For the third year in a row, and even before final figures are in, the MHC Office of Admission is reporting a record-breaking year for applications. According to Diane Anci, dean of admission, as of January 30, the numbers were up from 2,545 to 2,825, an increase of more than 10 percent over last year's figures on same date. ALANA (African American, Latina, Asian American, and Native American) applications show the most significant rise, with an increase of 40 percent over last year.

Anci attributes the increases to expanded efforts to “get the message out about the power and prestige of a Mount Holyoke education.” She praises the hard work of the ALANA outreach team and credits the newly designed viewbook produced by the Office of Communications, as well as the College's decision, announced in May 2000, to make SATs optional for MHC applicants. Another successful new recruitment tool included popular “chat events” on the Web, hosted by the College several times during the year, during which prospective students and parents asked questions of MHC admission representatives about everything from financial aid and requirements for majors to the quality of dorm life and the nature of New England weather. Prospective students were also able to communicate among themselves about their plans, anxieties, and hopes regarding the MHC experience.

Among the ALANA applicants, African American submissions were up 65 percent, Latina were up 42 percent, Native American applications doubled, and Asian applications were up 22 percent. Anci says the numbers are a clear reflection of the successful efforts of the ALANA recruitment team. “We went from one coordinator to a team approach,” says Anci. “The team's creativity and outreach made a significant difference.” That team, which includes three assistant directors of admission, Giulietta Aquino, Johanna Gomez, and Debbie McCain Wesley, coordinated outreach events with the help of a large group of students. Anci notes that the group planned a particularly dynamic Spotlight program for prospective students in October, and that, for the first time, the College helped defray the costs of transportation to the event. “Clearly, all the hard work and incredible efforts of this team have paid off,” she says.

MHC's new and innovative viewbook has also caught the attention of prospective students. The redesigned publication uses a magazine format to convey that MHC is a hip and venerable place, utilizing high-tech graphics and cinematic-style photographic imagery to underscore messages about the vitality and quality of campus life. “Students have been quoting the viewbook in their applications, which is pretty unusual,” says Anci.

As for the College's new SAT policy, Anci notes that the decision to make the scores optional has been “incredibly well received by guidance counselors, students, and their teachers,” and that policy is very likely a factor in the rise in applications this year. But she is quick to note that this year's applicants are the first to respond to the option, and its full impact is yet to be determined.

In general, says Anci, the College has a “very comprehensive, creative, and interactive recruitment program.” The Senior Fellow Interview Program, which began in the spring of 1999, has been another instrumental component. “Our trained student interviewers have the ability to give prospective students a very important perspective,” Anci points out. “They provide an up-close-and-personal view of the Mount Holyoke experience, which is very compelling for prospective students.”

The Office of Admission staff and MHC alumnae participated in hundreds of college fairs last year and visited more than 750 schools in the United States and overseas. Targeted mailings helped focus attention on important geographical areas, such as densely populated areas of the Mid-Atlantic, Western, and New England states.

“It is clear that Mount Holyoke has heightened its visibility in the educational market,” says Jane Brown, vice president for enrollment and College relations “The admission and financial assistance offices are doing a superb job working with prospective students, and College-wide programming efforts such as Take the Lead are establishing strong messages with both educators and the public. This year's robust applicant pool will help us continue to make gains in selectivity and to increase the diversity in the class.”