With more than 31,000 applications received for just 1,600 available first-year student spots, undergraduate admissions at Vanderbilt is hotter than ever. Equally strong is the desire of alumni to make an impact on the recruitment effort. During the past two years, the number of Commodore Recruitment Programs (CoRPs) volunteers has more than doubled from 1,512 to 3,371 alumni.
By staffing 200 college fairs and interviewing 6,151 Vanderbilt undergraduate applicants, these volunteers serve as the face of Vanderbilt across the globe—an experience they say is very rewarding. “I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting the outstanding students who are interested in Vanderbilt,” says longtime volunteer Perry Brandt, BA’74, JD’77, of Kansas City, Missouri. “It is an awesome responsibility to assist the university in this manner, but is also a great pleasure to share the excitement at Vanderbilt and the wonderful education it provides.”
In addition to establishing a closer connection with Vanderbilt, the personal interaction CoRPs volunteers provide is making a significant impact. The number of alumni interviews they conducted during the past year represents a 50 percent increase over the previous year. This is significant because, while interviews are not required for admission, applicants who participate in the interviews are more likely to choose Vanderbilt over other universities if accepted.
The next admissions cycle starts this fall, and Vanderbilt looks forward to more alumni joining this effort. Volunteers are needed from everywhere, but a particular need exists for alumni help in the New York City area, Atlanta, Chicago and on the West Coast. Go online, or call (615) 322-2929 to volunteer today.