The Chronicle

Issue date: 6/14/07 Section: Editorial
Last update: 6/14/07 at 9:43 AM EST

Indeed, Guttentag should feel pretty darn good about the job he and his team in the admissions building did last spring and fall.

Few admissions directors have had to deal with a situation like this, and Duke stepped up to the plate this year with its recruitment efforts that emphasized one-on-one interaction, new-and-improved website and revamped accepted-student Blue Devil Days. In the admissions game, the little things matter, and Duke got the little things right at a time when it would have been all too easy to overlook them.

And they got some big things right, too. Although it's hard to say whether or not we can tip our hats to DukeEngage as a major contributing factor in this year's improved yield, the $30-million initiative and continued evaluation of the Campus Culture Initiative's spring report indicate that Duke is truly making the "good of this place" known in a-for the most part-effective way.

To be clear, though, this is no time for Duke to rest on its self-advertised laurels. The University has suffered a major blow at a time when admissions to elite universities is more keen than ever before.

Moving forward, the admissions department and Duke in general needs to keep its current underdog mentality and competitive edge if it's to get off the current plateau and continue on its once-meteoric path.

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