609: Admission Nutrients (Part 3 of 6: Leadership): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life

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SHOW NOTES

In Episode 3 of our series on Admission Nutrients, Ethan is joined by Deanna Dixon, the Dean of Admission at Smith College, to dive into leadership and initiative. In their conversation, they get into: 

  • What are a few of the qualities Smith College looks for?

  • How does their supplemental essay point to their institutional priorities and what they’re looking for in an applicant?

  • Why are leadership and initiative important from Smith’s perspective? 

  • What does she think about ChatGPT?

  • When it comes to equity and leveling the playing field, how does she believe the profession is doing?

  • Advice for students and families going through this process

  • And more!

Deanna Dixon has worked in college admission since 2006 and currently serves as Dean of Admission at Smith College.  As a graduate of a women’s college, she has maintained a deep commitment to women's education and college attainment for marginalized students in general.  A parent of a college senior, Deanna appreciates the dedication of college counselors and the shared partnership of matching students to the best school for them. Deanna has a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a master’s degree in business administration from The Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.

We hope you enjoy our conversation. 

Play-by-play

  • 2:09 – Welcome and introductions

  • 2:37 – What are some roles that Deanna plays as Dean of Admission at Smith? 

  • 4:59 – What does life look like behind the scenes at Smith?

  • 8:10 – What is yield and why is it important to colleges?

  • 10:01 – What are some of the “positive character attributes” that Smith is looking for?

  • 14:05 – Where do these attributes show up in an application? 

  • 17:07 – How does Smith’s supplemental essay point to their institutional priorities?

  • 22:54 – Why are leadership and initiative important from Smith’s perspective? 

  • 24:30 – What are some interesting or unconventional examples of students taking initiative or leadership at the high school level?

  • 27:46 – Where does leadership show up on campus at Smith? 

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