"One thing that has not changed is the level of personal attention and consideration," Griffin emphasizes. "We want to make sure we are treating each applicant fairly and with great respect…I drive my staff nuts because I often tell students that we will read everything they submit in the admission process. If they feel it is important to submit a portfolio, a CD, five letters of recommendation, we will read them."

Students sometimes find imaginative ways to attract extra attention to their application. Alice Dunfey recalls one that was printed on elegant stationery and rolled up like a diploma. The student had stapled a tea bag to the stationery and attached a note: "Sit back, relax, make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy reading my application."

Dan Monahan reviewed an application from a Vietnamese pop star who included a DVD of a performance. "She was the equivalent of a Spice Girl in her native country, and she attended a prep school in the U.S. The performance was in Vietnamese, but we had a blast watching it," Monahan says. Also an academic star, the student was courted by a number of schools and eventually enrolled elsewhere. "That’s part of the process," Monahan observes. "If Saint Anselm is not right for them, I want to help them to make that decision as well."

Finding the Right Fit
Competition for qualified students is intense. Today’s high school graduates typically apply to six to 10 colleges, and the most promising might be accepted by all of them. So Saint Anselm has to work hard to demonstrate that it offers the best opportunity.

The college stays in steady contact with every admitted student, communicating at least two or three times a month by letter or e-mail. Admitted students are invited to spend time on campus shadowing a current student, sitting in on classes, dining at Davison Hall, and finding out what the Saint Anselm experience is really like. Close to 50 percent of admitted students take advantage of those opportunities.

This year the college is experimenting with a Web page designed specifically for admitted students. The password-only page includes information about current events at Saint Anselm, as well as "blogs" posted by current students, who describe their day-to-day activities. "I want students to have an honest view of what to expect at Saint Anselm, both in and out of the classroom," Griffin explains. "If they come here with unrealistic expectations, we know we’ll have a problem with retention."

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