The Zinch Report

Gonzaga University is another school that has discovered Zinch.com this summer. Yesterday I chatted with Julie McCulloh, Dean of Admissions at Gonzaga. Julie shared some insights and examples from Gonzaga that will benefit any student gearing up for college admissions process. For this reason, and for the fact that Adam Morrison and his crustache, I mean mustache, came to fame at Gonzaga, I’d like to share a few pieces of our conversation...

What misconceptions do students commonly have about the college admissions process?

Some students will assume, ‘you [the college] review holistically, so test scores don’t matter, right?’ Or, they’ll ask, ‘should I take 4 AP courses my senior year?’ The point is that they are making broad assumptions about schools before doing research. This can hinder a student in the college admissions process. You need to know the school and see the big picture. There are so many different schools. They need to look at websites, gather information, and begin asking questions.

Here’s another thing… when we ask the supplemental questions through the Common App (Gonzaga uses the Common App exclusively), some students think this doesn’t really matter. On the contrary, a really well done short answer can have a huge impact. Here’s an example- one student wrote about the impact his mother had on his life. The father had passed away, so the student’s mother shouldered a heavy load in the home. It was great- good use of words, really moving actually, and his writing left a great impression on us. I thought, ‘this kid is so grounded, empathetic and grateful.’ His other choice could have been to be really ticked off. But he wasn’t. It was really moving. On the flip side, I see some kids using text messaging language in this short answer section. This is a college application, not a casual conversation with a friend. You can see that by giving thought and attention to the short answer can make a big difference.

What do you look for in a student?

You know… I’m looking for engaged students. I’m looking for students interested in life; students that are engaged in their academics. We want to see that they’re involved in things outside of school. Now maybe that‘s work, maybe it’s a sport or hobby. The point is I want to see them taking pride in whatever they are doing. Not just going through the motions but having passion. We’re looking for an engaged student body at Gonzaga; this means we need engaged individuals. I love students who are in the process of becoming something more. I don’t like the idea of any school in the country looking for a perfect student. I want kids interested in finding a place to continue to grow. These are engaged students.

Any memorable stories from a student’s application that circulate your office?

Yeah, one comes to mind. It‘s kinda funny now that I think back on it. In the context of our school, I thought it was poor judgment. Another school may have liked it, but for a school like ours, it didn’t work. In his essay he detailed an ‘urban assault’ at Christmas. He didn’t want us to see him as just a brilliant kid- he wanted us to see his funny side. He talks about how they went through his city and with his friends took Christmas stuff from people’s lawns and rearranged them. He led his friends in the attack by giving the orders. They, for example, would arrange reindeer in sexual positions. Sharing this with us, let alone the act itself, was risky. You’re talking to a Jesuit school that emphasizes community. I mean what are the parents going to tell their kids when they wake up in the morning and see their Christmas décor arranged like this? We waitlisted the kid. His mom called with concern, actually sharing that we were their ‘safe school’ and checking to see if he had been waitlisted. I thought the essay was in poor taste and lacking judgment. I’ve read some hysterically funny essays. But in this college essay I wasn’t feeling it.

(My Note) If I can give my 2 cents here… the point in all this is not as simple as ‘don’t be risky.’ There is a difference in risk and calculated risk. A difference for risk for the sake of risk and risk as a byproduct of showing your true colors. A difference between a large state school and a Jesuit school. I will say this- I thought the kid’s urban assault was funny- but I hear a lot of funny stories- they’re just not necessarily from someone’s college essay!

What contemporary issues do you see in college admissions?

I personally am really struggling whether we at Gonzaga should have a recruiting presence on social networking sites. I think that really is their space, and I don’t want to intrude. But some graduates are saying we should. I haven’t done anything yet, but I know some of our younger folks are encouraging it. Maybe at the NACAC National Conference this fall I can get better guidance. One of the things I like about Zinch is that kids know they are looking for a school when they create their profile. It captures some of the good content associated with social networking, but we can use it without feeling like we’re ‘coming in the back door.’ The question in all this is, ‘how do you get into this generation’s life appropriately.’

The second thing is access. We need to find ways to be more accessible. Colleges need to become involved in getting the word out to at-risk students that they should and can attend college.

What appeals to you about Zinch?

I like the idea that students can say to us ‘we’re interested in you.’ I’ve downloaded these kids and have them on our premier mailing list. And vice versa, we’re trying to build our engineering program here at Gonzaga. I can reach out to students that we think would be good candidates because Zinch information is comprehensive. Zinch provides me an opportunity to ask questions.

The other question we’ve had is ‘what if some high schools are really big on Zinch?’ We’ve thought of alerting kids through Zinch of our visits. This way we can make the most out of our state and high school visits.

It’s been really fun. It actually gives an avenue where students are saying, ‘we want to be contacted in this context.’ It’s working with kids on a level and through a medium they’re comfortable with.

What parting advice do you have for students in the admissions process?

Take your time with your application. I can speak for Gonzaga- the applications are read, several times, carefully… the hard work put in will be valued. If it’s done quickly that’s noticed too. Be real, take time and know that it will be appreciated.

So there you go. btw- we have some more art going up in our office. it's still under construction, but i'll post it when it's completed. And a disclaimer on the reindeer. Zinch does not promote, encourage, or participate in the obnoxious rearranging of holiday decor, especially animals. But if we witness this in our neighborhoods, or yours, we may blog about it.