College admissions leaders visit RE

1/18/2018

College admissions leaders from five highly regarded institutions – American, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Vassar – addressed juniors and parents during engaging sessions in the morning and evening on Jan. 18. The college representatives weighed in on various aspects of the college application and offered an insider's view of the admission process.

The annual College Dean Symposium is designed to provide juniors and RE parents insight from colleges and universities large and small, surrounded by major cities or small college towns, and located in different parts of the nation.

Dr. Andrea Felder from American University, Bryce Gilfillian from Harvard, Ellen Kim from Johns Hopkins, André E. Phillips from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Art Rodriguez of Vassar met with juniors only during an in-school assembly and later with those same juniors and parents from all grades.

During both sessions at the Lewis Family Auditorium, the panelists noted that test scores are only a piece of the admissions puzzle; in fact, in the case of American University, test scores are an optional part of a student's application. The panelists said they review the full application to identify students who will "fit" their campuses: thrive, enjoy the experience and contribute meaningfully to campus life.

They urged students to research schools using all available tools – from campus visits to school websites to meetings with their school counselors. That research, they said, would help students not only focus their searches but also explain in their applications why they represent a good "fit" for their preferred insitutions.

They advised families to support – not badger – their children during what can be a stressful application process, and to trust the school's college counseling team.

The admissions leaders also met with RE's faculty on Jan. 19, engaging them in a fruitful discussion about teacher recommendations, their role in the process, and what important information about students should be conveyed in their letters.

Director of College Counseling Marty Elkins moderated the evening session. She was joined by the rest of the college counseling team: Blair Betts, Roger Caron, Lindsey Wagner and William Tran.

Meet the panelists:

Dr. Andrea Felder is the Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Admissions at American University in Washington D.C. Dr. Felder is responsible for developing and executing the recruitment and admission efforts of first-year and transfer applicants to the university. She has over 17 years of admissions experience, having worked closely with first-year, transfer and international students in her previous roles at the University of Florida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Felder earned her BA in International Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, and her MA in Education and Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University.

Bryce Gilfillian is the Senior Admissions Officer and Director of the Admissions Alumni/ae Network at Harvard College. Originally from rural Texas, Mr. Gilfillian grew up working on his family's farm before attending Harvard, graduating in 2012 with a BA in history. During his time in admissions since 2012, Mr. Gilfillian has also earned a master's degree in Education Policy and Non-Profit Management from the Harvard School of Education. He has managed college tour guides, campus visit weekends and digital communications, and served as a liaison with the Dean of Arts and Humanities.

Ellen Kim is the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Johns Hopkins University. She provides strategic oversight for the recruitment and selection of first-year and transfer students to the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering. She also manages the communications, visitors’ center, and admissions counseling teams as a part of the broader Homewood Student Affairs division at Hopkins. Ms. Kim previously served as the Vice Dean of Strategic Planning for the Undergraduate Admissions Office at the University of Pennsylvania. She also managed admissions operations for Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Ms. Kim completed her BA at the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in social service administration from the University of Chicago.

Art Rodriguez oversees the areas of admissions, financial aid, student employment and student accounts at Vassar College. Since starting at Vassar in 2014, Mr. Rodriguez has continued the college’s effort at expanding the socioeconomic diversity of the student body and increasing access for low-income students. Prior to joining Vassar, Mr. Rodriguez was Director of Admissions at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. He also served as Director of Multicultural Affairs at his alma mater, Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. He currently holds a position on the College Board’s Counseling and Admissions Assembly Committee. He has also previously served on advisory committees for the National Association for College Admission Counseling; The Common Application; the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success; the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE); and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Mr. Rodriguez earned a BA from Carleton College and an EdM from Harvard University.

André E. Phillips is the Director of the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mr. Philips previously served as the Senior Associate Director in the admissions office at Wisconsin and then as Interim Director before his permanent appointment eight months ago. He held prior leadership appointments at the University of Chicago and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Mr. Phillips serves as the chief designer of local, national, and international recruitment strategy at UW-Madison, overseeing 65 full-time team members who recruit, evaluate, process and admit the enrolling class each year. Mr. Phillips received his bachelor’s degree in social work from the Loyola University of Chicago. He also attended the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago.

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