This year's record application numbers come as encouraging news in the face of the nation's economic woes and the impending cuts to the College's budget ("College receives record number of applications," Jan. 15). While it has become clear that we will have to sacrifice many of the luxuries to which we have become accustomed in our time at Dartmouth, the College's standing as a top-tier institution with the power to attract a talented and competitive applicant pool appears as yet unaffected.
If the College is to continue attracting such a large and accomplished group of prospective students, however, we must be conscious of the costs inherent in maintaining our appeal -- the strength of this year's admissions numbers are in no small part the result of the College's recently expanded financial aid program. According to Dean of Admissions Maria Laskaris, "Dartmouth and other members of the Ivy League that have 'all significantly enhanced [their] financial aid institutions'" should expect to continue receiving high applicant turnout in the coming year. "[Colleges] that have tuitions similar to those in the Ivy League, 'but don't have the strength of our financial aid,'" on the other hand, will likely experience a drop in applications, Laskaris said. Preserving our financial aid program is a necessity for maintaining Dartmouth's drawing power.
Unfortunately, though, at the time when we most need to maintain external support for financial aid, it seems that our resources may be at risk; though the College's capital campaign is currently ahead of schedule, fundraising seems likely to face obstacles in the coming months.
The Dartmouth College Fund, a reserve of ready-to-spend money, meanwhile, has seen a significant reduction in alumni donations over the course of the past year ("Fundraising has 'mixed results'," Jan. 15). The Fund's web site explains that it helps to "advance the Dartmouth Experience," of which financial aid accounts for nearly a fifth.
If alumni continue to cut back on giving, and both funds continue to falter, other aspects of the often-touted "Dartmouth Experience" will have to see additional cuts in order to avoid sacrifices in financial aid.
To reiterate, we do not believe that cutting financial aid is an option. Fortunately, it does not appear that College President James Wright or Board of Trustees Chairman Ed Haldeman '70 does either.
Furthermore, we understand that the current state of the economy is such that alumni, and not just the administration, feel pressure to tighten their belts. Cuts in operating costs can only be made up to a point, however, before the quality of the academic experience at Dartmouth truly begins to suffer.
We hope that the College and its alumni can work together to put the Dartmouth College Fund and the capital campaign back on track, despite the ongoing economic distress.
