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Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: News
Stetson Departure | How can I get in? With dean gone, answer may change
Counselors wonder how Stetson's exit will affect admissions decisions
Emily Babay
Under former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson, the Penn admissions office gained a reputation for its emphasis on early decision and its outreach to minorities.
Now, it's unclear how, or if, those priorities will change with Stetson's departure.
An admissions dean can have a major impact on a college's policies, high-school college counselors and college consultants say, and many are curious to see if a new dean will result in changes in Penn's admissions practices.
Stetson - who resigned suddenly and without explanation at the end of August - was "always so stalwart on his insistence that early decision is what built the spirit at Penn," said Eileen Doctorow, a college counselor at North Hollywood High School in California.
Other admissions experts echoed those thoughts and also pointed to increases in the number of minority and international students at Penn as indicators of Stetson's priorities in admissions.
Within the admissions office, Stetson instructed his staff to reach out to find a group of students who would contribute to Penn in a variety of ways.
"It seemed like we were everywhere," said Canh Oxelson, a former Penn admissions officer who is now a dean at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. The goal, Oxelson said, was to "cast as wide a net as far as possible" to attract different kinds of students at a range of schools.
Oxelson added that policies emphasized during Stetson's tenure such as early decision are likely "to continue to work well for Penn" even under a new admissions dean.
After stating in July that he would remain at Penn through this academic year, Stetson suddenly moved up his departure date in late August. Penn President Amy Gutmann has only said that the move was in the "best interests" of Stetson and the University.
And as Penn officials begin their search for a new admissions head, experts say the new dean will put his or her own stamp on the University.
"Anytime there's a change in leadership at an admissions office, emphasis changes," said college consultant David Petersam.
Now, it's unclear how, or if, those priorities will change with Stetson's departure.
An admissions dean can have a major impact on a college's policies, high-school college counselors and college consultants say, and many are curious to see if a new dean will result in changes in Penn's admissions practices.
Stetson - who resigned suddenly and without explanation at the end of August - was "always so stalwart on his insistence that early decision is what built the spirit at Penn," said Eileen Doctorow, a college counselor at North Hollywood High School in California.
Other admissions experts echoed those thoughts and also pointed to increases in the number of minority and international students at Penn as indicators of Stetson's priorities in admissions.
Within the admissions office, Stetson instructed his staff to reach out to find a group of students who would contribute to Penn in a variety of ways.
"It seemed like we were everywhere," said Canh Oxelson, a former Penn admissions officer who is now a dean at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. The goal, Oxelson said, was to "cast as wide a net as far as possible" to attract different kinds of students at a range of schools.
Oxelson added that policies emphasized during Stetson's tenure such as early decision are likely "to continue to work well for Penn" even under a new admissions dean.
After stating in July that he would remain at Penn through this academic year, Stetson suddenly moved up his departure date in late August. Penn President Amy Gutmann has only said that the move was in the "best interests" of Stetson and the University.
And as Penn officials begin their search for a new admissions head, experts say the new dean will put his or her own stamp on the University.
"Anytime there's a change in leadership at an admissions office, emphasis changes," said college consultant David Petersam.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Saul
posted 10/04/07 @ 10:32 AM EST
Stetson-gate has meant nothing but bad things for the University. We want answers NOW. With all due respect to the DP, there's only one man who can hit hard enough to uncover the truth, SHARK. (Continued…)
Shark
posted 10/04/07 @ 10:47 AM EST
youve got to stop this
its ridiculous
frank pinkus
posted 10/04/07 @ 9:10 PM EST
It is important to note that under Dean Stetson - he always said "Penn admitted students not numbers"- and I am sure that under Interim Dean Kaplan that philosophy will continue. (Continued…)
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