Introductions

So after perusing some other school's websites, I  came across the Johns Hopkins University blog, the Hopkins Insider. In this blog the author, Admissions_Daniel, introduces every member of the Admissions team to his readers. What a great idea! Therefore, I am stealing this concept and applying it to my very own blog....Thank you Admissions_Daniel for a fabulous idea. I will be throwing in these introductions throughout the coming weeks, so keep an eye out to get some more in depth information on your Admissions Counselor! Now, without further ado, I present to you Mr. Keith McCusker...

Name: Keith McCusker

Title: Assistant Director of Admissions 

Hometown: Asbury   Park, NJ

(The Boss’ stomping grounds)

 

Education:   BA in Criminal Justice, NU Corps of Cadets 2004
                  MS in Organizational Leadership, Norwich University - in progress

Majors You Review: Architecture, English, Communications, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, Geology, Environmental Science, and Mathematics

 

How long have you been at Norwich? I’ve been at NU ever since August 2000 on Rook Arrival Day, so getting on 7 years now.  4 years as a student, and then 3 years in full time admissions work. 

Why did you choose to enter into the world of Admissions? I was a student tour guide, overnight host, student ambassador, and an officer in charge of helping run our Maroon and Gold Key club. The MGK club is the volunteer club of our student tour guides, overnight hosts, etc. I wanted to stay in VT after graduation, the admissions office was hiring and I had some experience around the office, so it just seemed like a natural transition. 

What do you focus on the most when reviewing an application? I try to look at everything the applicant has been involved with and come up with a mental picture of that applicant. So the more you tell me about yourself, the better I can understand you as a person not just as a paper application. Making sure you’ve taken all the right classes in high school to prepare you for whatever major you’re interested in, is also a big part of it. 

What are your Admissions “Pet Peeves”? 1) Not telling me enough about yourself in the application essay. 2) Only taking the SATs once, I don’t care how well you think you did, taking them again will help!!! 

What is your favorite part of this job? I’d have to say that is a tie between working the freshmen send off parties in the summer and Arrival days. I love standing around with NU alums and incoming freshman with their families during the summer at our send off events. I could talk for hours with the incoming freshman about how great NU really is, and typically I’ve been known to share some of my “this one time, when I was a rook stories” or some of my little tricks of the trade to surviving rookdom. Arrival day is just as great! Seeing the new freshmen and their families finally making it to campus after a long year worth of numerous emails, phone calls, and IMs with both the students and their families is an awesome feeling.

Application Tips: Get it over and done with as soon as possible. With rolling admissions, the sooner you get it all in, the sooner we get a decision back to you. I was accepted to NU by Thanksgiving of my senior year of high school, you want to talk about a great senior year after that!!!

What are your outside hobbies? I read just about anything I can get my hands on. Right now The Dark Tower series by Stephen King has been consuming my life, but other favorites include the Wheel to Time series and the Chronicles of Narnia. Anything by John Grisham is always a good read as well. I also love to cook, especially cheesecake and when I can find the time, a little PS2 action or a good movie on the coach with the wife will be where you can find me.  

What’s something about you that surprises most people? In high school, freshman year, I had a ponytail and for a while sophomore year a bleached blonde Mohawk which ended up different colors every other week or so.