Roughy 100 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) students recently participated in a forum dubbed Interactive College Admissions Committee Workshop.

The Oct. 8 presentation offered an insider’s view into the college admission process.

Six college admissions professionals acted as facilitators:

• Beth Guzzo, senior assistant director of Admission and Diversity Recruitment at Lehigh University;
• Alison Hildenbrand, director of Admissions at Fairfield University;
• Tim Lee, director of Undergraduate Admissions at University at Albany, SUNY;
• Michael Mansuy, assistant dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Davidson College;
• Kent Rinehart, assistant vice president of enrollment msanagement and dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Marist College;
• Danielle Toglia, regional director of admissions for George Washington University.

“These professionals do this for a living, and they are very good at it,” RFH Director of Guidance and School Counseling Fran Swift said. “They believe in the process, and I am thankful that they have traveled and taken the time to be here with us.”

For the workshop, parents and students were assigned separately to classrooms where they were met by one of the college admission professionals.

They were given the applications of three outstanding hypothetical students competing for just one open spot in the class of 2020 at fictional Westbrook College. They were also provided with background information on Westbrook, including a “Class of 2019 Profile.”

After studying the applications, participants worked in small groups and then as a class to render an important decision: each of the fictional applicants would either be accepted, waitlisted, or denied by consensus.

“This program puts you in the shoes of an admissions professional, and it was interesting to see the process from their perspective,” said Dan Oberle, parent of RFH junior Jack Oberle and two college-age daughters. “I feel that this is definitely a program worth continuing.”

Jack concurred, noting that participation in the event has changed his view of the essay writing process. “I learned that is better to not just write about sports or other activities, but to focus on what makes you unique,” he said.

— Edited press release from the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional School District