Alums of the College fill admissions office
As applications for the Class of 2004 begin to filter into the admissions office, three members of the Class of 1999 -- in keeping with a long history of alumni serving as admissions officers -- will play a role in selecting Dartmouth's newest students. Out of the 13 alumni officers based in McNutt Hall, nine -- including new additions Stacey Morris '99, Landis Fryer '99 and Shauna Brown '99 -- are graduates of the College. According to the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Karl Furstenberg, the majority of admissions officers have always been Dartmouth graduates. In fact, four current officers began their careers as senior interviewers, a program Furstenberg established that enables Dartmouth seniors to interview and assess prospective students on campus. Though senior interviewers often have an edge in the application process to become an officer, it is not the only factor, Director of Admissions Maria Laskaris '84 said. When vacancies open up, the admissions office sends a notification to all graduating seniors. Fryer, who served as a senior interviewer last year, said he was excited when he received the notification. "I thought 'I know a lot about this, I could do a good job,'" he said. Laskaris also noted that precedence is not given to Dartmouth alumni in general. "In order for us to do a good job we need an admissions staff that represents a good deal of diversity," she said. However, most applications do come from Dartmouth alumni, Laskaris said.