Admission Volunteers (OVAL)

Volunteer Roles

Admit Reception Host

Held at the conclusion of the Restrictive Early Action (January/February) and/or Regular Decision (April) cycles, admit receptions are a celebration for admitted students and their families. Hosts identify reception locations (typically alumni homes), coordinate details for set-up and refreshments, and support associated costs.

Admit Reception Volunteer

Volunteers attend receptions for admitted students in their areas. Duties include meeting, greeting and congratulating admits and their families, sharing information about Stanford, and serving as ambassadors to welcome these potential new members of the Stanford family.

Alumni Interviewer

Interviewers are assigned to meet with Stanford applicants for a casual, comfortable conversation.
The interviewer's role is twofold: to share one's own Stanford experiences for the benefit of the applicant and to convey impressions of the student to the Admission. Interviewers must be Stanford alumni and must complete a training session. An understanding of Stanford's unique undergraduate experience is required. Interviews are conducted between October and February. Interviewers of applicants who are admitted are invited to make congratulatory phone calls to those students.

Chapter Leadership Team Member

OVAL's chapter chairs (and in some regions additional leadership team members) oversee chapter volunteers and serve as the first point of contact in their areas for OVAL activities for the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Leadership roles may include: recruiting local OVAL volunteers; coordinating volunteers for receptions, information sessions and college fairs; organizing and leading volunteer training sessions; and (where applicable) coordinating the local interview program.  

College Fair Representative

Admission officers determine which college fairs should have Stanford representation and work with OVAL chapter leaders to recruit OVAL alumni to attend.  Alumni volunteers serve as Stanford ambassadors at fairs by answering questions and distributing materials (provided by the Office of Undergraduate Admission).

Information Session Volunteer

Volunteers assist admission staff with regional events designed to provide information about Stanford to prospective students and their families. Duties can include: helping to secure or prepare a venue; meeting, greeting and checking in participants; mingling and answering questions.

Information Session Panelist

Information session panelists speak at selected Stanford sponsored regional events. Panelists are invited to share their Stanford experiences relating to academics, extracurricular activities, athletics, study abroad opportunities, residential education, and student life in general. Panelists are often recent graduates. Parents of current Stanford students may also occasionally serve as panelists, sharing their Stanford experience with other parents in attendance.

Interview Training Workshop Host

Interview training workshops (typically held in September and October) are often in workplace conference rooms. Hosts identify workshop venues, coordinate details for set-up and refreshments, and support associated costs.

Updated on September 17, 2015 3:02 PM