Interview with Chair of Ivy League Admissions Committee

As a graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard Business School, Mr. Karl Furstenberg has worked in selective university admissions for 30 years. Mr. Furstenberg has served as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Wesleyan University and Dartmouth College, and was also Chair of the Ivy League Admissions Committee. Being well versed in a diversity of aspects including secondary school curriculum, standardized testing and student evaluation, Mr. Furstenberg has published several books, including “Responsible Use of Standardized Tests” and “Admissions Selection: Discerning Intrinsic Talent in a Confounding Era”.

In this interview, Mr. Furstenberg shares with us his insights on liberal arts education and the nature of the Ivy Leagues’ admissions process with his personal experience.

April (许筱艺): How would you advise high school seniors to find their best-fit universities?  

Mr. Furstenberg: I think the best approach is to look for a school that will challenge you and at the same time be supportive of your aspirations.

April: What aspect of the liberal arts education did you personally benefitfrom the most?  

Mr. Furstenberg: The ability to think about problems in a multi-disciplinary way and develop creative solutions to problems, and the ability to express ideas in written and oral form.

April: If you were to assign Wesleyan University a personality, what would itbe?  

Mr. Furstenberg: Wesleyan University is an intellectually challenging school with a very diverse student population. Students are constantly encouraged to ‘think outside the box’.

April: As you have graduated from Wesleyan University and Harvard Business School, how does your personal education background influence your career?

Mr. Furstenberg: In some ways it did, because I wanted to be working in a challenging environment with people interested in learning who wanted to make a contribution to the world. All the schools I have been associated with (Wesleyan, Harvard and Dartmouth) represent these values.

April: What is a unique aspect of Dartmouth College that really attracted you?

Mr. Furstenberg: Dartmouth is a superior academic institution with exceptional students and faculty, and amazing learning resources. It is also a very active community where students are eager to get involved and make a difference.

April: In what ways can high school students prepare themselves for the challenging academics in the Ivy League schools?  

Mr. Furstenberg: I think that the best approach is to take the most demanding course program you can in a broad range of academic disciplines. Be aware of the importance of thinking critically, developing verbal and quantitative skills, and broaden your depth of knowledge. At the same time, develop yourself personally through extracurricular activities and community service.

April: What is the most interesting or enjoyable part of your role as theChair of the Ivy League Admissions Committee?  

Mr. Furstenberg: It was a lot of fun working with colleagues to discuss educational issues that were common to all eight Ivy Institutions. We also made the effort to make the admissions process for students more thoughtful and straightforward.

April: How do top universities such as Dartmouth College discern intrinsic talent in this confounding era?  

Mr. Furstenberg: I think that the best approach is to collect a lot of information about the student that tells you about their interests, talents and accomplishments and what they contribute to a community. This is why we collect information about a student’s background, essays, activities, course load and grades, standardized test scores, recommendations and sometimes interviews. All of this material is thoughtfully evaluated by admissions committees. There is no formula because each person is different. Basically, we are looking for talent and energy.

April: In your opinion, how will education in Ivy League schools evolve in the next few decades?  

Mr. Furstenberg: I think that Ivy schools will become more diverse as the world’s population changes. I also see technology playing a larger role at the same time we continue to offer a broad liberal arts education.

April: What do you like to read in your spare time?  

Mr. Furstenberg: Mostly novels that explore human experiences and relationships.