May 12–14, 2016

Committee Chair Kim Buresh ’90 opened the session with a welcome and an introduction of the five District Enrollment Directors (DEDs) in attendance: Ish McLaughlin ’88, Andy Thompson ’89, Damian DiCostanzo ’78, Nigel Ekern ’87, and Alex Judson ’14. Kim then asked councilors to introduce themselves.

Paul Sunde, director of admissions and interim dean of admissions and financial aid, provided an overview of the Class of 2020. 20,675 students applied, 2,176 were admitted (10.5 percent admit rate) and 1,157 matriculated (53 percent yield). More than 92 percent of the Class of 2020 was in the top decile of their high school (up two points from the prior year) and standardized testing measures increased as well.

Meg Lysy ’99, director of the admissions ambassador program, and Will Corbett ’10, senior assistant director of admissions, discussed the program and the key strategies that have been put into place since the Admissions and Alumni Relations partnership began in 2014. The number of active interviewers is now at 5,400, a 51 percent increase from 2014; the number of submitted interviews grew to 14,445, a 29 percent increase; and the number of supported admitted student events around the country and abroad reached 40, an increase of 233 percent. A new virtual district, created and led by Alex Judson ’14, allowed interviews of an additional 358 applicants in hard-to-reach areas through online interviews.

The historic yield of 53 percent for the Class of 2020 may have been supported in part by the successes of the alumni outreach. All ambassadors were asked to reach out to admitted students, welcome them to the Dartmouth family, and answer their questions. Forty admitted student events were held across the U.S., as well as in London, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. The yield of students who attended an admitted student event was 68 percent. The yield on students who attended Dimensions in addition to an admitted student event was 75 percent.

In conclusion, Kim Buresh ’90 was thanked for her strong leadership of the Enrollment and Admissions Committee. John Banks ’90 will serve as the new chair of the committee, and Ben Schwartz ’06 was elected to be the next vice chair.