Like most professions, college admissions has its own internal language, and that distinctive style of communicating is especially true as an application is read and summarized. In a special "quiz bowl" episode that fuses NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me with Jeopardy!, four veteran college counselors—all former admission officers who've read thousands of applications themselves—match wits to decode and decipher the unique lingo and shorthand that admissions officers use as they read an application. For applicants, AB Quiz Bowl offers an inside peek at the many things an admission officer notices, as well as some tips about how to emphasize the points you most want to highlight in your own application.
Like most professions, college admissions has its own internal language, and that distinctive style of communicating is especially true as an application is read and summarized. In a special "quiz bowl" episode that fuses NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me with Jeopardy!, four veteran college counselors—all former admission officers who've read thousands of applications themselves—match wits to decode and decipher the unique lingo and shorthand that admissions officers use as they read an application. For applicants, AB Quiz Bowl offers an inside peek at the many things an admission officer notices, as well as some tips about how to emphasize the points you most want to highlight in your own application.
Lee Coffin:
From Hanover, New Hampshire, I'm Lee Coffin, Dartmouth's vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, and this is Admission Beat Quiz Bowl Edition.
(music)
Hello everyone. We have a special episode this week. After more than a hundred episodes of podding most Tuesday mornings, we are mixing it up a little bit with a playful format. This week we thought it would be fun to do a pod a la NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me. A news quiz show in which contestants test their knowledge of the news of the day in a witty, playful quiz show format. In the Admission Beat version of a quiz bowl, our contestants are all former admission officers. They've worked at eight different colleges and universities between them, and now the four of them work as college counselors and advisors.
So in our quiz, the questions we're going to ask the contestants are all intended to probe or tease out the ways that admission officers speak to one another behind closed doors. How do we communicate when we're reading files? How do we describe the applicants when we're in the committee room making decisions? What's the shorthand we use, the abbreviations we use, the catchphrases, the jargon as we talk about applicants and their applications, sometimes under enormous time pressure where we have to keep our conversations brief and get right to the point?
So I thought it would be fun and creative way to invite you as listeners into those reading rooms and committee rooms so that you too can be conversant in the language we speak as admissions people. But more importantly, as you hear these terms and you'd learn the shorthand we use to speak to each other, you'll get an idea of the many things admissions officers value in applicants and in applications, as well as some of the things we don't value that much and what you might try and avoid as you put together your application in the weeks ahead.
And to students, particularly seniors in high school, as you hear some of these priorities and impressions, you can start to imagine how the way your application, your transcript, your essays, your activities, the questions you answer, how they might be read when it's time to start reading. In other words, you're going to hear in this episode as our contestants answer their questions, explanations about some of the many lenses that admission officer uses when they take the measure of an application. And our hope is that those lenses might be helpful to you as students as you draft and finalize your application.
So joining me on this episode of Admission Beat Quiz Bowl is my producer and colleague, Charlotte Albright. Hi Charlotte.
Charlotte Albright:
Hello, Lee.
Lee Coffin:
Charlotte and I are going to play the roles of Peter Sagal and Bill Curtis on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! That means I will be Peter, refereeing the conversation, trying to keep things moving in plain English, and Charlotte is going to manage the game and the scoreboard. Are you ready for that, Charlotte?
Charlotte Albright:
I think so. As long as the numbers don't go above three digits because I was an English major, you know that.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. No, we can keep counting on our fingers. When we come back, we will meet our contestants and we will go over the rules of quiz bowl. We'll be right back.
(music)
Okay. I'm going to ask the quizzers to just go around our Zoom and say hi. So we'll start with Darryl.
Darryl Tiggle:
All right. Hello everyone. My name's Darryl Tiggle. I'm director of college counseling at Friends School of Baltimore, and I'm super excited about quiz bowl and likely winning.
Lee Coffin:
Right out of the gate he's throwing some shade. And he will be on a team with Jen Simons.
Jen Simons:
I am so excited to be on a team with Tiggle. And as Lee said, I'm Jen Simons, and I work for Bright Horizons College Coach, doing independent counseling for folks who get it as a corporate benefit.
Lee Coffin:
Nice. And playing against them, our recurring duo, Sherri Geller. Hello, Sherri.
Sherri Geller:
Hi, Lee. I'm happy to be here. I'm a co-director of college counseling at Gann Academy in Waltham, Massachusetts, and I love games.
Lee Coffin:
Okay, perfect. And you'll be playing with Ronnie McKnight.
Ronnie KcKnight:
I love that everyone else said that they're happy to be here and excited to be here. And Darryl's already talking some smack. I am terrified to be here. I am Ronnie McKnight. I'm one of the associate directors of college counseling at the Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia, and I am indeed happy to be here but also a little scared.
Lee Coffin:
No, don't be scared. Okay, listeners, this is how this is going to work. Jen and Darryl will be one team, Ronnie and Sherri will be another team. I thought about their initials. I was like, it's JD and SR. and I thought, oh, it's the lawyers against the sisters. But I thought it was not clear if Sherri Geller can be a nun.
Jen Simons:
I don't think Ronnie McKnight could be a nun either, to be fair.
Lee Coffin:
No, there you go. So we'll just say team Sherri-Ronnie and team Jen-Darryl. There are nine categories, so you visualize a Jeopardy board. Charlotte, do you want to introduce the nine categories for the listeners?
Charlotte Albright:
Here they are. Category one ends in Y. Category two, central casting. Category three, in a word. Category four, report card. Five, texting. Six, let's vote. Seven, GOAT. Eight, reader notes. Nine, dos and don'ts.
Lee Coffin:
Each category has six answers. The teams will pick, for example, “ends in Y for one,” and that will be one point. They will get the clue from Charlotte. They will explain to us what that clue means. I will determine if it's correct or not, and I might ask them for some insight into why we're even talking about that particular topic.
All right, here we go. So the inaugural episode of the edition quiz bowl is about to begin. Jen and Darryl, you're up first. Which category would you like to start with?
Darryl Tiggle:
Let's go with, given the current climate, let's vote.
Lee Coffin:
Let's vote. And which box?
Darryl Tiggle:
Let's vote for two.
Lee Coffin:
Let's vote for two. Okay. Charlotte, what is the clue?
Charlotte Albright:
Your clue for two points and let's vote is woof.
Lee Coffin:
Whoever read the file typed woof? At the end of a summary line, why would someone have typed woof?
Darryl Tiggle:
What is a dog of an application?
Jen Simons:
Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
Oh, it's a dog of an application. Jen, what do you think?
Jen Simons:
Yeah, I was going to agree. This is not going to cut it.
Lee Coffin:
That is an incorrect answer.
Jen Simons:
Oh, no.
Lee Coffin:
Sherri and Ronnie, do you want to steal it?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Can we just say the opposite? Does it mean this is great?
Lee Coffin:
Yes.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Yeah. Okay.
Lee Coffin:
Ronnie gets the first answer correct.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Woo-hoo.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. This is like a fantastic file, woof. And just to be clear, there is no such thing as a dog of an application. So naughty Darryl Tiggle. Okay, Ronnie, you got the correct answer, so your turn to pick.
Ronnie KcKnight:
I'm curious about central casting. Let's just start with the easy one. Let's go with number one.
Charlotte Albright:
Central casting for one point. The clue is late bloomer.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Oh, so this is a kid that has probably started out their freshman year relatively doing not so great, and they have a upper trajectory as they've moved through high school, their grades have improved, their rigor has improved, et cetera, et cetera. They've come into their own as they've reached their junior and senior year.
Lee Coffin:
Ronnie McKnight, two for two.
Sherri Geller:
Oh, so we get to go again?
Lee Coffin:
Yes.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Let's do ends in Y. That sounds like it could be fun. Two.
Charlotte Albright:
Two points, ends in Y. The clue is gluey.
Sherri Geller:
A student who is gluey holds a community together, holds a friend group together. They are the glue, so to speak, that brings a group of people together in positive ways.
Lee Coffin:
Correct. Correct. And that's a good one to just pause. We'll let Jen chime in for a sec. Why is that something a student might want to bring forward if that's his or her signature?
Jen Simons:
I think there's a lot of emphasis placed on leadership. Parents always say to me, "My student, my child doesn't have any leadership." And we try to explain to them that that's not the only important role that someone might have in a community. And sometimes it's the quiet sort of kids that are the backbone or the glue of the class. And you can't just have a class of all leaders. You need those sort of silent, or maybe not silent, but not necessarily the flashiest ones to really bring that backbone of the class.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. Great. I'll give her one point.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay, let's give her one point.
Darryl Tiggle:
Thank you.
Lee Coffin:
For adding color. So at this moment it's five to one, Sherri versus Darryl and Jen. So Ronnie and Sherri, your turn.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Let's stick with end in Y again, and we'll go to three points this time.
Charlotte Albright:
Ready? Drum roll. Three points for ends in Y, spiky.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Sherri, is that a kid that has up and down, up and down record?
Sherri Geller:
That's what I thought, has different spikes of strength at different times.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah.
Ronnie KcKnight:
That would be my guess.
Sherri Geller:
Yeah, let's go with that.
Lee Coffin:
Incorrect.
Sherri Geller:
Incorrect.
Lee Coffin:
Jen, do you want to steal it?
Jen Simons:
Yeah, if it's okay. I think it means kind of pointy, the way people say you could be either well-rounded or you could be pointy.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Good. Good.
Jen Simons:
And so not everybody is Renaissance person. Some kids are just like, "This is my strength. Boom, boom, boom."
Lee Coffin:
Correct.
Ronnie KcKnight:
We use the term spear and not spike.
Jen Simons:
Oh, I like spike better. The spear sounds a little aggressive.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, spear sound violent. Yeah.
Darryl Tiggle:
I'm at a Quaker school, so no... Yeah.
Ronnie KcKnight:
No weapons. No weapons.
Lee Coffin:
Darryl, what would you call that person?
Darryl Tiggle:
A person that had that type of...
Lee Coffin:
Yeah.
Darryl Tiggle:
Yeah. I'd say a specialist would be a good... I think that'd be a good...
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
So who gets those three points, Lee? I think that-
Darryl Tiggle:
We do. We do.
Lee Coffin:
So that goes to the lawyers, JD.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh, yeah. Yes, indeed.
Charlotte Albright:
That goes to Jen. Okay. That's good. See, I thought it just meant their hair.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh, well...
Lee Coffin:
Jen, Darryl, your turn to pick.
Jen Simons:
I was liking central casting. Tiggle, can we go back to central casting for whatever the next level is? Does that sound okay with you?
Darryl Tiggle:
Sure.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, that's two points.
Darryl Tiggle:
Sure. But all the easy questions are ends in Y, but let's go central casting.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. Central casting. How many points?
Jen Simons:
200 if it's available.
Darryl Tiggle:
Yeah.
Charlotte Albright:
Four, five?
Lee Coffin:
Two, she's going for two.
Charlotte Albright:
Two? Are you going two?
Jen Simons:
Add 200, this is not actually Jeopardy. Two, yes.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. Central casting two points, ren man.
Jen Simons:
Renaissance man.
Darryl Tiggle:
Nice.
Lee Coffin:
What is that?
Jen Simons:
Oh, well that's the opposite of spiky. Sorry, Tiggle.
Darryl Tiggle:
No, there you go. No, you got it. You got it.
Lee Coffin:
For listeners, Jen, what is it? What are we referring to?
Jen Simons:
We're talking about someone that really, I don't want to say they can do it all because nobody can, but this kid is really strong academically across the board. Maybe they've taken the highest levels in English, math, science, history, world language. Or on the other side of the equation, extracurricularly, maybe they're an athlete but they also play the oboe. Maybe they have a multitude of talents, like the type of kid that they're really struggling to find, "Okay, wait, it's baseball season, but I also want, I have this theater performance, the spring musical. How am I going to balance both?" That's kind of the Renaissance kid.
Lee Coffin:
Great. Love that. Okay, pick again.
Jen Simons:
All right. Ends in Y for three.
Lee Coffin:
That's already done.
Jen Simons:
Four. Ends in Y for four. Sorry, I'm not keeping track.
Charlotte Albright:
Ends in Y for four. The clue is humsy. H-U-M-S-Y, humsy.
Darryl Tiggle:
Maybe you want someone who's a vocalist in theater, like in the chorus or... Oh, humsy? A bee? They get a lot of bees. They got a lot of bees. That's not our answer. Humsy?
Lee Coffin:
Incorrect. Ronny, Sherri for the steal?
Sherri Geller:
I don't know on this one.
Lee Coffin:
The definition is a student with a humanities orientation.
Sherri Geller:
Oh.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Oh.
Sherri Geller:
Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
Oh, they're humsy. I like that.
Darryl Tiggle:
I do too. I do too.
Lee Coffin:
Okay, so let's see. Ronny, Sherri, pick again.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Well, since we've had so much fun with ends in Y, why don't we do that for five? Is that the next answer?
Lee Coffin:
Okay. Yeah.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. End in Y for five points. The clue is fitty.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Say the word again.
Sherri Geller:
Fitty.
Charlotte Albright:
Fitty. Fitty.
Sherri Geller:
F-I-T?
Charlotte Albright:
F-I-T-T-Y, fitty.
Sherri Geller:
Ronnie, you think it's a kid that's a good fit?
Ronnie KcKnight:
That would be my guess.
Lee Coffin:
That would be the right guess.
Sherri Geller:
All right. I would just write fit and save the T-Y, but that's okay. If it's right, it's right.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. You just got yourself five points.
Lee Coffin:
You did.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Yeah. Good. Good, good.
Lee Coffin:
And you have now pulled back ahead, 10-
Darryl Tiggle:
Late bloomer and fitty, and we got woofy and humsy?
Sherri Geller:
It's all the numbers.
Lee Coffin:
Okay, so ends in Y has the one pointer still available or the boom bust, which is you get 10 points or you lose 10 points if you get it.
Sherri Geller:
Ronnie, want to jump to another category?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Yeah.
Sherri Geller:
Want to try report card for maybe one point, kick off that category?
Ronnie KcKnight:
I love it.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Sherri Geller:
All right.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay.
Sherri Geller:
Report card for one, Lee and Charlotte.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. Report card for one point, MD. MD. Like a doctor, MD.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh my goodness.
Sherri Geller:
MD on a report card?
Ronnie KcKnight:
MD?
Sherri Geller:
Medical leave.
Charlotte Albright:
I didn't mean that it was medical. I was just using that to tell you what the letters are.
Sherri Geller:
Yes, I know.
Ronnie KcKnight:
I don't know.
Sherri Geller:
Or mid-year, but that's not an MY. We'll go with mid-year grades.
Lee Coffin:
Mid-year grades? That is incorrect. Jen and Darryl?
Jen Simons:
Most demanding.
Darryl Tiggle:
Demanding.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Most demanding.
Darryl Tiggle:
Thank you.
Jen Simons:
Like myself-
Darryl Tiggle:
Thank you.
Jen Simons:
... that's what my husband would call me. He's been known to call me MD Simons, most demanding.
Lee Coffin:
Simons. And Jen, what is it referring to?
Jen Simons:
The curriculum.
Lee Coffin:
Curriculum.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Sherri, how did we not know that?
Lee Coffin:
Specifically most demanding curriculum.
Sherri Geller:
I'm glad it wasn't the most demanding kid. I was so worried.
Lee Coffin:
I know. All right, Jen-
Jen Simons:
Well, the most demanding question... Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
Jen, pick again.
Jen Simons:
Okay. I would like to go to the Tom Brady category of GOAT.
Lee Coffin:
Okay. GOAT.
Darryl Tiggle:
All right.
Lee Coffin:
Okay. For one?
Jen Simons:
Yeah, let's start easy. Tiggle's probably like, "Let's go all the way," but I need to...
Darryl Tiggle:
Baby steps. Baby steps.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Charlotte, let's...
Charlotte Albright:
The clue, one point clue for GOAT is topper.
Lee Coffin:
Jen's eyes get really wide, like, "Oh."
Jen Simons:
Well. Can I just actually have a little clarification? Does GOAT stand for the greatest of all time or does it stand for the animal?
Lee Coffin:
I would say this category are superlative oriented clues.
Jen Simons:
Okay, so I'm guessing valedictorian.
Darryl Tiggle:
Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
No.
Sherri Geller:
I would've thought valedictorian also. Topper. Top in our pool?
Lee Coffin:
Well, you're getting warm. The correct answer is-
Ronnie KcKnight:
Oh, what about top in the high school group?
Lee Coffin:
Yes. Ronnie stays at top of the high school….
Charlotte Albright:
Ronnie, one point. Okay. I think you're at 11 now.
Ronnie KcKnight:
I pulled that out-
Sherri Geller:
We had to work hard for that one point.
Ronnie KcKnight:
... of nowhere.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. So we're talking about a student. There might be 10 applicants from Paideia, since Ronnie answered it, and this is the top student on that high school docket to the college. Okay.
Sherri Geller:
Although, could I clarify that at some colleges they don't read by high school or try to rank or-
Lee Coffin:
That's true.
Sherri Geller:
... put in any kind of order who would be the top at one school.
Lee Coffin:
Yep. That is correct. The college-
Ronnie KcKnight:
And kids, you'll never know.
Lee Coffin:
And you'll never know.
Sherri Geller:
Right.
Lee Coffin:
But the college that shared topper with me, they do read by school and they do sort them top to bottom. Okay. Ronnie, pick again.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Let's do report card for two.
Sherri Geller:
Great.
Lee Coffin:
Report card for two.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. Report card for two. The clue is H, S as in Stephen, T as in Thomas, HST.
Sherri Geller:
High school transcript?
Lee Coffin:
Yes. High school transcript for two points.
Sherri Geller:
Oh, I get to pick. Let's go to a new category then. Let's try in a word for two points.
Lee Coffin:
In a word for two points.
Charlotte Albright:
In a word for two points. The clue is flat.
Sherri Geller:
Flat could refer to an essay or it could refer to an overall student. If it just doesn't bring a lot of excitement to the table as the reader is taking a look at it more closely.
Lee Coffin:
Correct. And for potential applicants, what's our advice about how to avoid that description?
Sherri Geller:
Make sure your essay and what you're filling out feels engaging. Maybe consult with someone on how you're wording things and use strong, interesting language as you're putting together your application file.
Lee Coffin:
Sherri, pick again.
Sherri Geller:
Okay. I liked that one. Let's do in a word for three points.
Charlotte Albright:
In a word for three points, your clue is plugger.
Sherri Geller:
A plugger is a kid, can you use the word in the definition, a kid who plugs along. Who keeps trying at things, who keeps focusing and working hard and moving along. Sometimes pluggers are more followers than leaders, but they really are putting in all kinds of effort in the work that they're doing in high school and in their classes.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. You want to give the plugger a hug.
Sherri Geller:
Hugger a plugger.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, hug a plugger.
Lee Coffin:
So Ronnie and Sherri, AKA the sisters, are opening up a big lead on the lawyers.
Sherri Geller:
Let's keep going with in a word for four.
Charlotte Albright:
In a word for four, your clue is voracious.
Sherri Geller:
Voracious is avid and a word often associated with readers. Voracious reader is I feel like a common phrase with someone who's really, really into what they're doing and does it frequently.
Lee Coffin:
That's a correct answer for four points. And I would also add, as a reader of applications, I only see readers as students described as voracious readers. I don't know why those two are... I look proactively for another adjective on top of reader, and it's always voracious reader, but...
Sherri Geller:
Well, interestingly, I was working on a recommendation over the weekend and had a voracious reader and decided to use the word avid because I thought voracious reader was overused, and I guess that was accurate.
Lee Coffin:
That was accurate. Sherri, you get to pick again.
Sherri Geller:
In a word for five.
Charlotte Albright:
In a word for five. The clue is geomarket.
Sherri Geller:
This is getting very technical, Lee. But your geomarket is the area of your country, state, city, keep going narrower and narrower and narrower that you come from. And colleges might care about your geomarket because it might give them some sense of the background you're from. Are you from an urban area or a more rural one? Are you from a community with lots of resources or one less so? So there are very particular numbers associated with geomarkets, and it's really a way that admissions team can divide up the country in terms of how they read applications or visit colleges to recruit, visit high schools to recruit.
Lee Coffin:
That is a correct answer. And to applicants, when you take the SAT, your high school has a CEEB code, C-E-E-B. The CEEB code ties to a geomarket. And I've described them to people as the college board's version of congressional districts, like the entire United States and around the world fall into a geomarket. So the geomarket is the way we organize, read it usually travel and reading. Geomarket.
Sherri Geller:
Let's wrap up, other than the scary round, let's jump over to ends in Y for one point.
Charlotte Albright:
Ends in Y one point. The clue is STEMI.
Sherri Geller:
STEMI is sort of the opposite of hummy that we heard before. A student who's very focused and interested in STEM subjects, which are science, technology, engineering, and math.
Lee Coffin:
Correct, for one point.
Sherri Geller:
Let's-
Ronnie KcKnight:
Sherri, I think we should go for a six point answer and risk our streak. Let's do in a word. Let's do in a word.
Sherri Geller:
Okay. In a word for six.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Ronnie KcKnight:
We get to confer.
Charlotte Albright:
In a word, your boom bust clue is mid-mid.
Sherri Geller:
Someone who's in the middle of the class and has mid-range SATs and everything's just kind of middle.
Ronnie KcKnight:
That's what I would guess. Middle of the middle, like mid-mid.
Lee Coffin:
That is incorrect.
Sherri Geller:
Oh.
Charlotte Albright:
Uh-oh, you're down to 18 points.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh.
Lee Coffin:
Here's the steal opportunity. Darryl and Jen, mid-mid.
Darryl Tiggle:
I'm thinking they're kind of middle of the road academically, middle of the road personality.
Jen Simons:
Yeah, I was going to say not personality, because I don't think that admissions officers would say that. I have faith in them.
Darryl Tiggle:
Middle of the middle, 50%.
Jen Simons:
Yeah, but...
Lee Coffin:
That is incorrect. Although you don't lose 10. The correct answer is referring to middle income families.
Jen Simons:
Oh.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Oh.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Of course.
Lee Coffin:
As we think about socioeconomic diversity on a campus, mid-mid is this college's way of describing a family from the middle class.
Darryl Tiggle:
Got you.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay, so the mid-mid score at midpoint-
Lee Coffin:
Minus 10 for the nuns.
Charlotte Albright:
That's 18.
Lee Coffin:
The question passes back to Jen and Darryl to try and catch up.
Darryl Tiggle:
All right.
Charlotte Albright:
Jen and Darryl are at seven.
Jen Simons:
Darryl, this is you. Do it.
Darryl Tiggle:
All right, let's go reader notes. Let's go reader notes.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Darryl Tiggle:
For four.
Charlotte Albright:
Reader notes for four. The clue is upward trend.
Darryl Tiggle:
Just go on to the next question.
Sherri Geller:
Easy one.
Darryl Tiggle:
Please.
Sherri Geller:
You accused us of too easy.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Boo.
Sherri Geller:
Okay. Now make sure you get it right.
Darryl Tiggle:
All right. Upward trend means a student’s academic history is done better as time has moved on, they're a better student as a sophomore than they were as a freshman. Better as a junior as a senior. All right.
Lee Coffin:
That's better than a downward trend, correct?
Darryl Tiggle:
That's better than a downward. Give us downward trend, please, as the next one.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay.
Sherri Geller:
That might be the one pointer.
Charlotte Albright:
Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
That's correct for four points.
Darryl Tiggle:
Jen. Jen-
Lee Coffin:
Darryl, pick again.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh, okay. Okay. Reader notes again.
Lee Coffin:
Yep.
Darryl Tiggle:
Let's five it.
Charlotte Albright:
Reader notes for five points, your clue is one for the faculty.
Jen Simons:
This is someone that I'm not saying has an obscure academic interest, but somebody who's really an intellectual, a deep thinker, someone, the professor of philosophy is going to come up to you and say, "Oh, Lee, thank you so much for sending me Darryl Tiggle. He is such a brainiac, the likes we've never seen. He is devoted to his studies and really, really smart."
Lee Coffin:
Correct. That is one for the faculty. That is correct answer for five points from Jen.
Charlotte Albright:
All right, it's closing in. 16 for your team, Jen, 18 for your opponents.
Lee Coffin:
Oh, pick again, Jen.
Darryl Tiggle:
Isn't texting... Doesn't that sound exciting?
Jen Simons:
Let's do it.
Lee Coffin:
Do it. Do it.
Jen Simons:
Let's do it.
Darryl Tiggle:
I don't know if it sounds easy. Just sounds exciting.
Jen Simons:
Okay. I'm going to go with my partner and we're going to do texting for whatever-
Darryl Tiggle:
One.
Jen Simons:
Okay, one. Thank you.
Lee Coffin:
One. Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. Texting for one, your clue is P as in Peter, S as in Stephen, F as in Frank-
Jen Simons:
Public school female.
Charlotte Albright:
PSF.
Jen Simons:
Public school female as-
Lee Coffin:
Public school female is a correct answer.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Good job.
Lee Coffin:
Hey, Jen, pick again.
Jen Simons:
All right, let's do the next level of texting.
Lee Coffin:
That's two.
Charlotte Albright:
The next level of texting for two points is SOP, as in Peter.
Jen Simons:
Oh, so S-O-H is sense of humor.
Darryl Tiggle:
Sense of purpose.
Lee Coffin:
Sense of purpose is correct. Go ahead, Darryl.
Darryl Tiggle:
All right, text... All right, text next.
Lee Coffin:
Texting for three?
Darryl Tiggle:
Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. Texting for three points, NN.
Jen Simons:
No need.
Lee Coffin:
Two, three. Correct. What does that mean, Jen?
Jen Simons:
That means that their family can pay whatever it costs to attend room, board, tuition, et cetera. They do not express any financial need.
Lee Coffin:
Okay. And-
Sherri Geller:
So, Lee, you want to also point out to listeners that sometimes the admission's person reading the file isn't privy to that information. Thinking that about one of the phrases before, the mid-mid, that the admissions office doesn't always know a family's-
Ronnie KcKnight:
Income.
Sherri Geller:
... financial status.
Lee Coffin:
Or they sometimes will be... Like on the mid-mid, back to that one, you're guessing.
Sherri Geller:
Yeah.
Darryl Tiggle:
Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
You're looking at a family and you're saying, "This is a teacher and a real estate agent. This is a middle-income, broadly defined family." No need, when you're working for a need-aware institution, probably is known to the reader because one of the responsibilities is to shape the financial aid outcome to the available resource. If you're need-blind, you don't know that.
Charlotte Albright:
But if it says “no need” on my application, that doesn't necessarily put me at the top of your list.
Lee Coffin:
No.
Jen Simons:
No.
Lee Coffin:
No. It's just-
Charlotte Albright:
Or anywhere near the top. It doesn't make any difference where that puts me.
Lee Coffin:
No, no.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay.
Lee Coffin:
These are just notations about how a file might move forward in a summary way.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay.
Jen Simons:
Also what's really important-
Sherri Geller:
But it doesn't mean that schools that offer merit scholarships that a family might not be eligible for some money even if they have no need.
Lee Coffin:
Correct.
Jen Simons:
I think it's important to note that not everything has a judgment associated with it. I think that that's what we sort of expect going into this a little bit, but in fact, it could just be stating a fact, that this is...
Lee Coffin:
That's a really good point, Jen, because even PSF, it's just simply a public school female applicant. It's not a plus minus, it's just it is.
Jen Simons:
Yep.
Lee Coffin:
If you used it in a sentence, you might say, this is a PSF from North Dakota and you're describing a person in a place. Yeah. Okay. Jen, you get to pick again.
Jen Simons:
I want to do dos and don'ts.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh, yeah.
Lee Coffin:
Dos and don'ts for which number?
Jen Simons:
Three.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. Three. The clue in dos and don'ts for three points is camp.
Darryl Tiggle:
Don't write about camp in your essay.
Jen Simons:
Summer camp.
Darryl Tiggle:
Thank you.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. Why would that be a do or a don't?
Jen Simons:
Well, I'm someone who doesn't think that there are bad topics, but what I can tell you is that it is a very common topic. It's hard to do well and it often is more about other people than you, AKA your campers. So I think that this is a don't when you're talking about summer camp because it's so common.
Lee Coffin:
Yes, correct. I think the topic is, you're right, lots of kids write about it and they write very similar essays that aren't always focused on themself.
Ronnie KcKnight:
But, Lee, what about my service trip or my sports injury or how much I admire my parent?
Lee Coffin:
Those are also common topics. They're not in this quiz, but you're pointing us in the same direction, Ronnie. Ronnie, what's the teachable moment out of what you just added?
Ronnie KcKnight:
I think Jen is being a very wise counselor and reminding all of us not to make light of such life-changing experiences, because they can be.
Lee Coffin:
Yes.
Ronnie KcKnight:
I think what we've acknowledged in this conversation is that because they're common, you just have to be very, very careful to make sure that they are about you and that they are a sincere and honest representation of you, and not about someone else, and not about something that might be a little bit more universal. The more you can make it about what you learned and how you navigated those experiences, the less universal that those topics tend to be.
Lee Coffin:
Correct. Perfect. Lovely. Jen, pick again.
Jen Simons:
Let's do dos and don'ts for four, please.
Charlotte Albright:
Dos and don'ts for four. The clue is TR's lift.
Jen Simons:
Teachers...
Darryl Tiggle:
Lifting comments from teacher recommendations.
Jen Simons:
Maybe the teacher recommendation elevated this student to a higher level.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh, there you go. There you go.
Lee Coffin:
Jen puzzled that through.
Darryl Tiggle:
All star.
Lee Coffin:
That was a correct answer.
Darryl Tiggle:
All star.
Lee Coffin:
Ronnie, you've been nodding. What does that mean?
Ronnie KcKnight:
I was just giving Jen some affirmation. I thought she was doing a great job of solving that. So sometimes a student might seem relatively ordinary, not in a bad way, but this is a good kid. Maybe they were a little modest in their application and then you get to the teacher rec and it extols the child's virtue so much that you realize that they're not just an average wonderful kid, they're actually a bit more exceptional than you realized. When you're the student, it is kind of tough sometimes to brag about yourself, right? And so sometimes that might mean that you're too modest in your application. I don't know if that's super common, but maybe your teachers really extolled some qualities about you that didn't come through in what you presented.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, and I put this in the do/don't category because to the applicant, what it means is you are relying on someone other than yourself-
Ronnie KcKnight:
Ah, right.
Lee Coffin:
... to make the case for yourself.
Ronnie KcKnight:
So not necessarily a good thing.
Lee Coffin:
Not necessarily a good thing, but great that you chose the right teachers who added a really important dimension to your file. But when I've gotten to that part of a file, I write, "Oh, the teacher's really making this case." It's usually that the student was coming out a little softly and the teacher's the one that made us say, "Oh, we need this person here." So the TR's lift is not necessarily a don't, but it's a do pick the right teachers, don't rely on other people to sing your song. Okay. Jen, you want to go again?
Jen Simons:
Let's do the next dos and don'ts. Is that the big bam boom one?
Lee Coffin:
So you have one, two, five and boom still to go.
Jen Simons:
Let's do five. Let's do five. Let's ease into it.
Lee Coffin:
Five. Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. The clue, five points for dos and don'ts is stealth.
Jen Simons:
So this is someone you just didn't see coming. You're reading the application and maybe it's getting stronger and stronger and then boom. Or maybe there's something, it's either building or there's something that you didn't anticipate, like this huge award one or maybe the essay is just like it sneaks in and then, bam, gets you.
Lee Coffin:
That was a lovely answer. It is incorrect.
Jen Simons:
Oh, pooh.
Lee Coffin:
Ronnie or Sherri, do you want to take it?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Stealth is an application that arrived in your office having no contact with the student ever before.
Jen Simons:
Yes.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Where did... You are right. Where did this kid come from?
Jen Simons:
I am ashamed. I am ashamed. I have brought shame upon my family.
Charlotte Albright:
That's all right. They needed those points. They needed those points. They're up to 23. So it's 23 for them, 29 for you. You're still ahead.
Lee Coffin:
When Jen was a reader, she was an aficionado of stealth.
Jen Simons:
This is so ironic. Of all the things for me to get wrong, actually this is not... Because now I say to my kids, "Did you demonstrate interest? Did you go to the visits? Did you answer the emails?" Whatever. So I am embarrassed. I'm sorry.
Lee Coffin:
No, that's okay. So, Ronnie, just out of the embarrassment tango of Jen, you want to just say it again? So it's someone that appears at the deadline with no previous history?
Ronnie KcKnight:
It's someone who has applied to an institution having had virtually no contact with that institution prior to their application arriving in the office. And this is a pretty common fear and worry that families and parents or students have. And I don't want to cause undue concern because I think colleges tend to be very reasonable. For the schools that care about interest, I think they tend to be relatively reasonable. But what Jen just... That list of things that Jen just mentioned, I think any college, even if they don't really track interest, I think any college likes to know that you're a good fit with that institution. And so when they're asking questions about why are you applying, they're looking for that sort of fit.
And one of the ways that you can kind of show fit is by having had some sort of contact with them through the lead-up process to your application, which might be something online or it might be a visit, or it might be a high school visit or a college fair. There are lots of ways that we can interact, including electronic ways. And so doing something online is really easy these days, and can help reassure a school that you really have done your homework and know a bit about them.
Lee Coffin:
Perfect. Yep. Okay. Ronnie pick.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Sherri, what do you think?
Sherri Geller:
Let's get some mojo back. Ronnie. We were doing well within a word and I think we skipped the one point question.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Let's go back to one.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah.
Sherri Geller:
Let's go to that.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. In a word for one point, hooked.
Sherri Geller:
Hooked is a student who has some connection to the school, maybe they had a parent or another relative go to the school, maybe they're a recruited athlete, maybe they have a-
Ronnie KcKnight:
Or recruited musician.
Sherri Geller:
... connection to a faculty member or they're a child of a faculty member. All kinds of different ways in which a student might be hooked. What did you say?
Ronnie KcKnight:
It could be a recruited musician or debater.
Sherri Geller:
Could be a recruited musician, yes. But someone who has someone at the school who might be advocating for them or connecting with them in ways beyond the regular admission process.
Lee Coffin:
Correct. So back on track. Sherri, pick again.
Sherri Geller:
Let's go to report card for three.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. Report card for three. The clue is CP as in Peter, CP.
Sherri Geller:
I believe college prep. Ronnie?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Yeah, prep.
Lee Coffin:
That is correct.
Sherri Geller:
Which is a level that many high schools have, but not all. My school does not have that level.
Lee Coffin:
But that is a correct answer. It represents the college prep curriculum. Pick again.
Sherri Geller:
Let's keep going with report card for four.
Charlotte Albright:
Report card for four. The clue is LOR.
Sherri Geller:
Letter of... Oh, on the report card is this a letter of recommendation? But the that category-
Lee Coffin:
That is correct.
Sherri Geller:
... is report card. Oh, okay.
Lee Coffin:
That is correct. Letter of recommendation. LOR.
Sherri Geller:
Why was that in the category report?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Don't ask any questions, Sherri. Just take the points and run.
Sherri Geller:
Sounds good. Okay. Let's go to central casting for three.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
Oh, okay. I like this. Central casting for three points, pied Piper.
Sherri Geller:
Oh one who is going to have lots of kids following them, just like the Pied Piper. So they may be a classic leader. They may also just be a kid who's gregarious and others like to be around them, but they're a kid who's going to build community by having people join them.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. Jen?
Jen Simons:
Okay. I guess Sherri redeemed herself at the end. I was going to say a Pied Piper is someone who you're going to admit to your college and wait for the other applications the following year to roll in.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah.
Jen Simons:
So it's not as much about their experience in the school as much as you want them because you want to get more applications for your university.
Lee Coffin:
Charlotte, I think they both get three points for that answer.
Jen Simons:
Aw.
Charlotte Albright:
Oh, okay.
Sherri Geller:
Good add, Jen. Nicely done.
Lee Coffin:
Jen put a final spin on Sherri's, not incorrect answer, but Jen brought it home.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay.
Lee Coffin:
Jen, pick.
Jen Simons:
So the central casting, four.
Lee Coffin:
Four.
Charlotte Albright:
Four. The clue, four points, FGLI. FGLI, Like figly.
Sherri Geller:
I have a partial guess, but it's Jen and Darryl's turn.
Lee Coffin:
I think we stumped the panel, Charlotte.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay.
Sherri Geller:
Wait, is the FG... I want to ask is the FG part first generation?
Lee Coffin:
The FG is first generation.
Sherri Geller:
Ah, so we should get half the points.
Lee Coffin:
You should give half the points. FGLI, first gen, low income.
Sherri Geller:
Income. I did know that.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Of course. Of course. Of course.
Darryl Tiggle:
Wow.
Lee Coffin:
So two points go to the nuns for half an answer.
Charlotte Albright:
Two points to Sherri's team. Okay.
Lee Coffin:
Sherri, pick again.
Sherri Geller:
Let's go to reader notes for one point.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. Reader notes. The clue is, for one point, has done her homework.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Well, that's the second half of the demonstrated interest part. They've done their research and know about the school and know how they fit well within what the school provides.
Lee Coffin:
Correct.
Sherri Geller:
Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
It's the opposite of the stealth.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Right.
Darryl Tiggle:
Yes.
Lee Coffin:
Correct. Okay. Ronnie, pick again.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Let's stick with that for two.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
Reader notes for two. The clue is sum of parts admit.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Wouldn't that be... Maybe they're not outstanding in any one area, but the sum of them make them a great admit.
Sherri Geller:
That's what I was thinking. Yeah.
Lee Coffin:
That would be a correct answer.
Sherri Geller:
Excellent.
Lee Coffin:
Okay, go again.
Sherri Geller:
We've been staying away from let's vote. Let's try let's vote for one.
Lee Coffin:
Let's vote for one.
Charlotte Albright:
Oh, come on. This is so easy. Let's vote for one. The clue is slam dunk.
Sherri Geller:
Oh, a clear admit. No question. We're going to vote to take this. The committee's going to vote to admit this applicant.
Lee Coffin:
That's correct.
Sherri Geller:
Okay.
Lee Coffin:
That's why it was one point.
Charlotte Albright:
Yeah.
Sherri Geller:
It doesn't make me more confident in the category.
Lee Coffin:
When I worked with Darryl, his catchphrase was, "Stop the madness."
Jen Simons:
Yes.
Lee Coffin:
That's his version of slam dunk or woof. He would be like, "Stop the madness." And I learned that that meant Darryl was saying we didn't even need to talk about it.
Darryl Tiggle:
Bring them in.
Lee Coffin:
Bring them in. Okay, so let's vote for three. Is that the question?
Sherri Geller:
Sure.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Let's do it.
Charlotte Albright:
Let's vote for three. Three point clue is as above.
Sherri Geller:
As above. Let's vote. Do the same thing that we did with the last kid? I don't know. Ron, you got a better answer?
Charlotte Albright:
Oh, Jen's got her hand up.
Sherri Geller:
All right. They might get to steal. I don't have a better answer.
Lee Coffin:
Ronnie, can you save it before...
Ronnie KcKnight:
I would've said what Sherri said. Ditto what we said last time.
Lee Coffin:
No. Jen?
Jen Simons:
Yeah. I was going to say I think it's a second reader comment, right?
Lee Coffin:
Yes.
Sherri Geller:
Ah.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Oh, of course.
Lee Coffin:
And what does it mean?
Jen Simons:
It means-
Darryl Tiggle:
I agree.
Jen Simons:
... I agree with what the previous reader who in, I would guess most cases, is in charge of the high school. The second reader's job is really to do exactly that, right? To not look at the student as much as look at the first reader and say, "They've done a good job summarizing this. I agree, or I disagree." So they're evaluating the efficacy, the strength of the first read. And, yes, the student to some extent, but you're saying I agree. And it comes from the days of literal handwriting cards when you could just make an arrow with your pen.
Lee Coffin:
And say as above.
Jen Simons:
As above.
Lee Coffin:
You old lady with a pen. What is that?
Jen Simons:
Oh my God. Lee. Hello.
Darryl Tiggle:
Stylus. Stylus.
Lee Coffin:
I love my pen. I'm holding one right now. Okay. Jen, pick.
Jen Simons:
Let's do central casting for five, please.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Darryl Tiggle:
All right.
Charlotte Albright:
Central casting for five. The clue is connector.
Darryl Tiggle:
Sure. It's the person in their high school community who's kind of the, like we said before, the gluey person who sort of connects different constituencies on campus to be friends and family.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah.
Charlotte Albright:
You're right.
Jen Simons:
And you want them to be a Pied Piper when they enroll.
Darryl Tiggle:
You'd like them to be a Pied Piper as well.
Lee Coffin:
And if you are that person, if you're the connector or the bridge builder, how do you introduce yourself that way? Where's the opportunity to get that part of your story into your story?
Darryl Tiggle:
I think that's a good common application, personal statement type of theme. You want them to know that when you arrive on campus, you're going to seek out making friends, making connections. For those who might not be as extrovert, you'll make sure to go and scoop them up and be their friends.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah.
Sherri Geller:
I was going to say, I've also seen recently a lot of colleges asking a supplemental question about building community student. Or what community-
Lee Coffin:
Yes.
Sherri Geller:
... a student is from.
Jen Simons:
Dude, that's what I was going to say.
Sherri Geller:
It's like we've both looked at the application anyway. That's also an opportunity through a short answer sometimes to describe connections that a student has already built or hoped to build in their college community.
Lee Coffin:
Correct. And as we're coming to the final moments, the score is 40 to 38, so it's a dead heat between-
Darryl Tiggle:
Wow.
Lee Coffin:
... these two Titanic teams. Darryl, pick again.
Jen Simons:
Let's do a boom bust, Darryl. Let's think-
Darryl Tiggle:
All right, let's boom bust the reader notes.
Charlotte Albright:
Oh, how interesting. The clue, the boom bust clue for reader notes is boom/bust.
Jen Simons:
So basically there are times when you are reading a file and you're like, I am either in love with this kid and they're going to be a perfect, perfect fit. Or the opposite. This is basically... Darryl's looking at me. All right. No, Darryl, what are you thinking? Sorry.
Darryl Tiggle:
No, I think you're on the right path. I thought it was someone who would come here and either arrive on campus and be an outstanding scholar or arrive on campus and might fizzle.
Jen Simons:
There's an extreme... You are having an extreme reaction to this folder and you need the second reader or the dean or whatever to weigh in on which direction this is going because it could be amazing. You don't want to miss this kid to admit them, but also if you admit them, maybe it's going to be a disaster. I don't know.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, I think you got to it. This is a... Boom/bust means potential. This could really go really well or it could not, and you're rolling the dice a little bit on the candidacy. So we'll give you 10 points for that.
Charlotte Albright:
10 points, you're at 48.
Darryl Tiggle:
So go let's vote.
Jen Simons:
Let's vote.
Charlotte Albright:
Let's vote. Let's vote for four. The clue is yield buster.
Jen Simons:
Oh, yeah. They're not going to come, Charlotte, if you admit them. And this is like the Jen, this was made for me because I'm just like, "Nah, they're not coming."
Charlotte Albright:
Okay. Sad.
Lee Coffin:
Go again, Jen.
Jen Simons:
All right. Now let's do a boom bust. I'm sorry. Okay.
Darryl Tiggle:
Dos don'ts.
Jen Simons:
Dos don'ts.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh, that's going to be a tough one. Going to be a tough one.
Lee Coffin:
Dos don'ts for boom bust. Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. 10 plus or 10 minus points. The clue is CEG mad lib.
Lee Coffin:
Here, you want a clue?
Darryl Tiggle:
Yes.
Lee Coffin:
Yes. Well, let's just diagram the question. What's mad lib?
Darryl Tiggle:
Are they little cartoons or something?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Those are the little things where you just put in a bunch of words and then they show up in…
Sherri Geller:
Oh, I have a wild guess.
Jen Simons:
Come on. Don't you have grandchildren?
Lee Coffin:
Go ahead, Sherri, go for the wild guess and steal it.
Sherri Geller:
College essay guide, mad libs.
Darryl Tiggle:
Boo.
Lee Coffin:
Yes. Ding, ding, ding for Sherri Geller.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Oh my God.
Lee Coffin:
College essay guy gives tips on how to complete the supplements, and some students use it as a mad lib: "As an aspiring blank, I blank." And you could read... It's like they just filled in the word and then hit submit. And so they're usually stealth applicants-
Darryl Tiggle:
Boo.
Lee Coffin:
... who are filling in the blanks. And kiddos, when you do that, we can see it.
Darryl Tiggle:
See it.
Lee Coffin:
.So we're going to give five points to the nuns. Go ahead, Sherri, pick again.
Sherri Geller:
Let's go with dos and don'ts for one.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. The clue for one point is we, the plural pronoun we.
Sherri Geller:
Oh, I could think of a couple ways to do this, Ronnie. It could be the parent who keeps saying, "We are applying."
Lee Coffin:
That's it. That's it.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Stop there.
Lee Coffin:
or she, he, they, not we.
Sherri Geller:
That is a big pet peeve of college counselors and admissions counselors everywhere.
Lee Coffin:
Yes. Okay, Sherri, pick again.
Sherri Geller:
Let's finish up and don'ts for two.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
Dos and don'ts for two. The clue is pen pal.
Sherri Geller:
Oh.
Lee Coffin:
Ronnie, why did you giggle?
Ronnie KcKnight:
I literally just warned the student not to do this yesterday. Sherri, go ahead.
Sherri Geller:
Oh, I was say a pen pal is when they're just writing to their admissions counselor all the time as if that person is their pen pal.
Ronnie KcKnight:
"What questions can I ask my admission counselor, Ronnie?" I'm like, "Do you have any questions?" "No, but what questions should I write them anyways?"
Sherri Geller:
Yes. And sometimes I tell students it becomes stalking at some point.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. So that is correct answer to pen pal. And you've closed out that category.
Sherri Geller:
Close out reader notes for three, Ronnie?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Yeah, let's get rid of reader notes.
Sherri Geller:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
All right. Reader notes for three points. The clue is empty SG.
Sherri Geller:
Reader notes. Empty student something.
Ronnie KcKnight:
School group.
Sherri Geller:
Empty-
Lee Coffin:
School group. Ronnie is on the track. What does empty school group mean?
Jen Simons:
School group?
Sherri Geller:
Not a place that's sending us a lot of applicants?
Lee Coffin:
Yes, Sherri, that is the answer for three points.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Good job, Sherri.
Jen Simons:
Okay.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Pulling it out.
Sherri Geller:
All right, let's go to GOAT for two.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
GOAT for two points. The clue is BWOC.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Big woman on campus.
Sherri Geller:
Big woman on campus.
Lee Coffin:
That is correct for two points.
Charlotte Albright:
Wow. Okay, so two points. You're at 53.
Lee Coffin:
What is that?
Sherri Geller:
Well, it could be read both ways. It could be read as a high school student who's a big deal on their campus, or it could be someone who might come to the school and really make a big impact when they get there.
Lee Coffin:
It's a big, big presence. Yep.
Sherri Geller:
GOAT for three.
Lee Coffin:
GOAT for three, Charlotte.
Charlotte Albright:
GOAT for three. The points are adding up here, and the clue is valdo. Do V-A-L-D-O, valdo. Valdo.
Sherri Geller:
Oh, valedictorian?
Lee Coffin:
Valedictorian is the correct answer. Where we going next?
Ronnie KcKnight:
I think we skipped four. Let's do four.
Charlotte Albright:
The clue for four is F-I-C.
Sherri Geller:
First in class.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, that's right.
Sherri Geller:
Oh, it is? How is that different from valedictorian? Or maybe it isn't.
Lee Coffin:
A different way of saying it.
Ronnie KcKnight:
There's a different acronym.
Charlotte Albright:
Oh, does that make them get to 60, Lee?
Lee Coffin:
Maybe? I think so. Sherri and Ronnie rising fast. What's next?
Sherri Geller:
So is there still... I'm keeping stats here myself, but does GOAT have five or just six?
Lee Coffin:
We have GOAT five still open.
Sherri Geller:
Let's do it.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Charlotte Albright:
GOAT for five. The clue is P-O-E, like Edgar Allen Poe.
Sherri Geller:
President of everything, which actually would be a good reader note.
Lee Coffin:
Sherri, I love that. I'm using that.
Darryl Tiggle:
[inaudible 00:50:08]
Sherri Geller:
That would be a good reader note because there are some kids that do seem to be president of everything in their school. But given that laugh, I'm guessing that's not the answer.
Lee Coffin:
That's not the answer but I love it.
Sherri Geller:
Get a point for creativity. Ronnie, you got a better answer?
Jen Simons:
Person of Excellence.
Lee Coffin:
Yes. Jen, point of excellence. What does it mean? Why would write POE on a file?
Jen Simons:
Because there's something really incredible about their application.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, that there's something in the file that is so exceptionally shiny.
Jen Simons:
Like above and beyond.
Lee Coffin:
The POE.
Jen Simons:
Like international recognition or something.
Lee Coffin:
Okay, we're running out of answers.
Sherri Geller:
Let's vote for five.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, well it's Jen's call now.
Sherri Geller:
Oh.
Jen Simons:
That's fine.
Charlotte Albright:
Okay, Jen.
Lee Coffin:
Let's vote for five.
Charlotte Albright:
Five points, DNSO.
Lee Coffin:
Their mouths are all moving as they say DSNO. I think it's a stumper. Going once, going...
Sherri Geller:
Do not, did not...
Lee Coffin:
Keep going. Those are the first two letters. Did not...
Ronnie KcKnight:
Send offer?
Lee Coffin:
Did not...
Sherri Geller:
Did not stand out?
Lee Coffin:
That's right, Sherri.
Jen Simons:
Oh, wow.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Sherri.
Jen Simons:
Wow.
Darryl Tiggle:
Wow. Nice.
Lee Coffin:
Did not stand out.
Darryl Tiggle:
Perfect.
Jen Simons:
That was good.
Darryl Tiggle:
That was good.
Lee Coffin:
That was good. Opposite of-
Sherri Geller:
That was lucky.
Lee Coffin:
That was the opposite of POE. Okay, Sherri, you get to pick.
Sherri Geller:
Report card for five.
Charlotte Albright:
Report card for five. The clue is LITE12, L-I-T-E 12.
Sherri Geller:
Ronnie, I think that's a curriculum in 12th grade. That is underwhelming.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. What does that mean? That's correct answer. But what does it mean?
Sherri Geller:
Yeah, that maybe the student has taken fewer than a full set of courses, like if the school norm is to take six courses senior year and they only take four or five. Maybe the student has been in honors or AP classes and senior year is not taking such competitive courses. It's when senior year you get a little senioritis, so you're a little slacking off rather than stepping up.
Lee Coffin:
Correct. So we've got texting for four and five and then we have all boom busts.
Sherri Geller:
What do you think, Ronnie?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Let's stick with the four and five.
Jen Simons:
Okay. Texting for four.
Lee Coffin:
Texting for four.
Charlotte Albright:
Texting for four. The clue is L-M as in mother, O. LMO.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Limited...
Sherri Geller:
Math offering.
Lee Coffin:
No, correct answer is like many other.
Sherri Geller:
Oh.
Lee Coffin:
Oh. So you want boom bust. You've ends in Y, central casting, report card, texting, let's vote or GOAT.
Jen Simons:
I like central casting.
Lee Coffin:
Central casting boom bust, Charlotte.
Charlotte Albright:
The clue is fem, F-E-M capital E.
Jen Simons:
Okay, so it's a female engineer.
Darryl Tiggle:
Oh, engineer.
Lee Coffin:
That's it. Ding, ding, ding.
Darryl Tiggle:
Nice.
Charlotte Albright:
10 points.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Now we're getting critical.
Lee Coffin:
Jen, why would someone would write femE?
Jen Simons:
Because you're looking at distinctive... Somebody who's not like all the others, right? And unfortunately that is still the case in some disciplines that you have a female engineer. It's not as common as their male counterpart. Maybe you have a male English major. So it's really about the distinction that gender still has in some majors.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. All right, so where we going?
Darryl Tiggle:
Let's go report card.
Jen Simons:
All right.
Lee Coffin:
Report card boom bust.
Charlotte Albright:
The clue is T75.
Jen Simons:
All right.
Darryl Tiggle:
Top 75?
Jen Simons:
Is it a trimester? Are we talking something about a trimester? No? No idea.
Darryl Tiggle:
No idea.
Lee Coffin:
Okay. Minus 10 for the lawyers. Ronnie, what are you thinking?
Ronnie KcKnight:
It's a kid in your top 25... The mid 50 percentile, your top 25%, top 75% range.
Lee Coffin:
Of?
Ronnie KcKnight:
Of GPAs.
Jen Simons:
In their school group?
Lee Coffin:
You're warm.
Sherri Geller:
In their rank?
Lee Coffin:
No.
Ronnie KcKnight:
They're board scores then?
Lee Coffin:
Yes. So since we're in the boom bust, let's just zip through them and whoever gets it gets it.
Darryl Tiggle:
Okay.
Lee Coffin:
So ends in Y, Charlotte, boom bust.
Charlotte Albright:
Ends in Y boom bust. The clue is susty.
Darryl Tiggle:
Sustainability kid,
Lee Coffin:
Yes, Darryl, for 10 points. Texting category... Oh, we still have five points in the texting category's.
Sherri Geller:
Let's do it.
Charlotte Albright:
Five points in texting. The clue is percentage 4Y.
Sherri Geller:
Can I answer or is this an all-in?
Lee Coffin:
Yes. Yeah, go ahead. Yep.
Sherri Geller:
What percentage of students in that school go to four-year colleges?
Lee Coffin:
That's correct, Sherri, for five points. Why do we care?
Sherri Geller:
Give some context about the student and what their peers are doing after high school.
Lee Coffin:
Yep. And how common is a college growing culture out of that high school. Okay, running out of clues. Charlotte, texting for boom bust.
Charlotte Albright:
Texting from boom bust. The clue is STST.
Lee Coffin:
STST?
Darryl Tiggle:
Spring term...
Sherri Geller:
Seems too... I don't know.
Lee Coffin:
Give up?
Darryl Tiggle:
Give up.
Sherri Geller:
Yep.
Lee Coffin:
The answer is standard strong.
Ronnie KcKnight:
Oh.
Sherri Geller:
Oh.
Charlotte Albright:
What's that mean?
Darryl Tiggle:
They need a D in there.
Lee Coffin:
Charlotte said, "What's that mean?" Anybody want to translate standard strong?
Darryl Tiggle:
It's a student who is solid in all ways. Doesn't necessarily spike in any particular ways, but someone who's just solid in every category. Standard strong.
Lee Coffin:
And I think in very selective pools-
Jen Simons:
Yes.
Lee Coffin:
... is this is where this comes into it, where there's just so much quality at the top that you're standard strong. I've never used that one, but I've heard it. Okay.
Darryl Tiggle:
Lee, what did I used to call them?
Lee Coffin:
Oh.
Darryl Tiggle:
Garden variety.
Lee Coffin:
Oh, Darryl. Yeah.
Charlotte Albright:
Depends on the garden. I mean, come on. In a good garden.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. Okay, two more to go, friends. Let's vote for boom bust.
Charlotte Albright:
The clue is HCWN, question mark.
Lee Coffin:
HCWN, question mark.
Sherri Geller:
How can we-
Ronnie KcKnight:
How can we not?
Jen Simons:
How can we not?
Lee Coffin:
How can we not-
Sherri Geller:
How can we not?
Lee Coffin:
... Ronnie got it. So by a score of 70 to 41, Sherri and Ronnie are the victors-
Sherri Geller:
Whoo-hoo.
Darryl Tiggle:
That fun quiz ball.
Lee Coffin:
... of the Admissions Beat Quiz Bowl.
Darryl Tiggle:
Nice. Nice.
Ronnie KcKnight:
I have been so honored.
Jen Simons:
I am very impressed, I really am, with all with my colleagues.
Darryl Tiggle:
That was a good game. That was a good game.
Lee Coffin:
Yeah, that was fun.
Charlotte Albright:
I have a question for all of you.
Lee Coffin:
Yes?
Charlotte Albright:
These are things in use inside the hallowed doors of the admissions committee decision making room. Do you find them useful?
Lee Coffin:
Oh, yeah. I mean these are all, to some degree or another, active that admission officers use. I have added president of everything-
Jen Simons:
Yes.
Lee Coffin:
…for my upcoming reading season. I've never typed that, but I will this year. Yeah. So I think the lesson of this is we read a lot of information and we distill the essays and the recommendations and the transcripts down to smaller ways of communicating with each other and with ourselves. And I think if you're an applicant or a parent or a counselor listening to this, the trick is to think about some of the concepts, "I want to make sure I highlight this point of excellence and give my story the best chance of being told with my own words in my own way."
Sherri Geller:
Isn't there also a takeaway that the details matter?
Lee Coffin:
Yeah.
Sherri Geller:
I think sometimes students hear that schools have tens of thousands of applications, and they don't know how much care and how much time is being spent on each application. But this is showing that the specifics within the application all have a place in the reader's thoughts and in the reader's notes.
Lee Coffin:
That's right. That's right.
Jen Simons:
I'm taking away how much your relationship with being admitted or not to a certain school also has to do with everything else around you. It has to do with the background, right? It has to do with the other students. And there have been many abbreviations where I'm like, "Oh, it's not about me. It's about the background."
Lee Coffin:
Yeah. Yeah. And I think, Jen, that's a really important insight because I think it's really hard for individual applicants to see themselves in this much bigger universe. Now, you might be FIC, first in class at your school, or BWOC at your school, but if you're in a really selective pool there are a lot of FICs in that pool and you have to tell your story in a way that helps you move forward. And you can't know what the pool is, but you know what your story is.
Charlotte Albright:
I just want to say to all of you, I'm not an admissions officer. I don't have this in my background. I was listening kind of as a proxy for families and their children, and what I heard was a bunch of people collaborating really nicely together. Even though there was this banter about who's winning, what I really heard was people thinking in collective ways about something that's tough to bring consensus to. I heard you making answers that reminded us all that you are community builders, but you also built a community among yourselves. So I hope that's what people heard.
Lee Coffin:
Darryl, Ronnie, Sherri, Jen, thanks for playing Admission Quiz Bowl with me.
Darryl Tiggle:
This was great.
Sherri Geller:
That was fun.
Lee Coffin:
Okay.
Sherri Geller:
Next year we want to be the defending champs.
Lee Coffin:
You'll be the defending champs for Quiz Bowl 2. Maybe we'll invite them, maybe we'll bring back-
Darryl Tiggle:
Rematch.
Lee Coffin:
... Darryl and Jen for rematch. For now, this is Lee Coffin and Charlotte Albright from Dartmouth College. Thanks so much for listening to this fun episode. See you next week.