Admissions Staff Underappreciated
Editor,
In response to Cathy Hwang’s article entitled “Admissions
Office Negligent, Vultures,” I do not feel that
it is Ms. Hwang’s place to criticize the Admissions
staff who accepted her application to Pomona College.
If I may, let me emphasize this point. They put faith
in a couple pieces of paper describing Ms. Hwang’s
high school career and decided that she was a worthy enough
candidate to attend this collegiate institution. Mr. Tremblay,
please reminder her of this.
The Admissions Day is very hectic for the Admissions
staff. They are limited in number, and they must be
able to register more than one hundred students in a
short period of time. As a member of the Class of 2005,
I also attended an admitted student’s introduction
to the college. I found the Admissions officers to be
informative, helpful and genuinely excited about the
new pool of students. I even remember one instance,
when I misplaced my Pomona College catalog. A senior
member of the Admissions staff ran back to the office
to fetch me a new one. In addition, they answered my
questions fully and encouraged further dialogue with
students, members of the faculty and deans.
I can only arrive at the conclusion that Ms. Hwang
is part of the elitist category which she describes.
Regardless of whether this is true or not, it is the
protruding vibe which emanates from the very beginning
of the article. She claims that she was only able to
speak to an Admissions officer when she approached one.
Members of the Admissions staff do not know how each
individual person explores new experiences. Some people
need time to absorb their surroundings. When I arrived
at the Admissions Day, I had only slept for five hours,
and I did not want to be bombarded with information
before I had a large cup of black coffee and a doughnut.
Seriously though, I wanted to explore the college through
my eyes, before asking questions. Other people dive
in and ask questions right away, so that they can become
acquainted with an institution through dialogue. Ms.
Hwang is probably member of this category.
Life is usually not handed out on a silver platter.
Even when it is, one probably does not want the generic
version. As Ms. Hwang astutely noted, Pomona students
are “a group of smart, multi-talented people.”
We explore beyond the generic.
The Admissions Staff have a difficult job and do not
deserve to be called “negligent,” or referred
to as “vultures.” Before critiquing a process
of which Ms. Hwang was a beneficiary, perhaps she should
examine the theory behind the Admissions process.
Very respectfully yours,
Alexander Cannon ‘05
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