Kathryn Bezella joined Dartmouth last fall as Assistant Vice President and Dean of Undergraduate Admissions. On the Admissions Beat podcast, she shares insights gleaned from her first year as an admissions dean. Joining her for the conversation is Lee Coffin, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, who recently completed his 30th year in such a role. As the podcast's host, Dean Coffin collaborates with a range of guests to offer credible information, insights, and guidance on every step of the college search process.
Lee Coffin: Kathryn, you have just navigated your first year as a dean. How are you feeling?
Kathryn Bezella: Very proud, enormously proud. This year, more than any other in my career, everyone was my point of focus. You and I read every single file of every student who was ultimately admitted and many, many of those who ultimately weren't. I think I've always had a sense of and respect for the "grandfather clock," but now I've opened the back, and I've seen the gears.
LC: As you get to the point where your first class is finished and look back, what surprised you the most?
KB: I ended up being charmed by and excited about the quality of the applications that we read. I was not so lost in the management of the process or in the details of the days to stop and fully appreciate the voices of the students. I enjoyed the liberal arts nature of what I was reading and the Dartmouth
"flavor" of that. The way that students talked about the outdoors or a specific professor, it just felt very personal to me. Even though the size of the pool and the selectivity of it is huge, meeting kids one at a time still felt really, really personal.
LC: Every year I've done this, the most challenging part of the job is trying to figure out, "When can I say yes? When must I say no?" You're managing a scarce resource, which is a seat in the class versus a very qualified pool.
KB: I had my own heartbreak in the college application process, so I know it feels devastating to get that "no" from the place that you envisioned was going to be your perfect haven. I'm so glad I didn't end up at any of those places because the place that I landed was perfect for the path it put me on, but I didn't know that when I was 17.
LC: What advice do you have to high school seniors and their parents?
KB: I would hope people can find a couple of moments to stay present but also be open to surprises. I think we can hold onto an image for ourselves and our future that feels overly certain. At this time, nothing has been decided. Applications are still possible. It's a great time to still be curious.
This interview is drawn from one of many Admissions Beat episodes students and their supporters can listen to as they seek to inform and gain confidence in their college search process.
Photograph by Don Hamerman
