Profiling an Alumnae/i Admissions Volunteer

By Sarah E. Brown ’09

Club Brewer spoke to Associate Director of Admissions Pamela Tan about what it means to be an admissions volunteer for Vassar College.

Did you know that 7,361 applicants vied for 640 places in the Class of 2012?

Being an admissions volunteer is a wonderful way to support Vassar’s presence throughout the United States and abroad. Many alumnae/i have felt as though their opinion and written report was not taken into consideration after interviewing students for the college. We spoke to Associate Director of Admissions Pamela Tan to help answer some of your questions and find out exactly what your role is as an admissions volunteer and how important the interview really is.

Club Brewer: Is the interview mandatory for applicants?
Pamela Tan: For applicants to Vassar, interviews are optional. It would be unfair to make it mandatory, since there are many more applicants than alumnae/i interviewers available to interview them, and statistics show that first generation college students are less likely to request an interview.

CB: What is the purpose of the interview?
PT: The interview is more like a conversation, and is meant to be more informative than evaluative. “The interview provides a great opportunity for students to learn more about Vassar from a different perspective.” Alumnae/i are encouraged to share information about their Vassar major, their job, volunteer commitments, or other interests. They provide a crucial human presence to the application process, and gain valuable information about the student’s interest in Vassar, which they are then able to share with the Office of Admission.

CB: Why didn’t Vassar listen to my recommendation?
PT: Because alumnae/i interviewers do not (for confidentiality reasons) receive additional information on the candidate (e.g., academic transcripts, standardized test scores), the purpose of the interview is not to determine whether or not the applicant is academically prepared for Vassar, but to learn more about the student’s interest in Vassar. It is also difficult, because of the extremely high volume of highly qualified applicants, for an interviewer to assess where any one student falls on the overall scale of candidates. The value of the interview report submitted for the candidate’s file is to provide the Admissions Office with information that will help determine whether or not the student is a good match for Vassar. Any information on an applicant’s qualities that might raise a concern in the mind of the interviewer is helpful to the admissions officer reading that file.

CB: Do alumnae/i interviews make a difference?
PT: Absolutely. Alumnae/i volunteers provide a good way for the Office of Admission to get information about a student's level of interest in Vassar, as well as have a positive influence on a student’s decision whether to attend Vassar if accepted.

Here’s a sample of what some students have shared:

“My favorite part of the entire admission process was the interview. It was quite enjoyable, and I felt as if the interviewer was an old friend. The whole thing was about an hour long, but I could have talked with her for at least an hour more. In comparison with other interviews I had, Vassar’s interview was the best experience. Following the interview, I wanted to go to Vassar. I even received a congratulatory email after I was admitted.”

“The campus visit was what made me choose Vassar, plus the alumni interview. The interviewer was honestly excited about your school and seemed to actually want me to attend; it was a great feeling.”

For more information, or to sign up to be an alumnae/i admissions volunteer, visit the
Admissions Program website.