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Post by rgs318 on May 9, 2019 11:27:00 GMT -5
I just heard that HC will stop presenting alumni sponsored book prizes to worthy high school students after this year. I am sorry to see that. As a pre-paid sponsor, I had a balance which the school is willing to keep as a donation on my part to Holy Cross, or refund to me. Since I had no input on the decision to terminate the prize (and only heard about it ex post facto), I am tempted to just take the money back and give it to th school o which HC used to donate a book. I imagine the school decided he time (no expense to HC) was not worth the effort. That s too bad. Perhaps books are things of the past (which, as a historian, I do not see as a "bad" thing). I simply hate to see HC make decisions that seem to isolate us more and more.  |
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Post by Tom on May 9, 2019 11:59:55 GMT -5
Back in the day it was a dictionary and thesaurus. These two books are outdated today. They changed it to book written by noteworthy alums. In the 20th century, every kid going to college could have used a dictionary and thesaurus. The school was probably getting feedback that the books by HC authors weren't as well received.
On a slightly off note, as of like two years ago, they were looking for sponsors for target schools. Schools in targeted areas that HC didn't have a lot of students from. Most book prizes were sponsored by alums from a given high school or alums now living in that town. Tough to get sponsors in an area where you don't have many alums so are targeting to increase yield
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Post by gks on May 9, 2019 12:22:55 GMT -5
It's a great gesture for a college to honor a high-achieving high school student in some way. It's easy marketing.
Too bad they are ending this.
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Post by Tom on May 9, 2019 12:56:50 GMT -5
It's a great gesture for a college to honor a high-achieving high school student in some way. It's easy marketing. Too bad they are ending this. It was cheap too since most high schools had HC alum sponsors who picked up the tab. I know some alums who used to look forward to going to their old high school's awards night and presenting the award in person. Yes, it was a blatant marketing tool. That works for me. |
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Post by Crucis#1 on May 9, 2019 13:12:40 GMT -5
While the book prize did provide an opportunity for HC to be mentioned at a particular high school’s academic e convocation, unfortunately the yield of students applying to HC, as well as matriculating at HC was relatively low.
What was missing was a proactive program to aggressively recruit these recipients as students highly sought by HC. Some colleges waive the application fee, as well as have a special invitation sent to attend a presentation on campus during the summer following their junior year.
My daughter won a book prize from a school ranked higher than HC in US News, when she was a junior. That school had a very proactive plan regarding recruiting their book prize recipients.
Oh well! A lost opportunity.
If you disagree with the decision, you should contact the Admission office regarding your disappointment. They made the decision without final input from the alumni who sponsored the prize.
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Post by sader1970 on May 9, 2019 13:23:43 GMT -5
I am positively shocked to hear this! Imagine making a decision in which the people who underwrite a program have no input on the decision to keep the program. [Note: I am being sarcastic]
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Post by hc6774 on May 9, 2019 16:00:21 GMT -5
The high school book prize was a program of the HC Alum Assoc in concert with Admissions Office. I believe the book recipients got applications, fee waived, as well as the volumes.
The Development now Advancement Dpt no longer promotes the donate a book for the library program.
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Post by CHC8485 on May 9, 2019 17:24:05 GMT -5
I suspect that Book Prizes, like many things today ... newspapers, VCRs, land lines ... are becoming a thing of the past. Curious if others with recent High School graduates have observed the same thing or have similar anecdotes ...
As a junior in High School in the spring of 1980, I received a book prize from a noted elite university to the east of Worcester that rhymes with Schmarvard. I'm pretty sure the book was an encyclopedia of western civilization/history. No idea where that book is now, but my guess is my parents found it when cleaning out the house before retiring and assumed it belonged to my brother, a history PhD student at that time.
As an aside, the thank you note my mother (rightfully) had me pen to the family that donated the book was torture for this 17 year old. What to say ?? ... Thanks for the book and ummm ... maybe I'll use it at some college I'm not in yet ... ummm
I think there were at least a dozen other kids in my class that received similar books from many other prestigious schools across the country.
Fast forward to 2008 thru 2014 and my kids "undergraduate" award ceremonies in high school. Can only remember 3 Book Prizes at my kids' high school - and yes one was a Holy Cross Book. I'll grant there may have been others, but nowhere near the dozen or more given when I was in High School.
As to Holy Cross, I see no harm in continuing the tradition if folks want to fund them, but kind of like the Turnpike Trophy, don't think they make the impact in terms of HC brand awareness and/or subsequent applications they once may have. Internet, social media, and the Common App likely diminished any benefit they may have had back in the day.
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