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Post by hcpride on Apr 4, 2021 7:17:18 GMT -5
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Post by beachbound on Apr 6, 2021 13:38:53 GMT -5
My son is a senior in high school, and my wife is an independent education consultant. Most of her clients were looking for bigger schools with big time athletics, including my son. With that in mind, I was not surprised HC getting only 6500 applications, but Colgate getting 17500 is stunning. I believe HC went test optional a few years ago, so they didn’t get the big bounce like other schools that went test optional this year. But over 100% increase in applications for Colgate is remarkable, not sure what they are doing up in Hamilton.
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Post by hcpride on Apr 10, 2021 11:56:37 GMT -5
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Apr 10, 2021 13:33:49 GMT -5
So Lehigh's yield has plummeted?
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Post by purplehaze on Apr 10, 2021 13:49:50 GMT -5
So they accepted more than 6000 for a projected fresh class of ??
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Post by hcpride on Apr 11, 2021 8:54:36 GMT -5
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Post by higheredguy on Apr 11, 2021 14:18:31 GMT -5
The around 700 drop in applications this year is concerning. I think it can be attributed to HC being closed in the fall.
HC needs to be aggressive in increasing the number of applications. Colby over the last several years has increased their applicant pool. HC should examine what strategies are being used at that institution.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Apr 11, 2021 15:49:42 GMT -5
The around 700 drop in applications this year is concerning. I think it can be attributed to HC being closed in the fall. HC needs to be aggressive in increasing the number of applications. Colby over the last several years has increased their applicant pool. HC should examine what strategies are being used at that institution. From a previous post I made That is not to say that all is hunky-dory in HC admissions. The hiring of a vice provost (a new position) to oversee admissions and financial aid and to bring in someone to fill that position with no previous ties to Ann M.'s world or HC seems to me to be an organizational management trick. When it is difficult to fire someone, hire someone to be that person's boss. in this instance, the provost doesn't have the time to oversee the HC admissions process, given that it apparently needs a lot of continuing oversight. When seven of the 11 admissions staff have a geographic assignment that includes schools in Massachusetts, then the likely result is an overweight of Massachusetts residents applying to HC, which is the exact opposite of what the college wants. One of the 11 covers California, among several other states. BC, albeit with a 3x larger enrollment, has 19 admissions staff, five of whom are assigned to cover California.
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 15, 2021 19:00:09 GMT -5
BC is an "it" school at California Catholic High Schools, at least it was a decade or so ago. I also know in one case, HC accepted a California applicant but was miserly in the financial aid offer compared to other colleges and thus did not get the student who would have been a third generation legacy
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Apr 28, 2021 17:44:50 GMT -5
Ann has announced she is leaving Holy Cross in June. Ann has been in HC admissions as Associate Director or Director for 32 years.
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Post by princetoncrusader on Apr 28, 2021 18:20:13 GMT -5
That is interesting news indeed. Wonder if the College will bring in a new person from outside of promote a current staff member.
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Post by higheredguy on Apr 29, 2021 4:04:18 GMT -5
That is interesting news indeed. Wonder if the College will bring in a new person from outside of promote a current staff member. I'm hoping they bring someone from the outside who has a proven track record of increasing apps from a LAC. Colby has had large success with rapid increase in apps.
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Post by hcpride on Apr 29, 2021 7:21:10 GMT -5
That is interesting news indeed. Wonder if the College will bring in a new person from outside of promote a current staff member. I'm hoping they bring someone from the outside who has a proven track record of increasing apps from a LAC. Colby has had large success with rapid increase in apps. Point well taken regarding Colby (and most recently they also got the pandemic bounce in applications we saw in other ‘most selective’ institutions). It is an open question as to how many of our applicants are drawn by our LAC descriptor. Our significant overlap schools (by USN&WR) are BC, Fordham, Providence College and UMass. Colby, on the other hand, significantly overlaps with Bowdoin, Brown, Dartmouth and Middlebury. Just something I’ve found interesting.
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Post by higheredguy on Apr 29, 2021 7:53:48 GMT -5
I'm hoping they bring someone from the outside who has a proven track record of increasing apps from a LAC. Colby has had large success with rapid increase in apps. Point well taken regarding Colby (and most recently they also got the pandemic bounce in applications we saw in other ‘most selective’ institutions). It is an open question as to how many of our applicants are drawn by our LAC descriptor. Our significant overlap schools (by USN&WR) are BC, Fordham, Providence College and UMass. Colby, on the other hand, significantly overlaps with Bowdoin, Brown, Dartmouth and Middlebury. Just something I’ve found interesting. This is an important point you draw out that needs paying attention to. HC is a LAC but the data shows that we're not getting LAC oriented applicants as much as other LACS. I think its an opening for HC to market itself as a unique LAC that offers a rigorous undergrad focused education. I'm also surprised we don't see overlap with other Patriot League schools. I'm hopeful that with the new hire in Cornell LeSane and whoever replaces McDermott sees the opportunity and goes after it.
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Post by hcpride on Apr 29, 2021 14:22:34 GMT -5
Point well taken regarding Colby (and most recently they also got the pandemic bounce in applications we saw in other ‘most selective’ institutions). It is an open question as to how many of our applicants are drawn by our LAC descriptor. Our significant overlap schools (by USN&WR) are BC, Fordham, Providence College and UMass. Colby, on the other hand, significantly overlaps with Bowdoin, Brown, Dartmouth and Middlebury. Just something I’ve found interesting. This is an important point you draw out that needs paying attention to. HC is a LAC but the data shows that we're not getting LAC oriented applicants as much as other LACS. I think its an opening for HC to market itself as a unique LAC that offers a rigorous undergrad focused education. I'm also surprised we don't see overlap with other Patriot League schools. I'm hopeful that with the new hire in Cornell LeSane and whoever replaces McDermott sees the opportunity and goes after it. It is an interesting situation in that kids who want to study the Liberal Arts and want a Catholic School have several options in the Northeast: BC, Fordham, Providence College, and Holy Cross for example. When one points out to the prospective students that undergraduate liberal arts is all we do and is our focus and distinguishes us from the other three, I am not sure a critical mass of kids would see that as the reason to pick HC from the group. Of course some would, but many others might see that as a limiting rather than enhancing characteristic. Now off to fantasyland: One interesting niche would have been to get in the NESCAC long ago. Our distinguishing characteristic amongst so many prestigious LACs would be that we are a Catholic school. So, if you want NESCAC quality and you want Catholic, here we are.
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 29, 2021 17:48:50 GMT -5
Is the pool of applicants who want a four year liberal arts education that ends with being well qualified for graduate school but without a hard credential that can be put right to work, expanding or contracting?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Apr 29, 2021 18:03:10 GMT -5
Is the pool of applicants who want a four year liberal arts education that ends with being well qualified for graduate school but without a hard credential that can be put right to work, expanding or contracting? the cost of four years of undergraduate education is such that many, if not most, seek employment before moving on to a graduate degree. the exceptions I think would be graduate degrees in a field that is in high demand, where the graduate can count on big bucks at his/her first job.
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Post by purplehaze on Apr 29, 2021 18:09:58 GMT -5
I have no knowledge of the reasons for Ann’s retirement but I’m thinking it’s not coincidental with our new president’s arrival - this is a crucial position and he deserves to have his own ‘cabinet’
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 29, 2021 18:17:12 GMT -5
I'm sure she was glad to fall on her sword for Vince.
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Post by hcpride on Apr 29, 2021 18:46:06 GMT -5
Is the pool of applicants who want a four year liberal arts education that ends with being well qualified for graduate school but without a hard credential that can be put right to work, expanding or contracting? That is a good question. And I don't know the answer to it but... I think we sometimes make the mistake of forgetting excellent liberal arts educations are available at Catholic schools that do not exclusively focus on the liberal arts. It certainly would be a nice advantage for Holy Cross if that were not the case (so the brightest kids looking for liberal arts in a good Catholic school would pretty much have to head our way).
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on May 9, 2021 5:54:39 GMT -5
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Post by newfieguy74 on May 9, 2021 7:57:26 GMT -5
I read these statistics and think many things. One of them is: HC needs a much bigger endowment.
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Post by Crucis#1 on May 9, 2021 8:19:24 GMT -5
Also an enhanced and continuing evolving curriculum and majors that will attract new students.
It is not the 1960’s, and as much as many yearn for the nostalgia of their years on Mt.St.James, those days are long past, and that pattern and thoughts are not necessarily seen as attractive course of studies for students born in the 21st Century.
HC must be innovative in offerings and marketing to attract the best and brightest and seek students from previously untapped sources as well as traditional schools that have sent generations to study at HC.
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Post by newfieguy74 on May 9, 2021 8:32:28 GMT -5
Also an enhanced and continuing evolving curriculum and majors that will attract new students. It is not the 1960’s, and as much as many yearn for the nostalgia of their years on Mt.St.James, those days are long past, and that pattern and thoughts are not necessarily seen as attractive course of studies for students born in the 21st Century. HC must be innovative in offerings and marketing to attract the best and brightest and seek students from previously untapped sources as well as traditional schools that have sent generations to study at HC. I totally agree. And this isn't compromising anything that's good about HC. It's making HC a stronger, better, and more attractive school. The pride that alums feel will only be enhanced.
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Post by hcpride on May 9, 2021 9:08:15 GMT -5
Also an enhanced and continuing evolving curriculum and majors that will attract new students. It is not the 1960’s, and as much as many yearn for the nostalgia of their years on Mt.St.James, those days are long past, and that pattern and thoughts are not necessarily seen as attractive course of studies for students born in the 21st Century. HC must be innovative in offerings and marketing to attract the best and brightest and seek students from previously untapped sources as well as traditional schools that have sent generations to study at HC. Agree with all of that - that is the path to recovering our past academic reputation and ensuring future success for HC. As painful as it is to say (and as much as this is a gross oversimplification), right now we are selling something that many of the best and brightest students considering Catholic schools don't really want. The students who know of HC know we are a strictly undergraduate and strictly liberal arts college. We can't really change the first part but we must calibrate the second. (Turning up the already high volume on our Catholic faith and social justice tendencies is certainly all well and good but not necessarily germane or even helpful in the context of attracting the best and brightest, recovering our academic reputation, and ensuring future success for HC.)
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