What happens in an admission office in August? Well, quite a bit, actually. We're gearing up for the start of the recruiting season, but still coping with all the visitor traffic of summer. Last Friday, for example, we had 60 people coming for the 1:30 pm information session, 55 for the 2 pm tour, half a dozen interviews booked . . . it's pretty hopping here, and seems even more so since our lobby is the size of a postage stamp. Nash Witkin, our full-time summer tour guide, is working hard not only with tours, but also greeting visitors, giving directions, and helping with mailings. Thank you, Nash. You are awesome!
In addition to planning our travel for the fall (22 states, 6 staff members, less than 2 months -- yipes!), there are a few early trips that happen during August: Claremont College Receptions, East Coast college fairs, China, and India (Peter and Thyra are doing the bulk of this, but Raissa put in two weeks in New England earlier this summer). I just got back from a quick trip to New Hampshire -- I helped out with an essay panel for the Thai Scholars. We have two Thai Scholars already on our campus (you might have read about Anak on our website earlier this year, and Jeep has completely embraced the alternative-wheeled-vehicle culture on our campus: first unicycling, now freelining) and two more enrolling this fall, so this is a program that is important to Mudd. I already knew this group of Thai Scholars would be crazy smart -- these are students who have won full scholarships from the government or other major institutions like banks, etc., to study abroad through the PhD/graduate school level, with the understanding that they will return to Thailand and use their education to better the country -- but I was equally impressed by the level of critical analysis these students were able to bring to the college essay process. They (metaphorically) tore apart the sample essays, and were able to pinpoint all of the many things that could be improved. I've done many essay workshops, and this was the first where the participants didn't vote to admit all the mock applicants. It was entertaining to work with such tough critics for a change! I'm not sure I was able to contribute anything these students didn't already know intuitively, but it was great to meet the Thai Scholars as a group before they're parcelled off to boarding schools across the country for a postgrad year.
But after four flights, much driving, and three days with no vegetables, I'm exhausted. Time to rest up before travel season starts in earnest in September.
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