FEATURE
STORY
Young Alums: Got E-Mail? Get ARC!
The dramatic increase in applications to Columbia’s undergraduate
schools has resulted in a significant increase in demand for interviewers
for prospective students. The Alumni Representative Committee
(ARC) of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has issued a call
for a fresh supply of recent grads to supplement the existing
cadre of alumni interviewers.
Through the new version of the web-based application, “ARC
On-Line,” becoming an alumni interviewer is easy, especially
if you already have a Columbia University e-mail forwarding address.
Your Columbia user ID number and password allow you to access
the ARC On-Line system. “We are anxious to get more young
engineering alums involved in the interviewing process,”
said Eric Furda, director of admissions.
“Our newly enhanced web-based system allows alumni around
the world to communicate with us and with each other quickly and
easily. They can even submit their interview reports in the middle
of the night.” ARC representatives are assigned to an area
committee and may choose to interview students, represent Columbia
at college fairs, or help organize or host receptions for incoming
students.
Long-time ARC member Lee-En Chung ’88 of Sarasota, FL speaks
enthusiastically about her experiences as an interviewer and participant
at College Nights. “It is such a rewarding experience,”
she said. “I was especially touched when one student’s
grandmother from Sarasota called to thank me for giving her grandson
the opportunity to go to Columbia. She was so proud of him and
so grateful.”
Ms. Chung started as an ARC member soon after graduation, when
she was living in Washington, D.C. She now has her interviewing
routine down to a science. “I like to interview the students
in fun places like a library or a bookstore café. Sometimes
I do it at a clubhouse or poolside, not just at the office,”
she said. “I tell them it will be an hour interview and I
set a timer for 55 minutes. When it rings, we wrap up the interview.
I also tell them it is a two-way interview and they get to ask
me about Columbia and being in New York City. I encourage their
parents to call me if they have any questions, and I often hear
from them.”
In addition to the five to eight students she interviews every
year, she also represents Columbia at Sarasota County’s College
Night. Students from area high schools descend on the Robarts
Sports Arena to visit scores of college representatives in a single
night. “I usually collect between 150 and 200 cards from
students interested in applying to either the College or Engineering,”
she said, “and many students take the cards home to mail
them directly.”
“I love interviewing and I love the responses of students.
I even keep in touch with them and see them when I am in New York,”
she said.
This year, the selectivity rate has been reduced to 26% and the
average SAT score for the entering Class of 2005 is 1417. You
can be part of Columbia’s on-line ARC community within 24
hours. The enhanced website will let you respond instantaneously
to new assignments, communicate with your area chair, and read
and participate in the exchange of interviewing information and
tips.
Volunteers are needed in all areas of the United States and abroad. You can be
an ARC volunteer by signing up at the ARC Web site.
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