By James Q. Griffin ’55
During the last four years, the University along with the Graduate and Undergraduate Interclub Committees has been exploring ways to make the Club admission process more understandable and accessible to sophomores.
Approximately 65 percent of the sophomore class applies for Club membership. There are currently 11 clubs; six are selective, four non-selective and one semi-selective. All have different admissions procedures, but only two – Ivy and Tower – have extensive individual interview systems.
The task of developing a system which coordinates these various approaches as well as introducing a dual-club bicker option has tested the undergraduate leadership. Complicating the problem is a requirement to coordinate the choices of 850 sophomores via a computer program with in a one-week timeframe.
The Undergraduate Interclub Committee has approved three principals to guide the process.
They include:
- Outreach to undergraduates
- Synchronization of admissions between sign-in and bicker clubs
- A multi-club bicker selection process Ivy’s undergraduate officers and our Board fully support points 1 and 2.
Ivy and Tower have concluded that the personal interview process, and in our case separate evaluations for each candidate, is critical to finding those who will complement our membership. Our time-tested approach ensures that individuals are taken one by one and not affinity group by affinity group.
We recognize that Ivy must cast a broad net to find the rare person who does not fit on a bell curve. We plan to hold a series of buffet dinners for freshman and sophomores to expose them to our membership.
Ivy will closely monitor the evolving process and will continue to reach out to as many candidates as we can interview.