Clubs

In the last column we learned some of the ways clubs support the College financially. As the college admissions season approaches again, we should note another important club activity that supports the College: interviewing prospective students. The Admissions Office has alumni district enrollment directors (DEDs) throughout the world who coordinate recruitment and interviewing of candidates for Dartmouth. Most DEDs work closely with their local clubs.

Interviewing applicants is a great excuse for alumni to get together and share their love of the College. You meet some incredibly interesting young people who are involved in a great variety of activities. It is especially rewarding to have interviewed a student who is accepted, attends Dartmouth and then returns to the area to become an active member of your club. "I like bragging about the College and telling people how wonderful it is," said Jody Warden '89, who has interviewed applicants from Minnesota high schools for several years. She also thinks that her input in the admissions process will "insure that it stays wonderful." For Aaron Larson '97, "It's fun to see the candidates' nervous excitement and remember back when I was in their shoes. It's fun to see them squirm a little bit during the interview!" Last year 5,768 candidates had an alumni interview, according to the Admissions Office. Amazingly, there are a number of clubs—thanks to the organizational efforts of their DEDs, who are listed here with their respective clubs—that managed to interview 100 percent of the applicants from their area. This is a monumental task and can be achieved only through a large group of very enthusiastic local alumni. The honor roll includes (with apologies to anyone I have omitted): Central Massachusetts, Charles Gordon '55; Greater Boston, Andrea Lordan '86 and Susan Green Spagnola '80; Cape Cod, Francis "Howie" Howland '57; Eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut, Gabrielle Guise '85; Fairfield County, Connecticut, William Carney '75; Suburban New Jersey, Richard Kaiser '66; Delaware, Richard Diver '83; Maryland James Goodrich '87; Central Virginia, John Sharer '72; Charlotte, North Carolina, Cynthia Smith Wilson '88; Sarasota, R. David Bustard '68; Dayton, John Bullock 65; Dallas, Kimberly O'Hare Gleason '90; Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Lisa Mortell '95; Tucson, James Byers '66; and Oregon, Doug Adams '59. Several of these regions had nearly 100 applicants, and the clubs get almost as many alumni involved in the process.

Associate director of admissions and alumni liaison Kiyoe Hashimoto '95 says the alumni interview reports give her office a broader picture of the candidate: We have a lot of objective information, but it is helpful to read about the impression the candidate made on the alumni during the interview." A good report will go beyond merely listing classes and activities to describe why the student pursued certain interests and give the Admissions Office a sense of "who the person is." Clubs also host admissions officers when they visit high schools in the clubs area, represent Dartmouth at college fairs and traditionally hold receptions in April of each year for local students accepted by the College. Of course these activities also provide another excuse for alumni to get together and share their Dartmouth bond. If you are interested in enrollment activities, contact your local club or the Admissions Office in Hanover to be put in touch with the DED in your area. A directory of clubs is being published in this issue of the DartmouthAlumni Magazine (see page 86). Finally, on the subject of alumni gathering, all club officers should reserve March 1-3,2002, for the annual Club Officers Weekend in Hanover. Future columns will provide details of the program.

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