This year, 8,937 prospective students — the highest number ever — applied to join the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Class of 2027.

Of those, 1,100 were offered admission. And in April, nearly 250 traveled to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ on one of two days in April set aside for newly admitted students and families to learn more about the college.

On the first visit day, about a dozen of those admitted students, perhaps pointed in the right direction by their Guidebook app, made their way to a Pettengill Hall classroom to get a real taste of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ academics, in the form of a master class led by a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ history professor.

On the one hand, visit days are tightly choreographed, kicking off with a student a cappella performance and welcomes from President Clayton Spencer and Leigh Weisenburger, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid. 

On the other, the overall goal is to deliver authenticity. “It is a carefully planned event, but we also try to just roll with the day — allowing students and families to explore ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ as they wish,â€� Weisenburger says. “And I think it keeps ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ real.â€�

Helping to deliver that reality are master classes, including one led by Associate Professor of History Joe Hall about the who and why of the college’s founding in 1855.

Freewill Baptist religious leaders founded ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, he explained. They believed that “all human beings have a certain respect in God’s eyes.” So, all human beings should respect each other — “and thus slavery was evil.â€� And not just white men should have access to education, but all people, a spirit of inclusion that led to the founding of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

“It makes me think a little bit more critically,â€� said a young woman from Texas. “How can I say that I’m opposed to these struggles but still funding them?â€�

Supporting the founders were Lewiston textile mill owners, including namesake Benjamin ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, who were making bales of money from cotton grown in Southern slave-holding states before the Civil War. After explaining these facts, Hall invited the would-be Bobcats to think about that contradiction — abolitionist founders and cotton profiteers — and what it means today. “What do you do with it?â€� he asked. 

“It makes me think a little bit more critically,â€� said a young woman from Texas, noting that the smart phone in front of her might have metals sourced from problematic mines. “How can I say that I’m opposed to these struggles but still funding them?â€�

That’s the kind of experience — a student having one-on-one time with a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ faculty member — that President Clayton Spencer says can help a prospective student make their final college choice, whether it’s ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ or another college that has offered admission.

“What I’ve learned in life is that even if you have only great choices, it can be hard to figure out which one is right,â€� said Spencer. 

Like her own choice to accept the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ presidency in 2012, Spencer said that making a big decision means taking in both facts and feelings, “not just the ‘what’ information — ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is in Lewiston, Maine — but also the feel of the place. Does it kind of hit me right in my gut? You take in factual criteria plus emotional criteria and decide if ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is right for you. That’s making an informed judgment.â€�

In getting to know ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, for example, Spencer’s intuition told her that the student culture was distinctive, “very down to earth, more collaborative than competitive, which I love. And it’s been proven to be just incredibly true since I’ve been here.â€�

This year’s cohort of admitted students came from two rounds of Early Decision plus Regular Decision. The latter group’s deadline for informing ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ of their decision is May 1. In addition to the two visit days, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ offers other ways for admitted students to engage with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, including a fly-in program called ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Beginnings, giving invited students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education a chance to visit campus.

When Weisenburger welcomes students and families to visit day, she hits ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ high notes, and an octave above the rest this year is the recent appointment of the college’s next president, Garry W. Jenkins. Other highlights that get a mention are the 2021 opening of Bonney Science Center, the 2022 reopening of renovated Dana Hall as a science teaching center, and the fall reopening of historic Chase Hall (dedicated in 1919), significantly restored and revamped for student-facing programs.

This year’s visit days were the first since the pre-pandemic year of 2019 to offer a wall-to-wall day of activities, which allowed Admission to give the day a vivid arc.

So after morning greetings, a few master classes, and topical discussions, such as sustainability at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, the mid-day hour featured a keynote talk in Gomes Chapel. The theme was ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ engagement with Lewiston, and the featured speaker was alumna Julia Sleeper-Whiting ’08, co-founder and executive director of focused on leadership and youth development.

The keynote theme sends a key message, says Weisenburger. “We want students to understand that they can really ingrain themselves in the community.â€� She makes the point during her morning introduction saying that “Lewiston will be as much a part of your four-year experience as ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ will.â€� 

Sleeper-Whiting, who co-founded Tree Street Youth as a student, personifies that reality, telling her audience how profound it was for her when she graduated from ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ that her students from Lewiston came to Commencement — she felt her worlds come together.

“You can come to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and make community here, and also make community in Lewiston,â€� Weisenburger said. “That’s important for all of us. And certainly important to show our new students.â€�

In admission-speak, the process of enrolling first-year students is described as a funnel because it starts with a big number — folks who have an inkling of interest in a college — at the top and ends with a much smaller number, students who decide that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is for them. 

Here’s what the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ funnel looked like this year:

• 35,410: inquiries from students who engaged with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ through a visit, requesting information, or other way
• 8,937: total applications from first-year students
• 1,100: total admitted students
• 505: target number

This year’s admit rate — the percentage of applicants admitted — was 12.3 percent, the second lowest for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

Of the 1,100 students offered admission, 49 U.S. states are represented, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and more than 60 countries. Thirty-nine percent self-identify as students of color, and 13 percent will be the first in their family to attend college. Eleven percent are non-U.S. citizens. 

Here’s the U.S. geographic breakdown:

• New England 26%
• Middle Atlantic 25%
• Midwest 8%
• Southeast 8%
• Southwest and West 20%

After the U.S., the countries with the largest number of admitted students are China (19), United Kingdom (12), India (11), Canada (7), Costa Rica (5), Pakistan (4), and Switzerland (4).

In terms of secondary education, the public school / private school split is about 50-50, and Pell-eligible students represent 13.5% of admitted students. This year’s incoming class will receive financial aid in part from the Schuler Access Initiative, a $100 million expansion of financial aid to enroll students from the lowest-income families.

The Class of 2027 arrives at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ on Aug. 31.

Leigh Weisenburger, the head of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission operation, kicked off a recent workday at Lindholm House by talking via Zoom with prospective students in China — 8 a.m. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ time, 8 p.m. Beijing time.

Then she joined a few Zoom meetings — planning for the new year — before heading downstairs to refresh her coffee. 

There, she saw a prospective student and parents coming up the walk, so she paused to hold the door and greet the visitors, learning they’d driven up that morning from the Boston area for an in-person campus tour.

Welcome to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission, still headquartered in historic Lindholm House on Campus Avenue but reimagined by the pandemic.

“It all feels really cool and really smart — and long overdue.”

Long defined by an in-person approach that emphasized campus visits and interviews and massive amounts of staff travel to schools and community organizations across the globe, the program has become more a la carte, with a mix of offerings — in person and virtual, live and on demand.

And it works. Weisenburger and her team, she says, have been able to do a more efficient and more equitable job of reaching prospective students around the world.

Last year, as the pandemic pushed the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ enrollment operation into a virtual space, Weisenburger and her team initially felt a sense of calamity. “It was so disorienting. All we thought was, ‘How are we going to do this?’â€�

Now, with the Class of 2025 on the college’s doorstep, Weisenburger is proud of her team’s achievement: recruiting and enrolling a new class while working from home offices (ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ staff have mostly been remote since March 2020) while staying true to the college’s “holisticâ€� approach to admission. 

“It all feels really cool and really smart — and long overdue,� says Weisenburger.

We talked with Weisenburger, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid, about the experience and lessons from recruiting a new ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ class using online strategies and tactics.

The Class of 2025 has experienced COVID since the spring of their junior year in high school. How did that experience play out in their applications?

This year, the Common Application and within the Coalition Application, which we use as well, had a new . So in addition to what is the traditional college essay, there was now this additional, optional space for students to share their COVID experience.

We didn’t know how many students would answer the question and to what end. Would they explain extremely dire family circumstances tied to COVID illness? Or would we hear the other end of the spectrum: “I was bummed because my prom was canceled.â€� Well, we saw both extremes and a lot in between. 

In their essays, some students were very direct in articulating how COVID has impacted their lives. With other students, we discovered the impact more indirectly.

In the transcript?

Yes, and in a shift in the pattern of their activities.

We heard from counselors and teachers explaining changes in grading systems — for example, schools going from traditional grades to pass/fail to help their students out. For us, it was a matter of putting puzzle pieces together when reviewing all the parts of an application. By and large, we were getting those pieces of how COVID transformed their life in other parts of the application.

How did you evaluate changes in activities due to the pandemic?

It might be idealistic, but I think COVID, at least for a while, was a great equalizer because regardless of a family’s means, everyone was in the same boat: nobody could do anything. 

You couldn’t go to lacrosse. You couldn’t go to violin lessons. You couldn’t go to your hamburger-joint job. 

But isn’t that just a setback for everyone? 

No, because it was refreshing to read applications where you could literally feel a student’s life slowing down to a less frenetic pace.

We used to spend so much time during information sessions explaining to students that they need to find and express their authentic voice and selves in their applications. We would try to suggest they carve out an hour of their day, “to stop and think and be with yourself.� But they would say, “Well, how do I find my authentic self when I’m scheduled all day and night.�

For at least a few months during the pandemic, students were actually forced to sit and just be. In their applications, we saw them using this time to discover new passions or rediscovering old passions. That was refreshing. 

I hope these students bring with them the ability to slow down. I hope they don’t immediately, when they arrive at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, revert back to being scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to whenever.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ uses a holistic approach to admission, loosely defined as viewing applicants as more than just the sum of test scores, grades, activities, etc. Did this approach help you introduce the pandemic as an “x factorâ€� in an application?

For certain. I have every confidence in the team that they care deeply about the applicants, respect the applicants, and want to do right by the applicants. 

While we always love reading applications and the ways students invite us in and share their stories, this year more than ever, there was a lot of human curiosity, I think. We hadn’t visited these students on their turf in ways we had in the past, and we hadn’t met these students on our turf when they were coming to campus. So this year, there was a sense of the moment, “Oh my gosh, I’m finally meeting this person!â€� 

With regards to holistic admission and our review process, I’ve said for years that we’re accustomed to reading different transcripts and we’re accustomed to reading different grading systems. We’re accustomed to students coming to us from a variety of learning environments that may have shifted over the course of their high school career. 

So having to accommodate the X factor of the pandemic didn’t feel like a huge wrench thrown into things for us. More specifically, we know how to do test-optional admission, where thousands of peers were doing that for the first time ever. It’s just old hat for us. 

We were just really comfortable with the unknowns and comfortable with putting the puzzle pieces together.

What about the time-honored tradition of the one-on-one, in person interview? 

Even prior to the pandemic, we were wrestling with the idea of moving away from evaluative interviews and offering optional and informational interviews only.

Why the change?

A generation ago, we emphasized the importance of the interview. There was a line in the Viewbook: “Candidates without an interview may be placing themselves at a disadvantage in the evaluation process.�

But we know now that interviews can be fraught. We know so much more — there’s just so much opportunity for bias to arise in an interview setting, whether it’s interviewing for a job or interviewing for college. 

And then we also ask ourselves a question through an equity lens. “Who has the privilege to know these interviews exist? Who has access to them?â€� It’s just problematic layer on layer on layer. And, at least historically, we know that interviews have been more of a recruitment tool than an effective assessment tool.

So we were already positioned to make a move to strictly informational interviews. With the pandemic, it was perfect timing.

Can you talk to me about what the mix of Admission programming looks like now compared to pre-pandemic?

In summer and fall 2019, we did in-person travel to 39 U.S. states and five continents. We  participated in 896 in-person events — visits to schools, college fairs, panels, and community based organizations.

Last fall and winter, during the pandemic with no travel, we still were able to virtually visit 44 states and 532 schools while vastly expanding how students can learn about ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ without having to visit in person.

Along with our popular online campus tour, we deployed a â€� YouTube videos, and continued our “Bobcat Chats,â€� ask-me-anything gatherings on Zoom where ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ people talk about various topics, from academics and financial aid to sustainability and the Lewiston-Auburn community. 

During the yield season in the spring, when students make their final choice among colleges they’ve been admitted to, we used to host huge Admitted Student Receptions on campus and also events around the country. 

This year, as with last, we put ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community members front and center in our virtual events. Current students designed and managed a series of other events. We deployed “The Den,â€� a portal to help 2025 admitted students connect with one another and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community members.

Without the disruption of the pandemic, I don’t see how we could have developed such a great mix of virtual and in-person offerings. But that’s the point of disruption, right?

What’s your stance on how we’re all able to reveal something about our personal lives through our Zoom screens?

At the start of the pandemic, it was, “Get your background up! Have your name and title! Have the Bobcat logo in the corner! And now it’s just like, “Here’s my laundry room.â€� 

I like the realness and the sense that we’re in this together and it’s about us having a conversation. Whatever the communication is, people respond to authenticity. 

Will we return to the pre-pandemic routine of families doing massive college-visit trips in the summer?

There’s no reason we need to.

Of course, in-person experiences will always be part of what we do. We are a residential college. But from the perspective of a prospective student, you can get such a better taste of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ life, and be so much more efficient with your college search, by accessing our live and on-demand digital content, such as the Bobcat Chat series.

I used to half-joke with families who were preparing that big trip, telling them that “OK, if you visit X College, and your child absolutely hates it after the first 15 minutes, are you willing to drive away rather than spending the time you expected? Or if your child absolutely loves ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and wants to stay for way longer than your allotted two hours, maybe attend an a cappella concert and sit in the library, are you prepared to let them?â€�

The point being, that big college swing through the Northeast rarely allows for any flexibility. Now, you can make that first “passâ€� through ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ virtually. And I think it’s hugely beneficial.

What are the implications of being able to recruit a class without leaving home?

I read an article recently by a high school counselor suggesting that we’re seeing a throwback to how students applied to college long ago, where there wasn’t an expectation of visiting so many colleges before you applied. You applied to your colleges, then maybe visited the ones you are admitted to.

For a long time now, families have felt that they have to visit all the colleges that their student applies to. And colleges have fed into that belief by emphasizing the campus visit and the campus interview as important markers of an applicant’s interest in our schools. 

At the same time, many students were applying, being admitted, and coming to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ without ever visiting campus. So now, I’m pushing our team to help keep that temperature down a degree or two or three, and keep letting families know that an in-person visit is not a necessary part of learning about ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

Do you also view the rise of online/in-demand offerings through an equity lens, realizing that, in the past, learning about ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ was far easier for families who could get here and how relatively hard it was for families who could not get here for whatever reason?

Absolutely. I think about the team’s energy and resources that we can now bring to the table. Don’t get me wrong: There’s a certain level of energy when you can have an in-person experience.

But I think about the presentation for Chinese students that I did with a colleague from Syracuse University this morning. 

Neither of us was jet-lagged. Neither of us were stressed about trying to leave our hotel and find the school. She was in her office and had her coffee cup, and I was in my office and I had my window open just the way I like it. And I could feel almost as much energy through that session as you would in person.

I think of how many times I’ve arrived at school for a visit that, unbeknownst to me, was scheduled against a prep session for the AP chemistry exam, and the teacher understandably  put the kibosh on any of their students leaving. So you leave a little ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ booklet with your name and hope they follow up. 

Whereas the session we did this morning, and many others like it that we do, was recorded and made available for students to consume at their leisure. 

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ issued a lot of pandemic-response communications last year. Did ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ conduct last year play well among prospective students and families?

I think it was absolutely a positive for families, no question, in terms of thinking, “Can I send my child there? Will it be safe? Will they be healthy? Can I trust this place?â€� That absolutely helped us. It would come up in either the family Facebook group or in correspondence or other AMAs that we would do. 

Among students, it was a little tougher to discern. It’s something we’ve talked about as a team. Whether or not we want to admit it, in some ways this reality is all they know about high school and college right now. In their 17 years, pandemic routines have taken up more than a year. So they’re kind of like, “Yeah, I’ll wear a mask. Yeah, I’ll wash my hands. Yeah, I’ll hang with the same group of 10 people just to make sure we’re safe.â€�

But I’m sure they appreciated the realness of our communications, how you can present pandemic response policy in an Instagram Story rather than some staid announcement. It certainly shed light on what it’s like to be a student and how you can expect to be communicated with.

Do you sense any trends about students’ willingness to go far away to college?

This is the most geographically diverse class in the history of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College, with 65 percent from outside New England. 

Continuing to expand and diversify our application pool is important to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ as an institution, as we must take advantage of demographic trends, as the

After talking with colleagues from other institutions, I think that students who enrolled last fall may have had a desire to stay closer to home and keep their concentric circles tight. Now, we might be seeing a sense of “I’ve gotta get out of Dodge. I’ve been limited in my ability where to go And now I have to go.�

What will be your message when you help welcome students and families at Orientation? 

It will be a little bit of what I said earlier, how I hope they bring some of that slow-down to their daily lives at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, and don’t feel like they’re at the races and have to come flying out of the gates their first day.

Given the huge shifts in their lives since 2020, I think they are well-equipped to navigate what might come along during their time at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. 

I think we also really need to celebrate them and say, there is literally no other class that’s entered ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in the way they have. They’re coming to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ with a powerful and unique perspective. They have a ton to learn, yes, but a ton of opportunity to shape ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. 

So many ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ traditions have been on hold in part because of the pandemic. What is going to be their legacy? How can they think about new ways of welcoming future classes to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½? Or new traditions that might take hold, given the unique perspective and sort of vantage point that they’re kicking off their college career with.

It will be fascinating. Because it continues to be so different.

At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, an admission program of early decision has been around since the 1960s, and it hasn’t changed all that much.

Back then, a student applied early decision in November and was notified by December, same as today. And same as today, the acceptance was binding for the student.

Using a courtship metaphor, “early decision is not a flirting game,” explains Leigh Weisenburger, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid. “You’re getting married.”

The value proposition of early decision also has not changed in 60 years. As the late Dean of Admissions Milton Lindholm wrote in 1961, “for the student, early decision obviates the necessity of filing applications to more than one college; the advantage to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is that it knows that the accepted student will matriculate.”

Existing alongside early decision for all these years has been another type of early program, early action, similar in its earliness, but not binding.

Weisenburger uses a touch of phonetics to help prospective students and families remember the difference between early action and early decision.

“The word ‘action’ starts with a vowel, with a softer sound. So think of it as an opportunity for a student to apply early, but without any binding element tied to that round of admission.”

A student applies early, and is notified early. If accepted, “they have that offer of admission in their back pocket” as they continue their applications to other colleges.

Early decision is a different sound and a whole different ball game. “It’s the letter D — a consonant with a harder sound. It’s binding.”

When a student applies early decision, they’re signing a contract, along with a family member and their school college counselor, that says if admitted, they will matriculate.

Then there’s the old standby, regular decision, an opportunity for a student to apply to a number of colleges during the fall and winter, then typically get decisions in the spring. “In regular decision, students can weigh pros and cons, compare financial aid packages and go from there,” says Weisenburger.

Not every college offers all of three options. Some colleges offer just one, some might offer two, and some might offer three. (ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ offers early decision and traditional regular decision.) Neither ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Colby, nor Bowdoin offers early action.

“You, the student, get to do your research and see what the options are, what interests you, and what’s most suitable for you and your needs.”

So are you really test-optional? 

That’s usually the first question I get from skeptics and newcomers to the test-optional movement. Because ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is in its fourth decade of a test-optional admission policy, as dean of admission and financial aid I’ve served as a sounding board on this topic to high school guidance counselors, students, and families for years.

Now I’m regularly fielding this question and more from admission officials at institutions across the country. Since March, COVID-19 has made it a challenge for high school seniors to take the ACT or SAT, causing many colleges to suddenly adopt test-optional admission policies for the current 2020–21 admission cycle. 

Yes, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ truly is test-optional. Students simply choose whether they want to submit their ACT or SAT scores as part of their admission application. That’s it. The person quizzing me usually assumes we must secretly prefer the applicants who submit their standardized test scores, right? No. No, we don’t.

“There is clear connect between privilege and the ability to perform well” on standardized tests, says Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger.(Video by Theophil Syslo)

The real skeptics persist. What about students who withhold their scores — that must hurt their chances for admission? The answer again: Nope.

Applicants who choose not to submit their ACT or SAT scores as part of their college application signal to an admission committee what is most important to them and most revealing about their academic capability. They choose how they want to tell their best academic story — scores or no scores — and we follow their lead.

Encouraging personal agency and intentionality is a hallmark of the liberal arts tradition, so why not begin developing those habits and behaviors with and through the college application process itself?

Over 70% of colleges and universities across the nation are now test-optional. This represents a sea change in the admission landscape and higher education, as most institutions are arguably more accessible to a broader range of diverse and talented students than ever before. It’s a liberating opportunity for all involved, as the confining conventions of standardized testing no longer restrict colleges or students.

But it’s natural that students, families, counselors, college admission colleagues, alumni, the media — even “believersâ€� in the movement — have questions. For parents in particular, who remember their own SAT all too well, it can feel very new. Too new. 

Our test-optional admission policy removes a barrier for many students, and we see it as a natural extension of our progressive history and mission dedicated to access and inclusion.

For most of my team, this is all we’ve ever known, and many of us were drawn to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ professionally because of the college’s progressive legacy as a test-optional pioneer.

In 1984, our admission predecessors and faculty colleagues had the insight and courage to call out the SAT as an imperfect measure of a student’s academic ability and potential, never mind their overall character. In 1990, we did the same for the ACT and went fully test-optional.

They knew then, as we know now, that standardized tests and a student’s subsequent scores are rooted in inequity. There are vast disparities on such tests based on race and socio-economics.

In 2016, scholar and author Ibram X. Kendi described standardized tests as “the most effective racist weapon ever devised to objectively degrade Black minds and legally exclude their bodies.� Our test-optional admission policy removes a barrier for many students, and we see it as a natural extension of our progressive history and mission dedicated to access and inclusion.

5 Tips: ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½’ regular decision deadline is Jan. 11. Here’s some advice for prospective applicants.

+1. Be a high school student.

+2. Think of your college application as your storyline

+3. Use your college essay to your advantage

+4. Ask yourself: What do your scores mean to you?

+5. Connect with the colleges on your list

Test-optional admission also aligns with my own personal story. I was a poor test taker in high school — and I still get anxious when I think about standardized tests.

I had excellent grades in rigorous courses, my writing was solid, I was an active leader in my school and community, I held a part-time job, and much more. What did my scores say about me? Nothing. But they were required, so I took the tests. And I submitted the scores. While I ultimately found my way, had I known about test-optional admission at the time, I might have knocked on different doors and found more open to me.

And consider the data on how our doors open, even without test scores. More than half of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Class of 2024 did not submit their standardized test scores as a part of their admission application. 

They landed at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ through a holistic admissions approach that values the story a candidate chooses to tell us. There’s one more sweeping question to answer. Why do ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and so many other institutions care so much about the test-optional movement?

Because we are human, you are human, and the endeavor that is college is a human enterprise. Colleges and universities must be evolutionary organisms. We want to get to know you for who you are. We want to understand the many ways you can grow, develop, and add to the vitality of our intellectual community. Relying on an arbitrary set of scores? Honestly, it doesn’t seem that smart.

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€�

Selected from the largest applicant pool in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ history, the 501 members of the Class of 2023 arrive at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ on Monday, Aug. 26.

As they settle into various campus abodes on Opening Day and kick off their nine-day Orientation, the new students are embarking on a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ journey that, in a conventional sense, has a specific terminus: Commencement four years hence, on May 28, 2023.

In another sense, a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ journey is timeless, a mindset that lasts “for as long as they wish,â€� says Professor of Sociology Emily Kane.

In her Pettengill Hall office, Professor of Sociology Emily Kane wraps up a meeting with Hermione Zhou ’21 last January. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

While regular classes don’t begin until Sept. 4, Orientation offers a taste of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ academics right off the bat. So on Tuesday morning, the day after they arrive, the new students will attend their very first class, specifically their First-Year Seminar.

This fall, Kane is teaching one of the seminars, “Inequality, Community, and Social Change.� A few days ago, as Kane was preparing for Tuesday’s first class gathering, she was also exchanging emails with a former student, now in graduate school, who took her First-Year Seminar six years ago.

+Class of 2023 by the Numbers

“She was writing to say she’d come across a recent book chapter I wrote,â€� Kane explains, “and was finding it useful in her own graduate work on family policy.â€�

That moment — communicating about academics with an alumna while simultaneously preparing for new students — left Kane dazzled “by all those connecting threads. That’s what I hope to convey on the first day of class: the excitement and possibility and world of new connections that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ offers.â€�

Jamari Amrham ’22 of Richmond, Calif., has his eyes on his mom, Cherie Hill, as she took a selfie during Opening Day in 2018. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

All across campus, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ has its arms open to the new students, ready to help them make the best of these transformational four years.

“Orientation introduces students to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ people, programs, and resources that will give them the tools to succeed,” says Assistant Dean of Students Blake Reilly, who oversees Orientation.

“We want our newest students to know that there’s always someone to turn to for support — and, hopefully, it’s someone they will have already met at Orientation.”

Orientation, which also features three days of student-led outdoor trips throughout Maine and New Hampshire, concludes next Tuesday with Convocation, the official opening of the academic year.

This year’s Convocation features an address by Dolores Huerta, a labor activist and civil rights icon who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America. The subject of an eponymous documentary that is this year’s Commons Read, Huerta will receive a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ honorary degree at Convocation.

On Opening Day, as seen in 2018, new students get many helping hands from student members of the college’s Residence Life staff. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

The metaphorical arms welcoming the new class include those of the beloved, college-run Dining Services, fully ready to welcome the newest students on Monday evening for their very first meal in Commons.

“Whether a student has had a great day or a lousy day when they come through our doors, we have an opportunity to make their experience excellent.”

Among other items, the first dinner will feature salmon piccata; barbecue seitan with veggies; a variety of pastas and sauces, including marinara, alfredo, pesto; and squash and crab bisque made from scratch, as all soups are at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ — not to mention fresh tomatoes and kale from the college’s vegetable garden, the Plot, run by student EcoReps.

As prior generations of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students have discovered, dining at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ — distinctive for its single dining hall — is about great community and great food. “We want our new students to understand that this is a fun place and a comforting place — their home away from home,” says Director of Dining Cheryl Lacey.

Community and comfort are on the menu for the Class of 2023 at Dining Services, where Kevin Michaud prepares grilled cheese sandwiches for a recent Friday lunch. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

A meal at Commons gives students a chance to press the reset button, she says.

“Whether a student has had a great day or a lousy day when they come through our doors, we have an opportunity, at each point of service, to make their experience excellent.”

Students “should always feel comfortable approaching any of us to ask questions. They should feel comfortable building connections with our chefs, which they do, year after year, and asking questions about their food.”

Pursuant to answering food questions, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ recently became one of the few liberal arts colleges nationally to offer  for every dish on the Dining Services menu.

Continued national and international geographic expansion is “imperative.”

The 501 students arrive Monday thanks to the work of the Admission team, which reviewed a record-setting 8,222 applications this year.

“There’s excitement for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ right now — students and families really desire a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ liberal arts education,â€� Weisenburger says, pointing to strengths like Purposeful Work, highly relevant and interdisciplinary academics, a location in Lewiston and in Maine, and a “community where students are recognized and celebrated as individuals.â€�

The new class features historic strengths, including 28 percent U.S. students of color, the highest ever, and a continued demographic-driven expansion to the West and South.

+A Few Facts About Students in the Class of 2023

As recently as 2009, 50 percent of the incoming class was from New England. This year’s class is 39 percent, even as ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ maintains its firm commitment to Maine students. Similar to prior years, Mainers represent 9.6 percent of the class.

Continued national and international geographic expansion is “imperative,� explains Weisenburger, as high-school-age populations in the Northeast decline.

“ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ continues to invest in diversifying and strengthening our applicant pool,â€� says Weisenburger. “And that’s not the same as merely growing the pool. Our goal is to attract the most diverse and talented applicants possible, while staying true to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and enrolling students who really want to be here.â€�

+The 2019 Admission Season by the Numbers

There’s strength in numbers, she adds. “ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is in a very competitive higher-education environment. From that competitive standpoint, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is where we need to be.â€�

“ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ continues to invest in diversifying and strengthening our applicant pool,â€� says Dean of Admission Leigh Weisenburger, seen in 2018 on Opening Day for the Class of 2022. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

In terms of academic strength, “the numbers speak for themselves,â€� she says, noting an average GPA of 3.73. “Beyond the numbers is the high level of curiosity these students have, regardless of their high school background. The way they want to learn and the questions they want to ask — that’s what really excites me.â€�

On Opening Day, Weisenburger will join President Clayton Spencer for an end-of-day event with all new students and parents. Weisenberger’s message? “Just take a moment to celebrate. Take a deep breath, and enjoy the moment.�

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€�

A record number of prospective students have applied for admission to the incoming ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Class of 2022.

The 2017–18 recruiting season saw first-year applications from 7,688 prospective students — by far the most ever and a 45 percent increase over last year’s 5,316 first-year applications.

“We are meeting more prospective students where they are and telling a story that is more compelling and relevant than ever,� said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger.

The previous high-water mark was 5,636 in 2014–15.

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger.

“When we tell ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ story — about our unwavering commitment to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts, to creative and rigorous scholarship, and to the transformative power of our differences — using traditional admission outreach paired with new-media strategies, the results speak loudly and clearly.â€�

Among applicants, across-the-board increases in important demographic categories — including geography, first-generation-to-college students, and students of color — “move the overall pool, and thus our incoming class, in the right direction,� she added.

The record level of interest in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ comes as the college launches The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Campaign, which seeks to raise $300 million in the coming years with a strong focus on endowment for academics and financial aid.

In addition, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ continues to expand its innovative Purposeful Work program and lay the groundwork for a new and fundamentally inclusive Digital and Computational Studies Program.

The 2017–18 recruitment season saw an increase in travel, both nationally and internationally, for the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission team, including new joint travel with fellow colleges of the American Talent Initiative, of which ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is a founding member. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and with a target date of 2025, ATI seeks to expand by 50,000 the number of low- and moderate-income students attending 270 top U.S. schools.

In the digital realm, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ expanded suite of web, social media, and email communications and strategies now features a new virtual-visit platform that expands prospective students’ access to one of the most important ways to get to know ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½: the campus tour.

The immersive virtual experience is particularly helpful for students who might find it difficult to visit in person. It also helps to educate potential applicants while guiding them toward various “micro-conversions” that are important in the recruitment process, such as watching a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ video, clicking a link to an academic department, or scheduling a visit.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ has simplified the application process in another way. Effective this year, the college has eliminated the application requirement of a supplemental essay.

“We have found that the essay is an unnecessary barrier in the path of a talented student who deserves access to an excellent education,â€� said Weisenburger. “Just as ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ was the first to show that standardized testing can narrow the door of college opportunity for talented students, we have made this move to reflect our leadership in creating greater access to higher education.â€�

A deeper look at the 2018 applicant pool and a comparison to the average applicant pool over the prior five years shows a 56 percent increase in applications from first-generation-to-college students; 40 percent from African American students; 27 percent from Asian American students; and 68 percent from Latino students.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ also expanded its U.S. geographic reach in 2018, with more applicants from the West (30 percent over the five-year average), Midwest (49 percent), South (53 percent), and West (30 percent), as well as New England (14 percent).

International applicants increased by 105 percent, driven by triple-digit increases from China, Pakistan, India, and Ghana.

The incoming class will be finalized this spring. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ notifies applicants of admission decisions on April 1, and the deadline for accepted students to notify ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ of their intention to enroll is May 1.

During the winter months, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission team gathered in Lindholm House to review the 5,300-plus applications for the Class of 2010. (Sarah Crosby/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

After several visits to this year’s Regular Decision admission committee sessions in Lindholm House, and hours of discussions, deliberations, and votes, we have two major takeaways.

First, there are do’s and there are don’ts when it comes to applying to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ (and most other selective liberal arts colleges).

Second, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission deans seek to answer, to the best of their abilities, two overarching questions: Is this student right for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½? And is ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ right for this student?

To answer that huge question, they rely on a veritable flowchart of questions: Will she thrive academically? What’s his potential? How will he grow? Will she contribute to our community in dynamic ways? And, importantly, does she want ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½?

Here’s what we heard, and here’s what it means.

This year, applications for admission arrived from Maine, Minnesota, and Mississippi — not to mention Malawi, Malaysia, and Maldives — and from every other U.S. state except South Dakota, and from 92 additional countries around the world.

All told, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ received 5,356 applications to the Class of 2020. Of that grand total, several hundred were reviewed during two rounds of Early Decision. The balance, some 4,900 Regular Decision applications, were reviewed and decided upon in early March.

Ultimately, the goal of the 10-member Admission Committee’s decision-making is to enroll a class of approximately 500 first-year students come fall.

Here’s what we heard, and here’s what it means:

“Great candidate for Bonner.�

A ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ sports coach recently said, “I’m not looking for a player who can play. I’m looking for a player who makes an impact.â€�

That applies to what the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission deans are seeking in every candidate. They look for evidence that a candidate can make contributions to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. In this case, a dean notes that a student with a track record of community engagement would be a good fit for the college’s Bonner Leader Program, overseen by the Harward Center for Community Partnerships.

“So what is the rigor, though?�

“We know that the best predictor of academic success at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is the high school transcript,â€� says Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Committee shorthand requesting specific metrics of a prospect’s academic record — specifically the strength of curriculum, which at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ nearly always means their high school transcript.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ has a test-optional admission policy, meaning students are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores to apply.

“Students who submit scores at the point of application, and those who do not, perform almost precisely the same at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½,â€� Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger says.

“We know that the best predictor of academic success at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is the high school transcript.â€�

“Do folks know what they want to do? All those for admit?�

If you were asked to design the ideal international student attending ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, you couldn’t do better than this applicant from China, and it’s little surprise that Jared Rivers, senior associate dean of admission and director of diversity enrollment, tallied a perfect 10–0–0 result after calling for a vote.

In an admission interview, the candidate revealed himself to be charismatic, outdoorsy — and “excited about thesis and Puddle Jump.� Academically stellar, the applicant, who collects paper money, wrote a book about the significance of the images on money.

(What do the committee vote tallies mean? Ten committee members voted to admit, none to put the applicant on the wait list, and none to deny.)

“He is aware of how fortunate and privileged he is.�

A teacher’s recommendation includes that comment, as well as a note that the student is eager not to “come across as arrogant or uncaring, of which he is neither.�

Weisenburger talks with the committee about students’ ability to be self-aware of their socioeconomic status at this age. Many have never experienced life outside their own family reality. “It’s all they know.� Her point? While being self-aware of one’s privilege is a mark of a liberally educated person, not all 18-year-olds are there yet.

“And he has been in touch with Coach.�

The committee considers an accomplished football player with solid grades and a demonstrated work ethic from a respected Florida high school.

While the trend in recent years at many colleges is for varsity-caliber students to apply Early Decision, quality athletes are part of the Regular Decision pool, too.

This student’s candidacy draws a key question from the committee: Would he really leave his football-crazy home state for Maine?

“It’s incredibly difficult to attract kids away from a good state flagship like the University of Florida,” says one dean. On the other hand, he took the step to be interviewed by a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ alum in Florida, who took away a very good impression of the young man.

“And he has been in touch with Coach,” says another dean. With some hope that this student might opt to be a Bobcat instead of a Gator, the committee votes to admit.

“There’s no late bus.�

The extracurricular activities of one candidate are thin. But a dean, showing the committee’s mastery of uncovering details affecting a candidate’s circumstances, notes that the student’s school doesn’t offer sports or an after-school activities bus.

Furthermore, the candidate’s parent has an illness requiring the student to come home immediately after school.

Meanwhile, the student’s recommendations bolster his application. He’s “curious, intelligent, inquisitive, skillful, and compassionate,â€� and his interest in improv and debate “will translate well to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½,â€� the committee notes. The committee votes to admit.

“I’m just here for the free coffee.�

Sarah Emerson Potter ’77 draws a laugh with this line as she arrives to observe one session. Potter, who recently retired as the college store manager, has a vast and firm understanding of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, and she was one of several adjunct application readers this year.

While the sessions have a certain mystique and are filled with jargon that is captivatingly opaque, like that of air traffic controllers or recording engineers, Weisenburger has been intentional about opening the process up, when possible, to campus partners and to outsiders with a vested interest.

“It’s a great learning moment,� she explains, “and an opportunity to see inside a process that touches the college in so many ways.�

This year, Weisenburger invited several college counselors who work specifically with first-generation students and/or students from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds.

Their visit provided “a chance to broaden our own outreach efforts,� she says. “It helps our team and the counselors both because we’re able to exchange ideas about how an application is reviewed in the context of how it is prepared.�

“It took me 10 minutes to get down the stairs.�

The deans often know about an applicant’s high school through school visits the prior fall, and this dean’s quip was about his visit to a huge public high school of 2,800 students — 1,000 more than ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ enrollment.

Besides the chance to meet students and their counselors, school visits also provide deans and counselors with clearer understanding of a student’s environment — their community and culture.

“Context is everything,� Weisenburger says.

“This is exactly what we want to see. The funnel.�

In the courtship between applicant and college, both are suitors. Students pursue colleges. A college then selects students. And then, in the spring, students who’ve been accepted to multiple schools get a chance to select a college.

This courtship is also called “the funnel” because while many thousands of students will indicate interest in receiving ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ information early in the process, the number of students in each new class will be about 500.

The “admission funnel” in action: prospective students follow a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Admission tour guide. The term “funnel” describes the key steps that prospective students take, often including a campus tour, from their first inquiry to submission of an application. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

This dean’s comment was about a student whose record of contact with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, from initial inquiry, to attending an Open House and being interviewed in the fall, to her applying, tells the committee that she’s likely to matriculate if admitted.

The personal interview remains a linchpin of the funnel. Of the regular decision pool, 707 students were interviewed on campus at Lindholm House and another 861 off campus. That’s 30 percent of the pool.

“Quite possibly the most effort I’ve ever seen on ‘Why ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.’â€�

Reviewing an outstanding student’s application — English is her sixth language, she has a 4.23 weighted GPA, and was called the “most extraordinary student� in one counselor’s 18 years — a dean shares this observation.

“Why ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€� is shorthand for the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½-focused question on the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Supplement to the Common Application: “What draws you to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½?”

It’s the key opportunity for applicants to speak directly to their interest in the college. To help them along, they’re given the Mission Statement and encouraged to pull inspiration from it.

Again, the goal is to tease out a student’s genuine interest in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

“Do we have a chance at yielding her?�

During a discussion of another applicant, one who will be admitted with outstanding credentials — “perfect student, every teacher’s dream,� according to one recommendation — Weisenburger asks whether there’s evidence that she would matriculate.

There’s not much to suggest she would or wouldn’t, so the committee gives the candidate an “R flag,â€� indicating that her choosing ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ might benefit from some recruiting, specifically contact from a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ professor in her intended academic field.

“Only female on the wrestling team�

The odd or quirky item in an applicant’s file will catch the eye of the committee, especially if it demonstrates that the student is authentic.

One student, from a private boarding school, posted solid but unspectacular grades. Her extracurriculars, however, included being an accomplished debater, always a good thing when applying to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, and being the only female on the boys’ varsity wrestling team.

“I love that. That’s cool,� says one of the deans.

“This poor kid�

Some mistakes are too big to overcome. One applicant’s “disastrous� 11th grade —“too many Cs and an F� — make this candidate a long shot even with a strong counselor recommendation that spoke of an “academic rebirth� during his senior year.

On this day, his grades, coupled with a suspension for “academic dishonesty,� seal his fate, and the committee votes to deny.

“He’s doing well senior year?�

After hearing strong qualifications for another candidate, Interim Director of Admission Johie Farrar Seltzer ’03 asks this question. It’s true: By slacking off in senior year, a candidate can hurt their chances for admission. This student had kept up his grades.

“I suspect it might lack in authenticity.�

One candidate’s application seems to offer lots of positives in academics, sports, and music, but a dean feels that the tone of her personal essay is uneven and, specifically, seems at odds with her record of volunteerism.

In fact, the candidate’s essay seems self-serving: a description of how she lost a school election, and it draws this reaction from a dean, “Yikes,â€� along with an observation that the candidate’s volunteer service may not reflect an altruistic impulse. “This essay gave me a bad impression on her fit with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.â€�

The committee votes to deny.

“A±ô´Ç²Ô±ð.â€�

The committee considers the personal backstories of applicants, and weighs both how those affect a student’s academic record, as reflected in their GPA, and how their response to their personal circumstances might enrich the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community.

This student’s application notes that one parent died a year ago, and that the other parent is not present.

He attends an uber-competitive boys school and his transcript is far from A’s and B’s. Yet the way in which he persevered through a potentially devastating personal crisis speaks volumes about who he is, the admission committee believes.

“The unevenness [in his grades] may even out in college,” says a member of the committee. “He’s more motivated than almost everyone.â€� They vote to admit.

Reporting and writing by Jay Burns, Doug Hubley, and Kent Fischer of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Communications.