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 elationships with counselors and school administrators are crucial to
maintaining Colby's presence in the New York area, which commands attention
from the nation's top colleges and universities. Some private New York schools
are visited by 150 or more college representatives. "As you can imagine,
competition for these students is quite keen," Beverage said. "If you don't
have good relationships with the counselors you run the risk of being
overlooked because there are so many quality schools sending people."
Beverage needn't worry. Judging from the reception of officials at schools
throughout the city, he is among the most well-liked college representatives on
the circuit. At The Chapin School, veteran college counselor Louise
Henderson--who operates a summer camp in Maine--was demonstrably delighted to
see Beverage and assured him that this year's group of students was first rate.
"This is the best class we've had in fifteen years and you're seeing the best
of the group," she said.
Six plaid-skirted girls joined Henderson and Beverage in the wood-paneled
sitting room beneath a portrait of a former Chapin headmistress. Henderson
repeatedly endorsed Colby as Beverage described it. "The faculty are
excellent--very, very good," she emphasized. And when a student asked about the
winter, Henderson chimed in, "Oh, you'll be so busy you won't even notice."
All over the city, Beverage encountered old friends anxious to deliver
students for Colby. At The Collegiate School--the oldest prep school in the
country, founded in 1638--Beverage was squired through the halls by college
counselor Bruce Breimer, who couldn't stop talking about a senior he said would
solve basketball coach Dick Whitmore's need for a point guard. "Great kid. .
.super work ethic. . .you would love this kid. . .he's such a worker. . .solid
student," Breimer said in a rapid-fire New York accent. And a "solid student"
at Collegiate--where the median SAT score is 1340--is a prized student. Three
Collegiate students huddled with Beverage in a tiny classroom. Two of them
missed the team bus and made special travel arrangements to their soccer
playoff game so they could hear about Colby.
The Nightingale-Bamford School college counselor Joyce Mitchell, who calls
Beverage "one of my favorite people," also was excited about the students she
had to offer. "This is a good group," she said. Then, in a conspiratorial
whisper, she added, "I think a couple of them have already decided on Colby."
She was right. Senior Jenny Tanenbaum, who had recently returned from visiting
the College, gushed about her experience. "I absolutely loved it," she told
Beverage. "It was like this picture I had in my mind about where I want to
be."
Mitchell says Beverage, with whom she has worked for nearly a decade, is a
good example of an admission officer who puts students first. "When you connect
with a representative--like I do with Parker--you both view it as an
educational process rather than somebody trying to sell something to somebody
else. We make decisions based on whether Colby would be a good match for a
student. We trust each other.
"Parker puts the student in the center. I know that when he works with my
students he is looking out for them, not just for his institution," she said.
Beverage says that while his friendships with counselors are important,
Colby's cachet as an academic institution undergirds each relationship. "I
could be best friends with every counselor in the city, but if Colby weren't a
good school they wouldn't recommend it to their students," he said.
By 4 p.m. Beverage had completed his first day of visits, and he began the
long walk back to the hotel. A few hours later, he was back on the East Side
for dinner at Zucchero, an Italian restaurant owned by Libby Corydon-Apicella
'74 and her husband, Giovanni Apicella. When the maitre d' learned that
Beverage was from Colby, he produced a glass of anisette, compliments of the
house. Making such a connection is a pleasant byproduct of admission travel,
according to Beverage. "When we're on the road we're representing Colby, not
just the Admissions Office," he said. "We try to be ambassadors for the College
whenever we can."
Day Two was a long one--with a 50-block walk to the Upper West Side and five
schools to see and not much time between visits. The appointments were stacked
so closely that Beverage couldn't squeeze in a lunch break. By 3:30, he had
walked several miles between schools, all in a steady drizzle. His voice was
fading, his shoes were soaked and his clothes were damp. All part of the job,
he said. "You have to be prepared to deal with inclement weather, mishaps of
every description, whatever happens. This is where experience comes in handy.
Just about everything that could happen to a person on the road has happened to
me," Beverage said, chuckling. "I've gotten lost, gone to the wrong school,
spilled things on my pants, you name it."
On the final day of his visit, Beverage drove out of the city to the leafy
suburbs of Westchester County. At Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, he
was met by Esther Gates '57, the school's college counselor, and volunteer Judy
Corr, the mother of Colby student Michael Corr '98. Two years ago when Beverage
visited Horace Greeley, seven students eventually enrolled at Colby, the most
from any school that year. The turnout was good again this time; eight students
gathered to listen.
Beverage wrapped up his New York trip with an early afternoon high school
visit and a harried drive through rush hour traffic to LaGuardia in time for a
4:30 flight home. Settled in his seat on the plane, he reflected on the trip.
"I really enjoy coming to New York because I have a lot of old friends here,
and also because it's such an exciting place to spend a few days. But even more
than that, I enjoy talking about Colby and meeting these students, some of whom
will be walking around our campus next fall. The real rewards from this work
come when you help a student connect with Colby, and that connection leads to a
fulfilling college experience for them and, really, to a life-long relationship
with Colby. In a sense, this is where it all begins."
Mule Train
Pizza, Clams, Beer and a Band | Table of Contents | Faculty File
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