<p>The Admissions Director at Pitzer College gives us a look behind the scenes:</p>
<p>College</a> admissions' wrenching ins and outs - Los Angeles Times</p>
<p>Excerpt:</p>
<p>"No matter how many years you work in college admissions, it never gets any easier to say no. At my institution, we received 4,079 applications but only have 245 spots in the freshman class. Choosing among a majority of overqualified students is our challenge."</p>
<p>That was very nice…</p>
<p>A lot of concern for yield protection there.</p>
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<p>This is what caught my eye.</p>
<p>Over on the Parents of the Class of 2009 thread we’ve been talking about the schools we regret our kids walking away from - either deciding not to apply at all or turning down an offer of admission. Pitzer is the school I regret for my D - she ultimately decided not to apply for valid reasons (lack of strong department in her intended major), but it was the first school she (and we) fell in love with. Angel’s column reinforces my belief that Pitzer is a (not for much longer) hidden gem.</p>
<p>What a lovely article! Thank you for sharing it.</p>
<p>Great article - I have forwarded it on to my 2010 daughter</p>
<p>What an odd mix, a thoughtful, articulate, humane reminder that there are human faces behind the admissions decisions and that they really empathize with and care about applicants, along with tacit admissions of several of the dirty little secrets of the admissions trade: imputing low scores to non-SAT submitters and yield protection.</p>
<p>Dan, the Tufts admission office has a similar blog entry–very heartfelt. NOT an easy job for these guys!</p>
<p>Seems like a good time to resurrect Ben Jones’ MIT blog entry from 2006. I read it a couple of years ago and got all teary.
[MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: “It’s More Than A Job”](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_selection_process_application_reading_committee_and_decisions/its_more_than_a_job.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_selection_process_application_reading_committee_and_decisions/its_more_than_a_job.shtml)</p>
<p>I would like to know whether Pitzer informs its applicants that “contact” with the admissions office can make or break their admission.</p>
<p>The 4.0 girl was rejected because supposedly she did not make contact with the college, even though she lived close by. In reality, she may have visited the campus 50 times, spent the night and gone to classes with a friend, etc. But unless the app actually asks the question about visiting (and maybe it does but this was not stated), the admission’s office assumed she did not visit and held it against her. I think that is wrong.</p>
<p>At least on the common data set, applicant interest was checked as “Important” - the second highest category.</p>
<p>Wow, what powerful articles. There is no right way to do that job, and no way to justify to the majority of applicants why, despite being fully qualified, they couldn’t be admitted.</p>
<p>I was struck by his talking to “a lot of angry people.” Do people really call schools they’re rejected from? Angrily? And if so, I’m impressed by his equanimity. </p>
<p>Also, I think Perez is a little disingenuous when he talks about the emotionally moving essays, etc. Is is really so surprising to see students who claim they are “working to change the world,” when that is exactly what the school wants of its applicants? It’s a bit of a self-fulfilled prophecy.</p>
<p>Bay, I agree, she may have done a great deal of interaction without ever checking in with the admissions office, some tours were so random and disconnected it is difficult to believe that they even wrote down who was there and tracked it!</p>
<p>Does Pitzer do interviews? I’m an alumni interviewer, and always ask if a student has visited. Some students have legitimate reasons, and others don’t, for not visiting. I sometimes mention the lack of visiting in my write-ups.</p>
<p>Nice article. Thanks for linking to it.</p>
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<p>The reputation of the Claremont schools at our high school (which is probably within a couple hours drive from the colleges) is that you are expected to interview on campus with Admissions if you live that close. Why she didn’t is a puzzle. I think it was Pomona that made it explicitly clear that it would be viewed as a big ding if you didn’t interview when you’re local.</p>
<p>Aside: I LOVED the Pomona dining hall–fabulous food. Wish my D had gone, just so I could eat again there.</p>
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<p>Sometimes. For humorous relief about the admission process, read </p>
<p>[MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: “Crazy admissions stories”](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/helping_your_parents_through_this_process/crazy_admissions_stories.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/helping_your_parents_through_this_process/crazy_admissions_stories.shtml)</p>
<p>OP, what a great article from Pitzer. Thanks for posting it. I certainly would not want to be an admissions officer!</p>
<p>It’s a nice article, and reinforces what I suspected goes on in the admissions office.
Must be a tough job.</p>