1. The Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN)
CAAAN Overview: An Introduction for New Volunteers
October 2016

2. Using This Document
It is intended for new CAAAN volunteers and those needing a refresher
It is available as a .pps (PowerPoint slideshow) file containing clickable links
It can be used as a self-training file or used by chairs in broadcast mode
It can be edited by changing the file extension from .pps to .ppt
Please direct questions and comments to your CAAAN chair

3. This Overview Covers… What is CAAAN? Roles of CAAAN volunteers
CAAAN Contact meetings
CAAAN Website
CAAAN Calendar

4. What Is CAAAN?
CAAAN is the “Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network”
Nearly 12,000 alumni volunteers worldwide
#1 Cornell alumni activity!
About 350 committees
Acts as an extension of the Undergraduate Admissions Office (UAO) to help with recruiting and yield efforts
Ambassadors for Cornell first, but also a resource for students and parents 4

5. CAAAN Mission
Assist Cornell Admissions community with first-year student recruitment and enrollment
Promote Cornell University by serving as ambassadors throughout the world
Personalize the admissions process for first-year applicants
Engage CU alumni with future alumni

6. CAAAN Volunteer Activities
Conduct informational contact meetings with applicants (not evaluative interviews)
Contacted over 22,912 freshman admission applicants in cycle (51% of the total applicant pool)
Submit informational contact reports that add depth/perspective to students’ applications
Represent Cornell at college fairs
Hold receptions for admitted applicants and summer sendoffs for entering students

7. The CAAAN Structure CAAAN Coordinator and CAAAN Assistant
(Kyle Downey) (Colleen Chaffee)
CAAAN Advisory Committee (‘C’AC)
350 committees led by experienced CAAAN volunteers
12,000 alumni ambassadors worldwide
*The CAAAN Coordinator and CAAAN Assistant are employees of Cornell; all other positions listed above are held by volunteers. 7

8. The CAAAN Advisory Committee (‘C’AC)
Volunteers appointed by CAAAN Coordinator to actively assist in guiding/managing/training CAAAN
Trains and mentors Chairs
Helps the Undergraduate Admissions Office (UAO) troubleshoot areas with leadership gaps or other issues
Trusted advisors to UAO on matters such as communication with alumni and students

9. Your CAAAN Chair Is an experienced volunteer
Assigns and tracks applicant referrals
Is your first contact for questions and suggestions
Areas vary, but the average chair receives applicant referrals per year 9

10. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Overview (1 of 2)
Contact Meetings help personalize the admissions process for Cornell applicants
Positive, informal, and informative meetings
Not evaluative interviews to assess worthiness of candidates for admission
Opportunities for applicants to learn more about the Cornell Experience and for Cornell to learn a bit more about its applicants, too

11. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Overview (2 of 2)
The core role of CAAAN volunteers
Provide info about Cornell
Answer applicant’s questions - research and follow-up after meeting, if necessary
Put a positive face on Cornell - bring in your own relevant CU experiences
Submit a report with info about the applicant
Focus on info not in the application
All reports are read by admissions

12. Applicants Contacted by CAAAN
CAAAN volunteers meet with applicants to
Art & Planning Majors in Architecture, Art and Planning
Agriculture and Life Sciences
Arts and Sciences
College of Business (except for School of Hotel Administration applicants)
Engineering
Human Ecology
Industrial and Labor Relations
Other programs offer formal interviews instead
Architecture major
School of Hotel Administration 12

13. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Arranging the Meeting
Your CAAAN chair s you an applicant referral
Contact the applicant ASAP by * and/or phone to arrange a meeting (not at that moment)
Identify yourself as a Cornell alumni admissions ambassador
Explain the purpose of the meeting: informational, not evaluative
Select a convenient time and location
Exchange cell phone numbers
If applicant declines or doesn’t respond after two attempts, indicate so in report
Contact meetings are optional for applicants
* If possible, send the note from your Cornell address

14. CAAAN Contact Meetings: The Applicant Referral Email
Applicant Name: Ezra Cornell Applicant Number: Mailing Address: 1 Cornell Place, Ithaca, NY Mailing Phone: 607/ address: High School: Ithaca HS in Ithaca (CEEB: ) Gender: Male Ethnicity (Self-Reported): N/A College: A&LS Intended Major: Applied Economics and Mgmt Special Characteristics: Legacy

15. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Where to Meet
Face-to-face meetings are preferred, but phone and video contacts are acceptable – see Alternate Approaches slide
Meet in a neutral, public place, e.g., coffee shop, library, local school
Do NOT meet in your home
Do NOT meet in your office after hours
Do NOT meet in the applicant’s home unless the applicant suggests that option and a parent/guardian will be home

16. CAAAN Contact Meetings: When to Hold Meetings
Meet as soon as you can, typically within two weeks from referral
File a narrative report online ASAP after the meeting
Be aware of the CAAAN calendar
Early decision (ED) reports due December 1
Regular decision (RD) narrative reports due Feb. 15
RD basic reports due March 1

17. CAAAN Contacts – Alternate Approaches
Sometimes geography or applicant volume makes a face-to-face meeting unrealistic.
Consider:
phone or video (e.g., Skype, Google Hangout, Facetime) contacts
small group meetings
a personal introducing yourself and offering to answer any questions and/or share some information about your CU experience

18. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (1 of 4)
Arrive on time (or call on time if a phone meeting)
Set the applicant at ease
Remind the applicant that this is an informational meeting, not an interview
Share a bit about yourself and maybe a favorite Cornell memory with the applicant
Don’t take notes during the meeting, but do write up a few words immediately after

19. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (2 of 4)
Ask the applicant…
Open-ended questions, such as
What’s important to you in a college?
What questions do you have about Cornell?
What would you like to know about my Cornell experience?
Is there is anything that you did not share in your application that you would like to share now?
Give the applicant ample time to respond and expand (s/he is likely nervous)

20. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (3 of 4)
Potential Cornell topics to discuss:
“Any person, any study”
Diverse, talented student body
4,000+ courses!
Beauty of the campus
Traditions and service/outreach
World-renowned, accessible faculty
Freshman experience
Loyal alumni – Cornellian for life

21. CAAAN Contact Meetings: Conducting the Meeting (4 of 4)
Please Do NOT…
Approach the meeting like a job interview
Take notes during the meeting
Ask about GPA, SATs, rank in class
Compare Cornell with other universities
Attempt to estimate the candidate’s chances of admission
Initiate discussion about risky/sensitive topics such as politics, race, religion…

22. The CAAAN Contact Report (1 of 2)
Intended to add information and perspective to the application, not to evaluate whether the applicant should be admitted
File your report within a few days of your meeting and before the CAAAN deadline
Include examples of what was discussed
Report facts and observations, not judgments or conclusions
Admissions committees report that timely, well-written reports can aid in their decision-making process

23. The CAAAN Contact Report (2 of 2)
File report online at CAAAN website
Report unusual circumstances, e.g., time-consuming responsibilities
Include any new information that the applicant asked you to share with the admissions committee
Don’t report physical characteristics (height, weight, level of attractiveness)
The length of the report is limited; don’t use space to repeat information that is already in the application

24. The CAAAN Website At caaan.admissions.cornell.edu
Primary site for CAAAN volunteers
CAAAN overview and training materials
Contact report submittal
Loads of links to CAAAN resources
Key links on Members page, including:
Guidelines and Best Practices
Updates from Campus
NetID login required

25. The CAAAN Calendar*
October – February: contact meetings with applicants
Deadlines for contact meeting reports:
ED reports: December 1
RD narrative reports: February 15
Admissions decisions available to CAAAN
Early decision: mid-December
Regular decision: early April
Rolling notification: early March (ILR and Hotel only)
*Dates vary slightly each year

26. Thank You For Volunteering Your Time Through CAAAN!