Process Varies Among Louisiana's College Recruiters

IMG_0046

The college application process has long been regarded as one of the most challenging and stressful periods of time for high school students. Imagine if you had to do it every year, all year.

For Louisiana’s college recruiters, the process is a year-round undertaking, with the job changing from season to season.

Fall is spent traveling to high schools around the state, while winter involves reading through applications and making decisions. Even summers are busy, with time being spent helping the incoming freshmen transition into their first college year.

Though the admissions process really begins for students sometime during their junior year, the recruiters start much earlier. Starting freshman or sophomore year of high school, many recruiters begin making that first connection with their possible future students.

“We start communicating with students early – we like to get our name out there and give them information before they really have to start thinking about anything seriously,” says Valerie Calenda, Tulane’s Associate Director of Admission.

This early communication can also benefit the student, allowing them to start their own planning and application process.

“The earlier a student applies and completes their admissions application, the earlier he or she will receive an admissions decision,” says Loyola New Orleans’ Associate Director for Marketing and Communications Emily Bomersback.

Since each student comes with a different background and expectation for their college experience, recruiters work hard to look for students that will not only contribute to their communities, but gain from them as well. Loyola’s Western Regional Representative Michael Decker says, “My goal… is to see that they enjoy their time on campus and after graduation say, ‘That was the best four years of my life.’”

Bomersback agrees that finding students that will fit in at the school is an important but challenging task, and that it is worth it to work closely with them to make sure they know what they are getting into.

Recruiters within Louisiana often work in specific geographic sections, with most dedicating themselves to students in a small section of the state, in order to give those students appropriate time and attention.

Schools like UNO and Loyola assign around 2 to 3 counselors to all of the West Coast, while assigning anywhere from 5 to 8 to Louisiana alone.

In-state students applying to many of Louisiana’s schools often have a leg up on the competition, with special visitation days dedicated just to them. Tulane hosts a couple tours every year, offering in-state high school students the opportunity to meet with admissions and see the campus.

This might seem unfair to some, but Calenda believes it is a good way to motivate possible students.

“Unfortunately many of the ACT and SAT scores from within the state are quite low so it’s a way to give possible students a chance to come and experience our campus,” she says.

Many Louisiana universities also offer prestigious scholarships tailored specifically to in-state high-schoolers, like the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), as well as their own grants and awards.

Tulane’s John Hainkel Louisiana Scholars Award is one of the highest one can receive at the school, awarded only to two Louisiana freshmen and covering tuition, fees, room and board, and the cost of books and supplies.

At Loyola, Decker insists that in-state students go through the same process and face the same challenges as out-of-state ones.

“Most high school students have the same questions and concerns, so our recruitment process is similar (in-state and out-of-state),” he says.

While each university may tweak its process to appeal to its ideal student, at the end of the day, every recruiter has the same goal – to find students that will benefit from and share with the university’s environment.

Says Bomersback, “College is about personal exploration… discovering what your unique contribution to the world will be. I firmly believe there’s no better place to do this than New Orleans.”