Summer interns for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission wear many hats: co-hosting information sessions, joining Zoom panel discussions, and, of course, leading campus tours, both in person and virtually.

In-person tours are done in the traditional fashion, the guides keeping things moving ahead while walking backward, sharing facts, figures, and anecdotes — straight from the heart — about the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ places they stroll by during each 60-minute expedition.

Typically, tour-goers are prospective students and families. But because the campus was closed to Admission visitors since March 2020, this summer has seen an influx of students who’ve been admitted and chosen to matriculate with the Class of 2025 — but had never set foot on campus.

“It’s humbling to be that first point of contact” for a member of the Class of 2025 who’s never seen the campus in person, says senior Noah Potts of Great Barrington, Mass.

“Students who have applied and been accepted have a fairly good understanding of what ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ offers in terms of opportunities for students. What we can offer is the excitement of being here on campus.”

In that spirit, we decided to ask nine of Admission’s summer interns: What’s your favorite ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ place and why? The photographs and text below provide the answers — and their excitement.

Noah Pott ’22 of Great Barrington, Mass.

Major: Theater, Music

Favorite Place: Schaeffer Theatre

Noah says: Schaeffer is where magic and the performing arts come to life for me. Creativity flows in Schaeffer. I’m going to be performing my senior thesis in here, and I’m really excited for that.

Max Younger ’22 of Orinda, Calif.

Major: Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies; Theater

Favorite Place: Lake Andrews

Max says: I like coming to the Puddle, particularly when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s a good place to get outside, reflect, and relax.

Maddie Korbey ’22 of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Major: Religious Studies

Favorite Place: Pettengill Hall

Maddy says: I am such a night owl. I love to post up late at night to get my work done in the quiet Atrium amongst the trees and fountains and night sky.

Jake Lamb ’23 of Media, Pa.

Major: Environmental Studies

Favorite Place: Olin Arts Center Concert Hall

Jake says: It’s essentially my second home on campus — the perfect environment for me to learn. It makes me feel like singing, and that’s what I love to do.

I’ve come to love it. In the evenings, I have Deansmen rehearsals for a cappella. I have choir rehearsals on a lot of afternoons. I have applied music lessons earlier in the day, and then I come to practice for those lessons. Good vibrations for singing. Make that great vibrations.

Elysia Garza ’22 of Houston

Major: Psychology

Favorite Place: The Ladd Library Terrace

Elysia says: Two of my closest friends worked in the library, in the Academic Resource Commons and with the IT Help Desk. We’d settle in to study together on the terrace before they went to work. And I’d often greet them after their shift.

Ava Petrin ’24 of Leeds, Maine

Major: Undeclared

Favorite Place: The Historic Quad

Ava says: The Quad represents ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community and values. I come out here to hang out with my friends. A little five-minute trip usually turns into 45 minutes or an hour because we see so many people. And you get to interact with professors.

I just gave a tour a few minutes ago and saw my First-Year Seminar professor, so I got to introduce him to prospective students.

Omar Sarr ’23 of Dakar, Senegal

Major: Economics

Favorite Place: Alumni Gymnasium

Omar says: Alumni Gym is my home on campus. It’s where I have my family, which is my basketball team. This is where I give a lot of love to my teammates and to my friends who come and watch the games. It’s also where I receive the most love, from my coaches, my teammates, and from the people who come here all the time.

It’s a space where I really push myself to be better all the time.

Maggie Nespole ’23 of Annapolis, Md.

Major: English, Politics

Favorite Place: Florence Keigwin Amphitheater

Maggie says: It’s a really peaceful spot. I like to study out here with friends. Sometimes we have club meetings here, and sometimes I just like to sit and read on my own.

Margaret Horvat ’23 of Philadelphia

Major: Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies

Favorite Place: Milliken House

Maggie says: I lived in Milliken my first year, and we really enjoyed creating our community, hanging out in the common room. It’s entirely first-years. We had a lot of fun!

I felt really lucky that my roommate and I got along really well. People hang out in our room. When I’d get back to my room, friends were often there. That was a really sweet experience — a wonderful space to get to know people.

Deeply invested in their students, high school educators strive to do their very best when writing college recommendation letters. 

But during stressful times — like a pandemic — it’s easy for anyone to feel they’re falling short of their best.

In offering tips to prospective recommenders, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Director of Admission Darryl Uy has one key message: Be easy on yourself.

High school counselors and teachers might worry that they can’t provide as good a recommendation as they have in the past, due to a year or more of limited contact with students. 

“But that’s OK,� Uy says. “Any context or stories are helpful, and we understand if you haven’t been able to connect with students as much as you might’ve in prior years. And if you don’t know a student that well, especially in the time of COVID, that is still helpful for us to know.�

On the flip side, remote learning means that some educators are being “invited� into students’ homes in unprecedented ways that might help them understand a student’s life. “That can provide a new level of insight into a recommendation for a student,� Uy says.

Recommenders might also feel that the “best� recommendation has dazzling prose. “However, a recommendation can be a series of bullet points. Given the volume of applications we review, we welcome recommendations that can summarize and highlight a student’s strengths succinctly. �

“We are looking for recommendations that talk about the student, first and foremost, in the classroom,â€� Uy says. 

Words still matter, he says. “We value authenticity, genuineness, and honesty.�

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ requests that teacher recommenders be from a student’s junior or senior year, in English, social sciences, mathematics, natural science, or a foreign language.

“We are looking for recommendations that talk about the student, first and foremost, in the classroom,â€� Uy says. 

“If a recommender knows the student in ways that highlight their personality, that’s helpful too. Is the student the glue of the class? Someone to whom everybody turns for support? Are they an unsung hero? Are they a leader in their school, even if they’re not in a specific leadership position? Do they go above and beyond to show compassion?â€�

When writing a recommendation, a recommender should do more than confirm that a student has talent. For an admission office, talent is pretty easy to identify, and something that every student applying to college will have.

Recommenders should also avoid simply restating a student’s activities since “we will get all that information from the student’s application.â€� Another recommender pitfall, for a teacher, is spending a tad too much time describing the goals of their class and their own teaching approach. 

Above all, recommenders should understand that letters alone are rarely the deciding factor in an admission decision. 

Try to avoid a cookie-cutter approach to recommendations. 

“We will always look at the transcript first,� Uy says. In that sense, a recommendation can help explain a trend of low grades in a certain subject on the transcript. Or we may discover how a student who doesn’t have a top grade adds to the classroom experience in a myriad of positive ways. Recommendations can inform us of other qualities a student can bring that we cannot glean from the transcript.�

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission team knows that though teachers and counselors are often overwhelmed with recommendation requests, they should try to avoid a cookie-cutter approach to recommendations. 

Every year, the Admission Office receives applications from multiple students who attend the same high school. Considering that the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission staff may read these applications together as a group, they will quickly know when a teacher is using a template with the same phrases and same text for different students. “That doesn’t help us nor does it help the students in the admission process,â€� says Uy.

And Uy has some advice for students, too: You don’t need to spend time gathering a  stack of “otherâ€� recommendations. 

“We once received 18 recommendations for one student,� recalls Uy. “But we don’t need to hear from your kindergarten teacher. We don’t need to hear from celebrities or politicians or the alum down the street who you barely know. We do want to know about you in the classroom.�

Last weekend, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission took another step toward enrolling a new class, sending out Regular Decision acceptances to prospective members of the Class of 2025. 

Before long, Admission will be reviewing applications for the Class of 2026, from students whose high school experiences, since March of their sophomore year in college, have been mightily disrupted by the pandemic.

For those high schoolers who are worried that the activity section in their Common Application has taken a hit that might hurt their college-choice chances, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission team has advice.

“The pandemic is going to affect how your activity section looks. It’s going to affect how everybody’s activities section looks,â€� says Assistant Dean of Admission Audrey Burns ’17. “And I think that that should be a sense of security, a sense of calm.â€�

Prospective students tend to believe that “the best application is going to have every single line packed. It’ll be full, with addendum. But that’s not true.â€� Indeed, the folks who work in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission aren’t looking for an arm-length high school brag sheet — and that’s more true than ever now, during the pandemic. 

What’s true is that the Admission team will be “very understanding what our prospective students have endured because everyone, including the people reviewing your activities section and our families, have had their lives impacted. We know that it’s going to be different.â€�

Whether it’s a senior in high school applying to college, or a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ student working with the Center for Purposeful Work to identify meaningful work interests, it’s important to communicate how one has navigated the pandemic. Actions and activities that show thoughtfulness, as opposed to quantity,  will make a strong impression.

In one’s application to college, Burns “absolutely recommendsâ€� including context about one’s activities — “how it has impacted, whether it simply did not exist this year, whether it’s changed platforms, what it looks like and how the pandemic has impacted you.â€�

“The activities page is not a survey. It’s where you can show your reflection and you can show your character.”

Burns’ own application to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ included evidence of a growing interest in singing and theater — which she parlayed into four years with the a capella group The Merimanders and a double major in theater and rhetoric, including a senior thesis performance as Helena in Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“The activities page is not a survey. It’s where you can show your reflection and you can show your character. This is another place that you can really be an agent in your application.�

Burns and the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission team offer this takeaway:

“Everything that you’re doing, whether it’s an organized club or helping out at home with your family with additional responsibilities, is important.

“We’re looking to see someone who has reflected on their experiences. What have you gleaned from your activities that is important to you? Why does it feel impactful? And is it something that you’re going to want to continue when you’re in college?â€�

A creative collaboration between two ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College offices has struck gold with an award-winning video series that sheds light on the college search, application, and financial aid process with wit, warmth, and candor.

Created for the 2019–20 admission cycle, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ Ask the (College) Experts recently from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the preeminent organization for higher education communications and advancement professionals.

The video series, produced by ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ staff and featuring staff and faculty, won its award in CASE’s annual “Circle of Excellenceâ€� recognition program in a Communications category.

The collaboration between the college’s Admission and Communications offices sought to creatively address a perennial challenge: how to give myriad audiences concise, accurate, and understandable information about ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, the liberal arts, and the admission and financial aid application process itself.

The video series Ask the (College) Experts kicks off with “Where Do I Start?” featuring Associate Dean of Admission Liz McGonigle, and with videography by Theophil Syslo and graphic design by Olivia Orr of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Communications.

“Our audiences crave and deserve straightforward answers to common yet complex questions,â€� said Leigh Weisenburger, dean of admission and financial aid at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. “We’re always developing ways to provide prospective students and families with just that: accurate, concise, and direct information.

“This project gave us the opportunity to make this information widely available, authentically answering a clear need in a way that just might lower some stress while increasing awareness of, and trust in, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.â€�

Featuring college faculty and staff from Admission, Student Financial Services, and Purposeful Work, cover both the basics, such as “Where Do I Start?� and “What Does ‘Liberal Arts’ Mean?� and specifics, such as “What Should I Know About Financial Aid?� The series also offers career-exploration insights through the lens of the college’s nationally recognized Purposeful Work program.

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger answers “What Does ‘Test-Optional’ Mean?” for the video series.

“Wow!â€� the CASE judges noted. “This entry is so impressive. We really liked how user-friendly and bite-sized the content is. Excellent use of staff expertise and spot-on about the audience’s needs. The videos are both entertaining and informative, and just the perfect length.â€�

The video series was designed to help prospective students and families, as well as secondary-school counselors.

The CASE judges noted that the series “clearly hit a (good) nerve with students and guidance counselors.� Indeed, engagement metrics indicate that various online audiences found value in the content.

Distributed through myriad channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and email), the videos attracted more than 850,000 views of at least 10 seconds, which is a standard measure of whether a video is “seen.� That viewership is more than double the total number of 10-second views of all Admission videos over the prior three years. One prospective-parent segment of the audience was particularly engaged: Eight out of 10 who watched at least 25 percent of a video stayed for the entire piece.

The video series Ask the (College) Experts also includes “I Got In! How Do I Choose Where to Go?” featuring Senior Associate Dean of Admission Jared Rivers.

“These results indicate measurable engagement on an unprecedented, massive scale for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½,â€� said Sean Findlen ’99, chief communications officer. “It is likely that many of the students who ultimately applied to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ did view one or more Ask ±¹¾±»å±ð´Ç²õ.â€�

The format will lend itself well to other communications challenges, for both Admission audiences and other key constituencies, Findlen said. “If we use these tools to help explain and instill confidence in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, we’ve done our job.â€�

If you could go back in time, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½News asked eight seasoned Bobcats, what advice would you give your first-year self?

“I would just tell myself to stop being so scared,â€� said Izzy Eichenbaum ’21, a psychology major from Lakewood Ranch, Fla. “I was terrified before I came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ —  which is just insane looking back, because I totally went above and beyond what I ever expected and just made this place my own.â€�

Guiding tours and conducting interviews, Eichenbaum, six other current students, and one recent graduate were working for Admission during the busy summer of 2019 when ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½News invited them to the video studio to reflect on the first-year experience.

From eight young Bobcats, advice to the Class of 2023. (Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College).

“Just say yes,â€� advised Maddie Sirois ’21, an economics major from Maplewood, N.J., who’d actually gotten that advice the first time around from an older sister.

“Just say yes to opportunities that you wouldn’t normally like to take … because sometimes that’s where you find something you’re really interested in.â€�

And then there was this tip from biochemistry major Anna Gouveia ’22 of Jonesborough, Tenn.: “Don’t forget to bring shower shoes. I had to stand on, like, a folder in the shower for the first three days.”

Here are the other five ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ies we spoke with: Zach Collester ’19, Doylestown, Pa.; Sean Anderson ’20, Houston; Kyle Larry ’21 and Michael Hogue ’20, both of Chicago; and Muskan Verma ’21, Shimla, India.

As the college year ticks down to a close (the end of the giving year is June 30), here’s a top-10 countdown of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ News stories, from last August to now, with the most views.

10. A year ahead of schedule, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ achieves carbon neutrality (May 16, 2019)

Out of some 700 U.S. colleges and universities to sign a carbon-neutrality pledge in 2007, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is one of only seven to date that have reached that goal.

Page views: 3,552
Average Time on Page: 4:04

Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

Twenty-five ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students and alumni have been offered Fulbright awards for 2019–20, matching the college’s record from 2017.

Page views: 3,600
Average Time on Page: 5:16

An internationally renowned biochemist, Commencement speaker Jennifer Doudna is a leading public voice in the emerging discussion of the societal and ethical implications of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology.

Page views: 3,921
Average Time on Page: 3:21

Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

For the Class of 2023 that arrives this August, the college received a record-setting 8,222 applications, topping last year’s record total by 7 percent.

Page views: 4,015
Average Time on Page: 3:12

Science fiction, magical realism, history, politics, graphic novels — whatever gets you reading till your eyes are sore or sleepy, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community has a book recommendation for you.

Page views: 4,420
Average Time on Page: 6:19

Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

The U.S. has 11 nuclear-powered carriers, and a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ grad commands one of them: the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest and the world’s largest carrier.

Page views: 4,432
Average Time on Page: 8:03

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eric M. Butler

The faculty promotions offer “outstanding examples of the consequential scholarship and creative work going on at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½,” said Dean of the Faculty Malcolm Hill.

Page views: 5,130
Average Time on Page: 3:03

Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

3. Favorite 2018 images from ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ photographers Phyllis Graber Jensen and Theophil Syslo (Jan. 1, 2019)

Our fourth annual ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Photographers’ Favorites list featured 20 photographs from 2018 that tried to answer the question, “What makes a photograph your favorite?â€�

Page views: 6,360
Average Time on Page: 7:53

Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

Another summer weekend, another alumni wedding in the Gomes Chapel. But this time, we were there to tell the story, of best ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ friends who became much more.

Page views: 6,968
Average Time on Page: 5:00

Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

The celebration began with a record number of admission applications. It peaked in August as the 550 members of the Class of 2022 arrived on campus.

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Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

This week begins the home stretch of a historic enrollment season as the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission Committee embarks on its review of regular-decision applications.

And it’s a long stretch: For the incoming Class of 2023, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ received a record-setting 8,222 applications from prospective first-year students. The total is 7 percent ahead of last year’s record 7,688 first-year applications.

The record pool shows double-digit growth in several key demographic categories, including geographic expansion, first-generation-to-college students, and U.S. students of color.

“ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ continues to build strength on strength,â€� says Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger. “We continue to pair traditional, feet-on-the-ground outreach efforts, including a strategic focus on emerging areas in the U.S. South and West, along with increasingly effective digital outreach to talented and diverse students who may not otherwise have the chance to learn about ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College.â€�

Note: Accurate as of March 1, the total number of 2019 applications is subject to change during application review.

The overall applicant pool comprises two early-decision rounds that were completed earlier in the winter, along with the current regular-decision pool, which the Admission team will evaluate and complete by mid-March.

Admission deliberations will continue into mid-March, after which ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ will notify applicants of admission decisions by April 1. Admitted students have until May 1 to enroll. As in past years, the college seeks an incoming class of approximately 500 students.

“While the story at this stage often feels numbers-driven, we never lose sight of our goal: to create an intentional learning and living community of students aligned with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ mission and values,â€� adds Weisenburger.

“We seek to attract talent and diversity, to get to know applicants as individuals, and to evaluate each and every candidate in a holistic way that appreciates the very different challenges and opportunities they have experienced in preparation for college.�

The college’s 2018–19 recruitment season was highlighted by the second year of joint travel with fellow colleges of the American Talent Initiative, which seeks to expand by 50,000 the number of low- and moderate-income students attending 270 top U.S. schools. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is a founding member of the initiative.

Last fall, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ led ATI colleges in recruiting visits to schools in several metropolitan areas, including Little Rock, Ark., and, in Texas, Houston and San Antonio, that yielded significant application increases from all three areas.

In the digital realm, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ continues to expand and refine its suite of web, social media, and email communications. These efforts offer a one-two approach, first offering helpful information to prospective students and second, guiding them toward key, measurable actions, such as visiting a department’s web page or scheduling a visit.

President Clayton Spencer greets newly admitted students and families during a campus reception on April 6, 2018. This spring’s campus receptions for admitted students, complemented by a range of off-campus receptions, are on April 5 and 22. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

In terms of financial aid, the incoming Class of 2023 will be supported by the largest financial aid budget in college history, totaling nearly $10 million in grant aid. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ anticipates approximately 40 percent of incoming students will receive institutional need-based grant aid, which is based on their demonstrated financial need, with the average grant approaching $45,000.

Applications by the Numbers

For the incoming Class of 2023:

Total applications: 8,222.

First-generation-to-college applications: Up 12.2 percent.

Students of color from the U.S.: Up 13.3 percent.

International students: Up 12.2 percent.

U.S. regions with highest increases: West (up 16 percent) and Southwest (10.6 percent).

U.S. states represented: 50, including D.C.

Countries rejoining the applicant pool after being absent for two or more years: Dominica, Estonia, Hungary, Kuwait, Madagascar, Maldives, Niger, Montenegro, Papau New Guinea, Slovakia, Venezuela, and Yemen.

A ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ celebration that kicked off in January, prompted by a record number of applications for admission, peaks on Monday when the 550 members of the Class of 2022 arrive on campus.

After morning move-in, a noontime picnic, and early afternoon information sessions for parents, the Class of 2022, whose members were selected from the largest applicant pool in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ history, will gather with their families on the Historic Quad in front of Coram Library.

“This class represents ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College history,â€� says Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger, who, along with President Clayton Spencer, will formally welcome the new students and their families on Monday afternoon. “So that’s the moment I’m most anticipating: When we can, together and in person, celebrate their achievement as the most selective class in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ admission history.

“I want them to know just how talented and diverse they are, and how deserving they are of their opportunity.�

During an April reception to welcome newly admitted students to campus, a prospective member of the Class of 2022 joins other admitted students and their families for the short but steep hike up Mount David. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

In the admission field, the journey from prospective student to newly ensconced Bobcat is known as the funnel. In the digital age, the top of the admission funnel is larger than ever.

During the past admission season, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ was able to reach some 5 million prospective students and families worldwide through stories and photography shared on ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ social media platforms and email; through traditional print publications and mail; and through face-to-face interactions around the world with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission staffers and Alumni in Admission volunteers.

+The 2018 Admission Season by the Numbers

These strategic and amplified efforts, combined with the college’s decision to eliminate the supplemental essay requirement, created the historic surge in interest: The record total of 7,685 applications is a 45 percent increase over last year’s 5,316 applications. (The previous high-water mark was 5,636 in 2014–15.)

For Weisenburger and her team, the huge influx posed an equally large question: Would the 2,300 additional applications be quality ones? Would they be, in marketing parlance, quality leads?

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger welcomes first-year parents and students on Opening Day for the Class of 2020 in 2016. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

“As an admission team, you ask the same questions each and every time you read an application. Does this person know ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½? Have they done their homework? Are they prepared for the rigors of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ classroom? Do they want a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ education?â€�

As the Admission deans performed their usual close scrutiny of the thousands of applications, “over and over, the answer was ‘yes,’� Weisenburger says.

“The pool was historically strong academically. They had done their research: They knew ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½,â€� Weisenburger says. “It was a very self-selecting applicant pool, just as it always has been. The only difference was that it was 45 percent larger!â€�

“The numbers are dazzling, but the story is human.”

Additional proof of the pool’s quality came in the spring as students around the world, many with multiple offers of admission, made their final college decisions by the traditional May 1 deadline.

This year, that important “yield” rate — the percentage of students admitted by ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ who accepted the college’s offer — increased to 24.4 percent, up 2 points from last year. “The increase in the regular-decision yield is another indication of the college’s market strength,â€� Weisenburger says.

+Class of 2022 Demographics

The 550-member class also retains historically strong rates of diversity in race and geography and continued strength in first-generation-to-college students, financial aid recipients, and students who attended a public high school, says Weisenburger.

“The numbers are dazzling, but the story is human,â€� she adds. “Growing our applicant pool means lowering barriers to admission among talented students everywhere. It means attracting students whose talent and interest in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ are commensurate with the excellence that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ offers. It means, eventually, producing ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ alumni who champion the values that have defined ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ since its founding.â€�

Monday’s Opening Day kicks off a seven-day Orientation that comprises events intended to help new students get their ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ bearings. They’ll learn to navigate the campus, get a sense of student-facing programs and offices, and tour downtown Lewiston-Auburn.

+A Few Facts About Students in the Class of 2022

A taste of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ academics comes early. The day after move-in, new students have their initial First-Year Seminar class session. Later in the week, the Annual Entering Student Outdoors Program offers three-night trips off campus, from camping/hiking/canoeing excursions to local opportunities for community engagement.

Last August during Orientation for the Class of 2021, Assistant Professor of History Patrick Otim collects hand-made nameplates following the first meeting of his First-Year Seminar. “I know you are making the transition from high school to college,â€� Otim told the first-years. “The most important thing is to believe in yourself.â€� (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

This year, the Common Reading selected for the class is Real American: A Memoir by Julie Lythcott-Haims. The new class will have several chances to dig into the themes of the book, including a Common Read Brunch on the morning before classes start and a book-focused debate offered by the famed Brooks Quimby Debate Council. The book will also figure in the college’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day book discussion on Jan. 21, 2019.

The Common Reading for the Class of 2022 is Real American: A Memoir by Julie Lythcott-Haims.

Besides teaching the basics, Orientation helps students leave their high school mindset behind, however much it’s helped get them this far.

Orientation comes to a close on Sept. 4 when, with the campus community, the new class gathers for Convocation, the ceremonial opening of the new academic year.

Following an introduction and overview of the new ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ year by President Clayton Spencer, Associate Professor of History Joseph Hall, chosen to address the incoming class by the Class of 2018 last spring, will offer his remarks, “Questions for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.â€�

The setting was relaxing, a bright and comfortable first-floor lounge in Chu Hall, for discussing a topic that can seem taxing: the college search.

Held last Saturday morning, the Reunion session gave alumni and their college-bound some practical and heartening advice from three admission experts.

The offerings came from Darryl Uy, who is director of admission at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, and fellow admission experts Aya Murata ’92 and Katie Moran Madden ’93.

Here are a few tips and observations from the session.

Aya Murata ’92 (center), a college counselor at Phillips Academy, speaks to the alumni gathering during Reunion. At right is ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Director of Admission Darryl Uy, and at left is Katie Moran Madden ’93, senior associate director at Dartmouth. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Reverse Your Thinking

“Families sometimes go at the college process backwards,â€� said Uy, who joined ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in 2016. “They have an idea of where they want to go to college, then they do everything they can to get there.â€�

Instead, he suggested, the process should “start with you, the student — who you are, what you are interested in, and what you might want to do. Then find the schools that match your values and interests, rather than vice versa.�

It’s All About the Why

“How does a student find a college that matches their interests?â€� asked a parent, Elizabeth Leavitt Nemirovsky ’88 asked.

The answer is actually a question: “Why?�

Because the college search begins with self-awareness and personal assessment, “a lot of this process is about the why,� said Uy. “It’s OK to say you want to be a lawyer, or be pre-med, or pursue engineering, but ask yourself why. What sparked that interest? Is it what you want to do, or is because of societal or parental pressure?�

The process of identifying a college that feels right to your child is “about the why,” says Darryl Uy, director of admission at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

From there, a student can ask other questions. “How are you motivated? Is it competition or  grades or just wanting to do your best?� From there, students can then look at environmental factors. “Do you want a big university or a smaller college? Close or far from home?�

Put on Blinders

Murata, who is a college counselor at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., was attending Reunion with husband Mike Charland ’93 and their two children, one of whom is a rising high school senior.

She encourages students and their families to “be willing and able to put on blinders.� That means trying to tune out all the noise around the college search “and look internally and reflect on what’s important to you. Don’t key off what is out there.�

Instead of paying attention to what everyone else is doing, “investigate your own personal desires, inspirations, interests, and what you are curious about. Let that be the driver.�

Try to ignore the college-search chatter, “the advice from the second chair of the trumpet section, or your teammate’s opinion about a particular college, or what your English classmate says you are ‘supposed’ to do over the summer. Let it go: Be confident in listening to your inner voice.�

To be sure, there is no “predictive formula� when it comes to the college search, said Madden,  who is a senior associate director of admission at Dartmouth.

“So rather than trying to squeeze yourself into some magic admission formula that doesn’t even exist,� added Murata, “be authentic to who you are. Think about the things that matter most to you.�

You Hear the Wrong Things

In terms of comfort, each expert noted how the media (and well-meaning family members, friends, and others) tend to fixate on how the college admission process is about not getting into college, when, in reality, it’s exactly about the opposite.

“Everything you read is about who does not get in where — and speculation about why,� said Madden. “But in reality, most everyone lands somewhere and goes on to have a very positive experience.�

It’s About Academics — And More

“If one part of you is not aligned in college — if the academics are great but the community doesn’t feel right — you won’t bring your best self to your college experience,� said Murata.

She should know. As a high school senior deciding between ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and another college, Murata chose the other. In her first year, “the personal fit was not what I imagined college to be.â€� Greek life on campus didn’t suit her. “The community felt divided.â€�

So she transferred to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. “That was life-changing,â€� and it was an a-ha moment that has stuck with her. “I realized, so this is what people talk about when they talk about ‘fit.’â€�

The lesson: You should be able to see yourself in your college community.

Let Uncertainty Be Part of the Process

Students get peppered with that awful question, “So, what are you thinking about for college?� That applies “unneeded pressure,� Murata told the parents.

Instead, Murata shared advice that she picked up from ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ Purposeful Work program, specifically that adults can help students identify their interests, because identifying what interests us is the first step toward discovering purposeful work — and it turns out, a college that fits.

“Try asking your child something like, ‘Hey, tell me about what you are studying these days that is piquing your interest?’�

Adults can also be reflectors: reminding students of experiences, such as a favorite class, topic, or program, that jazzed them and thus might hint at a future college interest.

“As a student, you have a right to be uncertain and to explore. You don’t need to have it figured out. You don’t need a grand master plan. You can be in a place where you are unsure. That is OK.�

Values Matter

Colleges often talk about their values and culture, and those can seem like highfalutin concepts to a 17-year-old. They’re not.

“Students should ask about the values of a college and how those values are transmitted throughout the institution,â€� says Murata because they affect student life. Take ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, for example. “ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ values permeate this community, and those values in turn become part of the culture a student experiences.â€�

President Clayton Spencer speaks to admitted students and their families during a campus reception in April. A record number of prospective students applied to the incoming Class of 2022. (Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Still, “the cultural piece is hard to get your hands on from a college publication or website.� So Murata advises students to be active in their visits. “Talk to the tour guides. Take time on campus to hang out or have lunch with a student, if that’s offered. Sit on a bench and watch how people move from class to class.�

Just Connect

Not all students are able to visit a campus. Whether you can visit or not, there are creative ways to gather the more amorphous information. For one, students should check out a college’s social channels or student-driven social channels.

“No matter where you are in the world, you can be on a ,� said Madden. “It’s a different way to connect but you can still connect.�

The Early Decision Question

Uy has heard this line from students: “They’ll say, ‘I want to apply Early Decision, but I don’t know what college.’� Problem is, “that’s like saying, ‘I want to get married, I just don’t know to whom yet.’�

Early Decision makes sense for the student who is all-in on one college. But you need to feel a total commitment to a college. “Ninety-nine percent is not enough because that 1 percent of doubt will eat at you all senior year and make you question your decision,� Uy said.

You Control Your Essay

Simply put, the essay matters. “It’s one of the more important pieces in the application beyond the numeric measures of data, such as your high school transcript,â€� said Uy.

From the college’s perspective, “it helps us understand who you are as an individual: What motivates you, what inspires you, how you will fit into the community, how you will inspire your peers, how you will challenge yourself.�

Importantly, it is also “part of the process that you control,� said Madden.

The Seinfeld Approach to the Essay

Uy and Madden made it clear that your essay should not hinge on epic or cataclysmic events in your life. “It’s not an exercise in the bizarre,� adds Uy, recalling an essay about dating that recounting the applicant’s “first time.�

Some of the best essays can be “Seinfeldian,� he said. “They could be about nothing but a few moments in your ordinary life that I can’t find anywhere else in your application. If you could take me into your life for 5 minutes, I think that is a successful essay.�

Still, they say, the personal essay does hinge on good writing and an authentic voice.

“Try to find a topic that resonates with you and your experiences so your personality and voice can shine through,� Uy said. “Don’t curate yourself to the point you are not authentic,� added Madden.

Essay Do’s and Don’t’s

“If you’re not funny in real life, don’t try to be funny in your essay. That rarely works,� Uy said.

Students might think twice about arguing a current issue or cause in their essay — but not because it might be controversial. “We want to know about your interests or political perspectives, because we are all shaping communities and we’re trying to encourage dialogue,� Madden said.

Alumni and their college-bound children listen to Darryl Uy, Aya Murata ’92, and Katie Moran Madden ’93 during the June 9 Reunion conversation about the college search. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Rather, in writing about a current issue or cause, “we often learn more about the cause than about you,� explained Madden. And that defeats the goal of the essay.

He also advised against writing about death, divorce, and depression. Not because they’re taboo or upsetting, but because “those topics are very difficult for a 17-year-old to address in 650 words in a way that is going to come across as mature and reflective. The treatment we see is often clichéd.�

A Question of Merit

To put their best foot forward, students need to understand what colleges have to do: “We’re evaluating applications from more qualified applicants than we have seats in our class,” said Madden.

To do that, “we assess merit, and each college or university may assess merit differently, depending on their own individual communities and institutional needs,� she explains.

To assess academic merit, colleges look at a range of factors, especially the transcript.

“We also assess merit through extracurricular activities and talents. We assess it through your intellectual engagement, which we glean from your writing and your recommendations.

The essay, she says, offers students an opportunity to share their personal qualities and what they value. “And that is about merit, too,� she said. “All of us are trying to shape a community. And we try not to create a community of people with similar talents, interests, perspectives.�

To that end, “make the essay about you. It doesn’t have to be exciting. It doesn’t have to move us.�

Parents Who Push

Murata handled a question about parents who call the shots on college choice.

While she can play the role of “intermediary� on occasion, “ultimately the student does have to advocate for their education. It’s not the parent or guardian who is going to college. But it is tricky if a parent says, ‘I’m paying so you go where I want you to go.’�

Prospective students tour ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in early April. Through social media or a virtual tour, students can get a feel of a college’s culture even if they are not able to visit. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Her advice is to take a long view and try to avoid “drawing a line in the sand.� In other words, try to have “ongoing conversations� that help the parents come to see that their child’s happiness and opportunity to thrive is at stake.  “Help your parents reflect on who you are. Help them see how you would be supported at one school versus another.�

Start Fresh

She reminded parents that “it’s been a long time since we’ve been in college, and colleges have changed a lot since we went through the process.�

“Both students and parents need to start the college process with a clean slate and an open mind.â€�

Often, well-meaning parents and relatives can “have very outdated perceptions of schools, and that can be difficult for some students to push back on. Both students and parents need to start the college process with a clean slate and an open mind.�

Above all, she said, the college search — from the college a student wants to attend to the one they attend — is “not a referendum on your skills as a parent.�

Instead, “try to focus on what is best for them: a learning community where they can jump in with both feet and follow their interests and curiosities and feel connected both inside and outside the classroom.�

A Recommendation about Recommenders

In addition to controlling their essay, students also have more control than they think when in comes to recommendations.

“You choose who you ask for recommendations,� Madden said. “So choose teachers who know you well — not just teachers whose courses you got an A in.�

“Seek out teachers they’ve engaged with and people who know them well.â€�

“Let’s say you got an A in math. Maybe you do well in math because it comes naturally to you. So you choose the teacher on that basis, and the recommendation that we get says, basically, ‘She’s really good at math.’�

Since talent is pretty easy to identify — and since every student applying to college will have some talent in something — that’s an unhelpful recommendation.

Instead, “we encourage students to seek out teachers they’ve engaged with and people who know them well.� Such teachers might be ones who’ve “seen you take a dissenting opinion in class, or seen you collaborate with peers, or seen you take feedback or setbacks well.�

When a recommendation shares that information, it “brings you, your personality, what you will add to the classroom to life.�

Dinner Rules

Families should establish some ground rules before they begin the college search so that every encounter between parent/guardian and child isn’t always about college. A longstanding piece of advice is for families to set aside a specific time each week to talk about the college process. It’s a time to share what each of you needs,� Murata said.

And try not to have that be during your family dinner. “If every family dinner is going to be about the college search or SATs or some college-related checklist, I guarantee family dinner won’t be much fun.�

Well-represented at the annual Mount David Summit, more than 50 Bobcat varsity athletes either presented research posters or participated in the one of many academic discussions.

We caught up with three of them to discuss their research and hear how both sports and academics have their ups and downs.

Football captain and psychology major Frank Williams ’18 of Brookline, Mass., wanted to research a pivotal social issue: police shootings of unarmed black people.

He worked with Associate Professor of Psychology Michael Sargent to come up with a project that investigated the relationship between feelings of power and shooter bias.

Baseball player Reed Mszar ’18 of Manassas, Va., a double major in biochemistry and sociology, took his research into the local community, combining his interests to take a look at Lewiston’s French-Canadians who suffer from familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited genetic condition that creates very high levels of cholesterol at a young age.

Rower and chemistry major Amelia Wilhelm ’18 of Charlotte, N.C., looked at Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes the tick-borne illness Lyme disease. She examined how the bacterium cycles between tick and host and the genetic process known as “mRNA decay”, which cells use to turn off gene expression.

Whether it’s academics or sports, success requires “hard work and dedication,” says Mszar. Plus an ability to bounce back from setbacks. “Some days there’s frustration. You strike out a couple times in baseball, or find a data point that might not be significant. It all relates.â€�