University of Notre Dame - Dome Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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WITH OPEN ARMS. Director of Admis- sions John Goldrick welcomes a prospec- tive applicant in an interview which is part of her campus visit . The question and answer period does not count in the evaluation of the applicant but mainly serves to inform the student. THE PAPER CHASE. Approximately 20,000 applications are sent out in re- sponse to requests from prospective ap- plicants. Admissions counselor Don Bishop evaluates some of the many ap- plications from his region. COMBING THE FILES. Reviewing the applicants ' files, Admissions counselor Josie Jeffries knows that only one in four has a chance of being admitted. STEPPIN ' OUT. Student tour guide Jeff Hanson leads a visiting applicant and her family around campus. Student tour guides offer insight and information con- cerning campus life and education. Application Process 19

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HARD TO GET IN Without A Thorough Evaluation A Practical Application I t ' s hard to be an admissions application in search of the ideal college . It ' s an existence that begins in the sweaty palms of an anxious high schooler who writes and rewrites until his whole life history is finally re- lived, edited and ultimately crammed onto an 8 by 11 form. Once signed and sealed, it ' s deliv- ered to an unknown entity whose job it is to determine the fate of it and thousands like it. The application is scrutinized by the applicant searching for typos and fretting that he ' s made the right impression. But while the efforts of the Dom- er-hopeful entail a great deal of time and soul-searching, the efforts of the Admissions Office, that unknown entity, are no less of a search. The search begins long before the March application deadline. The Admissions staff takes off in September and travels to assigned geographical regions TABLING THE MATTER. The Admis- sions staff consisting of Director John Goldrick, Pat Leonardo, Paul Peralta, Don Bishop, Alisa Hardiman and Fr. David Porterfield meet once a week to discuss special circumstances in appli- cants ' files. You want to be as careful as possible when you have the power to literally traumatize thousands of teenagers across the country. John Goldrick Director of Admissions throughout the fall. Counselors return to the same regions each year so that they are familiar with the curriculum, reputa- tions, faculties and financial levels of the various high schools in their regions. The search continues as the applicant endures the rigors of in-house evaluation. First, one member of the regional team studies the statistics such as the student ' s GPA, SAT, class rank, curriculum and extracurricu- lars. He then makes a decision to accept or reject. A second mem- ber of the same regional team re- peats that process. Finally, if the preliminary evaluators agree, John Goldrick reviews the appli- cant ' s file and sends off the in- famous letter which inspires the anxious lunchtime question over the school phone, Is it thick or thin? If the evaluators disagree or if Mr. Goldrick wants to dig deeper for some answers, the ap- plication is reviewed in a weekly staff meeting. This ensures that unique circumstances or special strengths in a student ' s charac- ter aren ' t overlooked because of a slight weakness in academics. Ultimately, then, although the journey of the application is long and tiring, and the worry and consideration of the applicant himself is great, the attention of that unknown entity is much more personal than some may think. Mr. Goldrick notes, Next to getting married, getting into college is the most traumatic event in a young person ' s life. You want to be as careful as possible when you have the pow- er to literally traumatize thousands of teenagers across the country. Jane Barber 18 Application Process

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HARD TO GET IN Without Financial Aid A Costly Decision W orking the slop line in North Dining Hall, monitoring O ' Shag computers, sporting that U.S. Army uniform, or spinning records in the Audio-Listening Center are all ways of paying tui- tion. But, no matter how often that uniform gets worn or those records get spun, the job of avoiding that pink slip from Father Cafarelli in Student Accounts is getting tougher and tougher. Joseph A. Russo, Director of Financial Aid, relayed that his job is also getting tougher. Budget slashings by the Reagan administration reduced the Uni- versity ' s lending power by 25%. Even though Notre Dame admin- isters $30 million in financial aid, this cannot begin to meet the needs for 75% of the students who apply. In fact, less than 5% can cover their college costs through grants, loans and wages from the work-study programs. Though most students seek sum- mer jobs, the rise in youth unem- ployment and in college costs puts many students into debt by as much as $14,000 at the time they graduate. Rather than limiting students to a borrow now, pay later program, the Federal Government subsidizes a work-study program which en- ables approximately 700 Domers to help themselves by working Some people make unbe- lievable sacrifices so their kids can come here. It ' s all part of that Notre Dame mystique and in the end that will save us. We ' re gon- na come out on top. Joseph A. Russo Director of Financial Aid an average 10-12 hours each week earning the minimum wage. Student Employment Director Joe Donovan gives first priority to those students who demon- strate financial need. In his view, the University offers some phe- nomenal jobs in terms of being useful research assistants, programmers. For these jobs, skill becomes the primary crite- rion. Some student employees dis- cover silver linings in their posi- tions. Freshman Elvia Egoavil enjoys staffing the library cir- culation desk, It ' s the greatest way to meet people, and it helps me learn to deal with the public. Students filling skilled positions, such as computer monitors or grading assistants, have an opportunity to apply what they ' ve learned in the classroom. JUST FOR THE RECORD. Senior Rose May is the work-study D.J. in the li- brary ' s Audio-Listening Center, spinning selections ranging from Pavarotti to Springsteen. The benefits of dining hall work are not so apparent; yet, Senior Liz Hellenhausen values the ex- perience. You talk to kids you normally would never meet. The scarcity of funds limits the ability of the Financial Aid Office to help even the truly needy. Officials must choose to give enough aid to some students and none to others, or to give a little to all and enough to none. Russo, however, insists, In the final analysis, I ' m an optimist. There are people out there who love Notre Dame applicants, alumni, donors and that ' s our hope. We ' ve never relied on the federal government as much as some schools, and we ' ve got a great tradition going for us. Some people make unbelievable sacrifices so their kids can come here. It ' s all part of that Notre Dame mystique and in the end that will save us. We ' re gonna come out on top. Mary Powel Jabaley Stacy Watson COMPUTER APPLICATIONS. As com- puter monitor in O ' Shag, Senior Barb Jaccodine utilizes her academic skills and earns tuition money while helping students to solve computer puzzles. 20 Work Study