By Joy Li ’18
With the Class of 2020 heading to campus in just a few weeks, the end of another admission cycle provides an opportunity to recognize an indispensible part of the process: CC admission fellows. They are a group of current students who are not only passionate about the college, but also have a thorough and insightful understanding of CC’s unique culture.
This summer, the admission fellows are working diligently to make a difference on campus by helping to recruit students for the Class of 2021. They participate in the admission process by conducting interviews with prospective students, leading information sessions and campus tours, organizing open houses, and compiling the new class profile, along with other duties supporting staff on projects within the Office of Admission.
“The admission fellows bring us a current perspective; they help us find out what we have to do in the admission process to best convey the current climate of CC to prospective students,” says Ryan Walsh, senior assistant director in the Office of Admission and director of the admission fellows program. He says that because the admission fellows are chosen as representatives of CC’s student body, they are from very different backgrounds, and participate in a variety of aspects of CC. They act as a bridge between the Office of Admission and current students, and show that students also play a role in connecting new students with the campus.
“The job of an admission fellow should be changing all the time depending on what we need on campus,” says admission fellow Michael Wu ’17, who is an international student from China. This year has brought changes to the role of admission fellow: the fellows’ interviewing methods have completely transformed, shifting from standard questions that focus on academics and extracurricular activities to questions about students’ perspectives on critical issues in the community. Admission fellow Maya Williamson ’17 indicated that the shift in interviewing format provides a more comprehensive understanding of what students will bring to CC. “We need to find students who are willing to take responsibility for themselves and the community,” says Williamson.
The high degree of professionalism required as an admission fellow also prepares the students for future career challenges. During the summer, they work regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are required to dress professionally at work. “You don’t get the internship feeling here. We’re not making copies of things. What we’re doing actually makes a difference,” says admission fellow Will Baird ’17.
