Chair Lisa Cloitre ’94, ’02Tu, welcomed the committee and councilors introduced themselves. Dean of admissions and financial aid Maria Laskaris ’84 described the aspects around which the admissions office is organized; alumni, athletics, communications and publications, evaluation, international, outreach, technology, travel and recruitment, and visitor relations. There are 17 admissions officers. Subgroups of admissions include communications, travel, visitor relations, outreach, and evaluation. Efforts have targeted more specific recruitment, with a significant investment in technology. Dartmouth has partnered with Princeton, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and UC Berkeley for admissions travel and presentations nationwide.
Laskaris provided the Class of 2017 profile. Total applicants number 22,428; 2,339 were admitted and 1,117 enrolled. Yield is identical to last year, as is the strength and diversity of the pool. The alumni interview and peer evaluation continue to play important roles in the admissions process. While the U.S. Supreme Court decision handed down in the Texas vs. Fischer case maintained that race/ethnicity may still be used as a factor in admissions, the office continues to consider viable “race-neutral” alternatives.
Erin Clark, senior assistant director of financial aid, provided an overview of the financial aid process. This is divided into need analysis: aid packaging, appeals, federal processing, and endowed scholarship naming. Forty-seven percent of the Class of 2017 receives aid, and the average scholarship is $42,692. Dartmouth is committed to need-blind admissions, including for international students.
Isabel Bober ‘04, associate director of admissions, gave an update on the alumni interviewing process. Key survey findings helped clearly define program goals and institute changes. Best practices have been reaffirmed and new location restrictions and eligibility guidelines distributed to alumni interviewers. Bober encouraged committee members to sign up as alumni interviewers, if they have not already. The Enrollment and Admissions Committee also encouraged all alumni councilors to sign-up as alumni interviewers and to share their feedback on new interviewing guidelines and best practices with the committee or the admissions office.