierarchical schools such as Princeton or Columbia. Chicago should sell THIS, because I think it's a story that would appeal a lot to the nation's overworked academic top-class. </p>
<p>As Dean O'Neill has said time and time again, Chicago has a compelling story to tell, more and more people just need to hear about it. Nondorf seems to provide the clout and presence to really reach a broader swath of applicants. I'm excited about what the future holds in store for the U of C.</p>