Recruiting Veterans, Columbia Finds an Impressive Applicant Pool

Recruiting Veterans, Columbia Finds an Impressive Applicant Pool


By MICHAEL WINERIP
Published: November 13, 2011


CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Two years ago, in an effort to attract more veterans to Columbia, Curtis Rodgers, a dean of admissions, began recruiting at military bases. Almost immediately he noticed differences between the Marines and the typical 18-year-old Ivy League applicant.

Marines are less aggressive. When Mr. Rodgers asked Sgt. Tiffani Watts at the end of a recent interview if she had any questions, the Marine answered, “I do, sir, but I don’t want to make you late for your next interview, sir.”

Marines are open about academic weaknesses. “To be forthright, sir, I did very poorly in high school,” Cpl. Leland Dawson began his interview. “It was a bit shaky, sir.”

Marines are understated. While 18-year-olds describe in detail a week they spent in Costa Rica building houses for the needy, Sergeant Watts, Cpl. Benjamin Vickery, Cpl. Tyler Fritz and Cpl. Andrew King barely mentioned their deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. “No one wants to brag about something so terrible,” Corporal King said. “In a brief 30 minutes you can’t explain something that dramatic in your life.”

Which makes the dean’s interviews with Marines a little tougher. “They tend to play down their accomplishments,” Mr. Rodgers said.
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