The Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN)

1. The Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN) CAAAN Overview:An Introduction for New Volunteers September 2013

2. Using This Document It is intended for new CAAAN volunteers and those needing a refresher. It is available as .pps (PowerPoint slideshow) file containing clickable links. It can be used as a self-training file or used by chairs in broadcast mode. It can be edited by changing the file extension from .pps to .ppt. Please direct questions and comments to your CAAAN chair.

3. This Overview Covers… What is CAAAN? Roles of CAAAN volunteers CAAAN contact meetings Undergraduate admissions Financial aid

4. What Is CAAAN? • CAAAN is the “Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network” • Nearly 11,000 alumni volunteers worldwide • #1 Cornell alumni activity! • Organized into about 350 committees • Acts as an extension of the Undergraduate Admissions Office (UAO) to help with recruiting and yield efforts • Ambassadors for Cornell first, but also a resource for students and parents 4

5. CAAAN Mission • Assist Cornell Admissions community with freshman recruitment and enrollment • Promote Cornell University by serving as ambassadors throughout the world • Personalize the admissions process for freshman applicants • Engage CU alumni with future alumni

6. CAAAN Volunteers • Conduct informational contact meetings with applicants (not evaluative interviews) • Contacted over 20,500 freshman admission applicants in 2012-13 cycle (over 50% of the total applicant pool) • Submit informational contact reports that add depth/perspective to students’ applications • Represent Cornell at college fairs • Hold receptions for admitted applicants and summer sendoffs for entering students

7. The CAAAN Structure CAAAN Coordinator and CAAAN Assistant (Kyle Downey) (Colleen Chaffee) CAAAN Advisory Committee (‘C’AC) 350 committees led by experienced CAAAN volunteers Nearly 11,000 alumni ambassadors worldwide *The CAAAN Coordinator and CAAAN Assistant are employees of Cornell; all other positions listed above are held by volunteers. 7

8. Your CAAAN Chair • Is an experienced volunteer • Assigns and tracks applicant referrals • Is your first contact for questions and suggestions • Areas vary, but the average chair receives 100 referrals per year 8

9. CAAAN and Cornell Clubs • A CAAAN committee is often closely linked to a local Cornell Club • CAAAN chairs are frequently club officers • Cornell Clubs generously co-host and provide funding for many local CAAAN events each year

10. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Overview (1 of 2) • Contact Meetings help personalize the admissions process for Cornell applicants • Positive, informal, and informative meetings • Not evaluative interviews to assess worthiness of candidates for admission • Opportunities for applicants to learn more about the Cornell Experience and for Cornell to learn a bit more about its applicants, too

11. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Overview (2 of 2) • The core role of CAAAN volunteers • Provide info about Cornell • Answer applicant’s questions - research and follow-up after meeting, if necessary • Put a positive face on Cornell - bring in your own relevant CU experiences • Submit a report with info about the applicant • Focus on info not in the application • All reports are read by admissions

12. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Arranging the Meeting (1 of 3) • First contact should only be to arrange the meeting • Use phone and/or email • If calling the applicant, please be sure to call at an appropriate time of day – not too early in the morning or late in the evening • Arrange the meeting for a neutral location – one on one meetings in your home are not permitted • If no response, allow at least 2-3 days before attempting another contact 12

13. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Arranging the Meeting (2 of 3) • Meetings are optional for the applicant; if he/she is not interested in meeting just submit a contact report indicating that the applicant declined the meeting • If you are not able to make contact after the first attempt, try one more attempt via a different communication method and wait a few more days • If no response after two attempted contacts, submit a contact report indicating that he/she did not respond after two attempts

14. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Arranging the Meeting (3 of 3) • Your CAAAN chair emails you an applicant referral • Contact the applicant ASAP by email* and/or phone to arrange the meeting • Identify yourself as a Cornell alumni admissions ambassador • Explain the purpose of the meeting: informational, not evaluative • Select a convenient time and place • Exchange cell phone numbers • If applicant declines or doesn’t respond after two attempts, indicate so in report • Contact meetings are optional for applicants * Use your Cornell email address as the “from” address

15. CAAAN Contact Meetings: The Applicant Referral Email Applicant Name: Ezra Cornell Applicant Number: 1234567 Mailing Address: 1 Cornell Place, Ithaca, NY 14853 Mailing Phone: 607/123-4567 Email address: ezrac@ithaca.org High School: Ithaca HS in Ithaca (CEEB: 123456) Gender: Male Ethnicity (Self-Reported): N/A College: A&LS Intended Major: Applied Economics and Mgmt Special Characteristics: Legacy

16. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Where to Meet Face-to-face meetings are preferred Meet in a neutral, public place, e.g., coffee shop, library, local school Do NOT meet in your home Do NOT meet in the applicant’s home unless the applicant suggests that

17. CAAAN Contact Meetings: When to Hold Meetings • Meet as soon as you can, typically within two weeks from referral • File a narrative report online ASAP after the meeting • Be aware of the 2013-14 CAAAN calendar • Early decision reports due November 30 • Regular decision reports due March 1

18. CAAAN Contacts – Alternate Approaches Sometimes geography or applicant volume makes a face-to-face meeting unrealistic. Consider: • phone or video (e.g., Skype) contacts • small group meetings • a personal email introducing yourself and offering to answer any questions and/or share some information about your CU experience

19. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (1 of 4) • Arrive on time (or call on time if a phone meeting) • Set the applicant at ease • Remind the applicant that this is an informational meeting, not an interview • Ask open-ended questions to promote conversation • Share a favorite Cornell memory with the applicant • Don’t take notes during the meeting, but do write up a few words soon after

20. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (2 of 4) Ask the applicant… • Open-ended questions, such as • What’s important to you in a college? • What questions do you have about Cornell? • What would you like to know about my Cornell experience? • Is there is anything that you did not share in your application that you would like to share now? • Give the applicant ample time to respondand expand

21. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (3 of 4) Do NOT… Take notes during the meeting Ask about GPA, SATs, rank in class Compare Cornell with other universities Attempt to estimate the candidate’s chances of admission

22. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (4 of 4) Cornell topics to discuss, based on the applicant’s interests… • “Any person, any study” • Diverse, talented student body • 4,000 courses! • Beauty of the campus • Traditions and service/outreach • World-renowned, accessible faculty • Freshman experience • Loyal alumni – Cornellian for life

23. The CAAAN Contact Report (1 of 2) • Intended to add information and perspective to the application, not to evaluate whether the applicant should be admitted • File your report within a few days of your meeting and before the CAAAN deadline • Include examples of what was discussed during your meeting • Report facts and observations, not judgments or conclusions • Admissions committees report that timely, well-written reports can aid in their decision-making process

24. The CAAAN Contact Report (2 of 2) File report online at CAAAN website Report unusual circumstances, e.g., time-consuming responsibilities Include any new information that the applicant asked you to share with the admissions committee Don’t report physical characteristics (height, weight, level of attractiveness) The length of the report is limited; don’t use space to repeat information that is already in the application

25. The CAAAN Website • At caaan.admissions.cornell.edu • Primary site for CAAAN volunteers • CAAAN overview and training • Contact report submittal • Loads of links to CAAAN resources • Key links on Members page • No login required • Revised for 2013-14 • Updates to training materials

26. The CAAAN Advisory Committee (‘C’AC) (1 of 2) Helps guide and manage CAAAN • Assists in defining CAAAN strategy, processes and organization • Trains and mentors Chairs • Helps UAO troubleshoot areas with leadership gaps or other issues • Trusted advisors to UAO on matters such as communication with alumni and students

27. The CAAAN Advisory Committee (‘C’AC) (2 of 2) • Volunteers appointed by Coordinator of Volunteer Programs to actively assist in guiding/managing/training CAAAN • Experienced CAAAN leaders and one or two current students/young alumni • Averages about 18-20 members • An intentionally diverse group • Geography • Culture • Graduation Year • Meets twice per year, plus conference calls as needed to work on projects

28. The CAAAN Calendar* *Dates vary slightly each year • October – February: contact meetings with applicants • Reports on contact meetings due • Early decision: November 30 • Regular decision: March 1 • Admissions decisions available • Early decision: mid-December • Regular decision: early April • Rolling notification: early March (ILR and Hotel only)

29. Undergraduate Admissions • Cornell applicants… • select early decision or regular decision • submit both the Common Application and Cornell Supplement • apply to one* of seven undergraduate divisions • Separate, optional application for financial aid *May also indicate an alternate division • Applicants in 2012-13 • 39,999 total, up 6% • Highly selective: 15.6% admit rate 29

30. Undergraduate Divisions • CAAAN volunteers meet with applicants to • Art & Planning Majors in Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP) • Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) • Arts and Sciences (AS) • Engineering (EN) • Human Ecology (HE) • Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) • Other divisions require formal interview instead • Architecture Major in Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP) • Hotel Administration (HO) 30

31. Costs to Attend • 2013-14 costs (for non-New York State residents) • Tuition and fees: $45,358 • Housing/Dining: $13,680 • Books and supplies: $850 • Personal expenses: $1,730 • Total: $61,618 • For NY State residents only • Tuition is $29,218 in contract colleges only • Total: $45,478 31

32. Financial Aid • Goal: Remove financial barriers and allow students the opportunity to invest in a Cornell education • Admission decision is need-blind • 60% of applicants apply for financial aid • Robust need-based aid; no merit aid • No loan obligation for family income <$60K • Loans capped for family incomes >$60K • Average need-based grant award: over $33K • Award match: will match financial aid offers from other Ivies; will attempt to match aid offers from Duke, MIT, and Stanford • Online financial aid calculator • See financial aid links on References page of website 32

33. Freshman Life • Strong Cornell focus on new student support and acclimation programs • All freshmen are housed together on North Campus, a living and learning community • Variety of architectures and room styles • Fitness centers, great food and great friends • Carol Tatkon Center – a resource for freshmen • Short walk to central campus • Wonderful satisfaction and retention – 96% of first-year students return for sophomore year 33

34. Thank You For Volunteering Your Time Through CAAAN! 34