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Letters and Comments
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- The Concord Review
- Special Programs
- National Writing Board
- Letters and Comments
Letters and Comments to The National Writing Board
Comments
Letters from:
John A. Blackburn
Dean of Admission, University of Virginia
Thomas H. Parker
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Amherst College
Daniel J. Saracino
Assistant Provost for Enrollment, University of Notre Dame
William R. Fitzsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College
Fred Hargadon
Former Dean of Admission, Princeton University
Richard H. Shaw
Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Yale University
Letter from John A. Blackburn
Dean of Admission, University of Virginia
University of Virginia
Office of Admission
August 2, 2004
Will Fitzhugh, President
National Writing Board
730 Boston Post Road, Suite 24
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
The University of Virginia is pleased to endorse the National Writing Board and the important project you have undertaken. Nurturing and enhancing the experience and skills in writing and doing research are among the most important challenges for our country and I commend you for founding and leading this effort.
We would be happy to place your brochures in our reception room so that more high school students will consider doing it.
Sincerely,
John A. Blackburn
Dean of Admission
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter from Thomas H. Parker
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Amherst College
Amherst College
Office of Admission
July 10, 2001
Will Fitzhugh
The Concord Review
National Writing Board
730 Boston Post Road, Suite 24
Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
Amherst College is pleased to join what appears to be a growing cohort of superb colleges and universities who endorse the work of the National Writing Board.
We will certainly welcome your evaluations and comments on students who have submitted their work to you and who have applied to Amherst.
In the years to come, we also look forward to exploring ways in which Amherst and others who have endorsed your work can encourage students to make use of the services you offer.
Sincerely yours,
(signed)
Thomas H. Parker
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
THP/fj
Amherst College, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002-5000
Telephone (413) 542-2328
admission@amherst.edu
www.amherst.edu/admission
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From Daniel J. Saracino
Assistant Provost for Enrollment, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-5612
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
August 9, 2000
Mr. Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
730 Boston Post Road, Suite 24
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
Thank you for your letter and attachments which arrived in my office yesterday. I am familiar with your publication The Concord Review and would expect similar great things to come from your new venture.
For all the reasons given by my colleagues at other colleges and universities, I would welcome this additional information as we attempt to select the most talented and deserving students to join our undergraduate community.
I look forward to receiving your scores and comments on these students' papers, Mr. Fitzhugh.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Daniel J. Saracino
Assistant Provost for Enrollment
DJS/mw
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From William R. Fitsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College
Harvard College
OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID
BYERLY HALL • 8 GARDEN STREET • CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02138
June 1, 1999
Mr. Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
Post Office Box 800
Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
As you know, I share your belief in the value of encouraging high school students to write serious academic papers in history and literature, and I agree with you that the National Writing Board is likely to provide a useful additional incentive for this kind of work. A high school student who has written such a paper in the humanities at the high school level is better prepared for the scholarly efforts which will be expected in college.
In addition, it seems clear that up to now, the external incentives for this level of effort in the humanities have not kept pace at all with those provided in the sciences, and the National Writing Board, with its focus on independent written work in history and literature, will help to improve the balance.
We have been happy to have reprints of essays published in The Concord Review, submitted by a number of our applicants over the years, to add to the information we consider in making admission decisions, and it seems most likely that ratings provided by the National Writing Board will also help us to form a more complete view of the academic competence of our candidates for admission.
I am happy to join the Advisory Council of the National Writing Board, and I look forward to working with you to bring this useful new national rating service both to high school students of history and of literature and to college admissions officers in the years to come.
Sincerely,
[signed]
William R. Fitzsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From Fred Hargadon
Former Dean of Admission, Princeton University
Princeton University
Admission Office
Box 430
110 West College
Princeton, NJ 08544-0430
July 22, 1999
Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
P.O. Box 800
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
We would certainly be willing to consider the scores and comments forwarded by the National Writing Board for any applicants for admission to Princeton. I've long been concerned that we have much more information to go on when assessing the math and science abilities of high school seniors than we have for assessing their abilities in the areas outside of math/science.
I certainly wish it was as easy to spot, at age 17-18, those among our applicant pool who show promise of becoming outstanding humanists as it is to spot those who show promise of becoming outstanding scientists. While I believe maturity plays more of a role in the development of the former than of the latter, it seems to me that it is also the case that, save for The Concord Review, there simply aren't anywhere near as many avenues for recognition of the former as there are for the latter at the secondary school level.
In any event, I concur with the thoughts expressed by Bill Fitzsimmons in his letter to you and am pleased that he will be joining your Advisory Council.
Sincerely,
Fred Hargadon
Dean of Admission
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From Richard Shaw
Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Yale University
YALE UNIVERSITY
Richard H. Shaw
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
P.O. Box 208234
New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8234
January 19, 2000
Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
Post Office Box 800
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
I appreciate the opportunity to advise you that Yale will enthusiastically support your efforts to formalize evaluations of students' written work through the National Writing Board. Not one to jump on the bandwagon easily, I needed to go back and read essays submitted and published in The Concord Review. Clearly, the high quality of writing you have judged and published over the years is significant testimony to your ability to provide comprehensive evaluations of students' writing through the National Writing Board.
In admissions we have comparable evaluations through the Mathematical Association of America's American High School Math Exam and the American Invitational Math Exam. Clearly, additional information on candidates' writing will add balance to the supplemental information we receive and review.
I appreciate your effort to encourage good writing. We look forward to evaluating applicants to Yale who are willing to submit their work for evaluation to the National Writing Board. Best of luck in your successful implementation of this evaluation process.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Richard H. Shaw
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Comments
Comments
Letters from:
John A. Blackburn
Dean of Admission, University of Virginia
Thomas H. Parker
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Amherst College
Daniel J. Saracino
Assistant Provost for Enrollment, University of Notre Dame
William R. Fitzsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College
Fred Hargadon
Former Dean of Admission, Princeton University
Richard H. Shaw
Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Yale University
Letter from John A. Blackburn
Dean of Admission, University of Virginia
University of Virginia
Office of Admission
August 2, 2004
Will Fitzhugh, President
National Writing Board
730 Boston Post Road, Suite 24
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
The University of Virginia is pleased to endorse the National Writing Board and the important project you have undertaken. Nurturing and enhancing the experience and skills in writing and doing research are among the most important challenges for our country and I commend you for founding and leading this effort.
We would be happy to place your brochures in our reception room so that more high school students will consider doing it.
Sincerely,
John A. Blackburn
Dean of Admission
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter from Thomas H. Parker
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Amherst College
Amherst College
Office of Admission
July 10, 2001
Will Fitzhugh
The Concord Review
National Writing Board
730 Boston Post Road, Suite 24
Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
Amherst College is pleased to join what appears to be a growing cohort of superb colleges and universities who endorse the work of the National Writing Board.
We will certainly welcome your evaluations and comments on students who have submitted their work to you and who have applied to Amherst.
In the years to come, we also look forward to exploring ways in which Amherst and others who have endorsed your work can encourage students to make use of the services you offer.
Sincerely yours,
(signed)
Thomas H. Parker
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
THP/fj
Amherst College, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002-5000
Telephone (413) 542-2328
admission@amherst.edu
www.amherst.edu/admission
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From Daniel J. Saracino
Assistant Provost for Enrollment, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-5612
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
August 9, 2000
Mr. Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
730 Boston Post Road, Suite 24
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
Thank you for your letter and attachments which arrived in my office yesterday. I am familiar with your publication The Concord Review and would expect similar great things to come from your new venture.
For all the reasons given by my colleagues at other colleges and universities, I would welcome this additional information as we attempt to select the most talented and deserving students to join our undergraduate community.
I look forward to receiving your scores and comments on these students' papers, Mr. Fitzhugh.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Daniel J. Saracino
Assistant Provost for Enrollment
DJS/mw
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From William R. Fitsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College
Harvard College
OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID
BYERLY HALL • 8 GARDEN STREET • CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02138
June 1, 1999
Mr. Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
Post Office Box 800
Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
As you know, I share your belief in the value of encouraging high school students to write serious academic papers in history and literature, and I agree with you that the National Writing Board is likely to provide a useful additional incentive for this kind of work. A high school student who has written such a paper in the humanities at the high school level is better prepared for the scholarly efforts which will be expected in college.
In addition, it seems clear that up to now, the external incentives for this level of effort in the humanities have not kept pace at all with those provided in the sciences, and the National Writing Board, with its focus on independent written work in history and literature, will help to improve the balance.
We have been happy to have reprints of essays published in The Concord Review, submitted by a number of our applicants over the years, to add to the information we consider in making admission decisions, and it seems most likely that ratings provided by the National Writing Board will also help us to form a more complete view of the academic competence of our candidates for admission.
I am happy to join the Advisory Council of the National Writing Board, and I look forward to working with you to bring this useful new national rating service both to high school students of history and of literature and to college admissions officers in the years to come.
Sincerely,
[signed]
William R. Fitzsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From Fred Hargadon
Former Dean of Admission, Princeton University
Princeton University
Admission Office
Box 430
110 West College
Princeton, NJ 08544-0430
July 22, 1999
Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
P.O. Box 800
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
We would certainly be willing to consider the scores and comments forwarded by the National Writing Board for any applicants for admission to Princeton. I've long been concerned that we have much more information to go on when assessing the math and science abilities of high school seniors than we have for assessing their abilities in the areas outside of math/science.
I certainly wish it was as easy to spot, at age 17-18, those among our applicant pool who show promise of becoming outstanding humanists as it is to spot those who show promise of becoming outstanding scientists. While I believe maturity plays more of a role in the development of the former than of the latter, it seems to me that it is also the case that, save for The Concord Review, there simply aren't anywhere near as many avenues for recognition of the former as there are for the latter at the secondary school level.
In any event, I concur with the thoughts expressed by Bill Fitzsimmons in his letter to you and am pleased that he will be joining your Advisory Council.
Sincerely,
Fred Hargadon
Dean of Admission
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Letter From Richard Shaw
Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Yale University
YALE UNIVERSITY
Richard H. Shaw
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
P.O. Box 208234
New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8234
January 19, 2000
Will Fitzhugh
President
National Writing Board
Post Office Box 800
Sudbury, MA 01776
Dear Mr. Fitzhugh,
I appreciate the opportunity to advise you that Yale will enthusiastically support your efforts to formalize evaluations of students' written work through the National Writing Board. Not one to jump on the bandwagon easily, I needed to go back and read essays submitted and published in The Concord Review. Clearly, the high quality of writing you have judged and published over the years is significant testimony to your ability to provide comprehensive evaluations of students' writing through the National Writing Board.
In admissions we have comparable evaluations through the Mathematical Association of America's American High School Math Exam and the American Invitational Math Exam. Clearly, additional information on candidates' writing will add balance to the supplemental information we receive and review.
I appreciate your effort to encourage good writing. We look forward to evaluating applicants to Yale who are willing to submit their work for evaluation to the National Writing Board. Best of luck in your successful implementation of this evaluation process.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Richard H. Shaw
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
[The National Writing Board | https://www.tcr.org | 978-443-0022]
Comments
Northwestern would be interested in receiving scores and comments from the National Writing Board...I hope that the number of students who are interested in doing this will grow...good writing is an extremely important part of college and life.
--Carol Lunkenheimer, Director of Admission, Northwestern University
I am pleased to tell you that Washington and Lee's undergraduate admissions office would be most happy to receive and review National Writing Board evaluations of student papers.
--William M. Hartog, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Washington and Lee University
We at ACT congratulate you on your accomplishments to date and wish you success with the National Writing Board.
--Richard L. Ferguson, President, ACT, Iowa City, Iowa
Claremont-McKenna is very interested in the work that you and your colleagues are doing. Our Admission Committee would certainly be willing to consider the scores and comments of the National Writing Board.
--Richard C. Vos, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Claremont-McKenna College
I can assure you that Georgetown University will be delighted to receive reports on excellent writing that you develop through papers submitted to you...Georgetown would be pleased to be included in the list of institutions you have compiled which support your efforts.
--Charles A. Deacon, Dean of Admissions, Georgetown University
It is hard to imagine a better way to stimulate serious research and writing in our schools.
--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Historian
Believe me, we need you...Good writing is something that [students] should and must master, and the National Writing Board is a great way to encourage them and make sure that good work is valued and recognized.
--Michael S. Dukakis, Professor of Political Science, Northeastern University