A Q&A with Pitzer College Angel B. Pérez

1. A Q&A with Pitzer College VP and Dean of Admission
and Financial Aid Angel B. Pérez
sponsoringyoungpeople.org /a-q-and-a-with-angel-b-perez/
“I have worked in higher education for nine years now. I stay in this
business because I truly believe that education fosters
transformational experiences for students of all socioeconomic
backgrounds. I also know that once underrepresented students are
exposed to higher education, they too will struggle with identity
creation and reshaping: Which reality truly belongs to you—the one
behind you or the one you face ahead?”
Those were just a few of the thoughts that Pitzer College Vice
President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Angel B. Pérez
shared with his alma mater’s alumni magazine, recounting his
journey from the South Bronx to a selective college, and onto
assuming arguably one of the most coveted—and influential—roles
in higher education.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City, the 1998
Skidmore College graduate knows well the struggles that low-
income, first-generation and minority students face on college and university campuses across the
country. He sympathizes because he was one of those students not all that long ago.
And it’s this sense of carefully-honed empathy that has infused his stewardship of the admissions office at
the liberal arts college of a little more than 1,000 students in Claremont, California—one of the most
selective in the country.
“We make sure that we visit schools and community based organizations all over the country that serve
students of color, low-income students, first-generation students, and students who will bring diversity of
thought to our campus,” Pérez says.
We spoke with him about the college admissions process, his writing and thought leadership in the area of
college access, and what he sees as some of the systemic barriers to entry still keeping far greater
numbers of non-traditional students from post-secondary education.
Angel, the class is yours…
We play a large role in college access issues in America and beyond. The policies we advocate for (and
institute) can fundamentally change a generation of young people.”
Q: You recently wrote what I thought was a brilliant essay, entitled “Becoming an Admissions
Dean.” In it, you went into a lot of nuances of your current role leading Pitzer’s admissions efforts,
but more than that I thought you spoke candidly about the importance of your role in a larger, more
substantive sense. Can you sum it up for readers? What does being an admissions dean mean to
you?
A: I decided to write an essay on what I do professionally because I think it has extraordinary implications.
My job is to recruit, admit, enroll, and fund a freshman class—but it is much more complicated than that. I

2. have a larger role within the institution to ensure its fiscal health but also uphold its mission. What I feel
most people don’t think about however is the larger societal implications of what Admission Deans do.
We play a large role in college access issues in America and beyond. The policies we advocate for (and
institute) can fundamentally change a generation of young people. I feel passionate about ensuring that
admission deans today use their platform to do what’s right for young people and not just what’s an
immediate need for their institution.
Admission deans can change the world, if they commit to it.
Q: I know you and your staff are currently in the
middle of ‘Early Decision’ season. While it may be
somewhat difficult, can you paint a portrait of
what that looks like so that students and families
have a better idea of what happens once they drop
a completed application in the mail—or click
‘Submit,” increasingly?
A: We get several hundred applications in early
decision and we have about 3 weeks to review all of
the files, meet in committee, process financial aid
packages, and mail decisions. It’s a marathon! Each
file is read by two counselors and then we meet in
admission committee. The counselor who represents the area where the student goes to high school
presents the file to the committee and then we vote on it.
It’s a very detailed and labor intensive process, but we do it because we want to make sure we admit
students that are the perfect fit for my institution.
Remember to be yourself and write about what you are passionate about. If a college is going to deny you
admission for who you are or what you believe in, it probably wasn’t the right place for you to begin with.”
Q: What stands out for you about a particular candidate? Because, even for a relatively small
liberal arts college like Pitzer, you still get far more applicants than you can admit. How do
candidates distinguish themselves? Not through SAT scores of grade point averages, seeing as
how those aspects of their candidate profile are already pretty much set in place. But how can they
stand out personally?
A: One of the ways students can stand out is by talking about how the mission or the values of an
institution resonates with them. Most colleges and universities in the country have a way of teaching, a
mission, and values they espouse. Every college is different and we are interested in knowing why a
student wants to attend a particular institution over another. Remember to be authentic in the process. In
the day and age where essays go through 20 revisions before it is submitted, it is rare that we hear an
authentic student voice.
Remember to be yourself and write about what you are passionate about. If a college is going to deny you
admission for who you are or what you believe in, it probably wasn’t the right place for you to begin with. If
you do research on a colleges mission and values, then write about how you see yourself within those, you
are going to stand out from the rest.
Q: You’ve written extensively about issues of access in post-secondary education. While there has
been progress made in many respects, there still seem to be systemic barriers to entry at play,
both on the K-12 as well as collegiate side of things. Can you talk a bit about what some of those

3. barriers are, in your opinion? What, if anything, can be done to tear them down?
A: Some of the barriers for students are actually created by systems designed to help them. Our financial
aid application system is extraordinarily complicated and often disadvantages students. A lack of
counseling resources in public schools means students don’t have the correct information to help them
aspire to the higher education that suits and challenges them best. Higher education is also very
expensive and some institutions recruit students and then weigh them down with heavy student loans.
A lack of counseling resources in public schools means students don’t have the correct information to help
them aspire to the higher education that suits and challenges them best.”
Our system needs a lot of fixing and I am excited that the Obama administration is looking to help alleviate
some of these issues. I do however believe all of the work should not be done by the government.
Colleges and universities have an obligation to serve the public good. Admission Deans, Presidents, and
Provosts need to work together to work outside of their own institutional needs and do what’s right for kids.
Q: California, where Pitzer is located, is one of a number of states to ban the use of race as a
consideration in college and university admissions. But I know you’re also a big advocate of
diversity. How has Pitzer been able to continue to recruit a robust and diverse class in spite of the
state’s prohibition on a race-conscious, or race-sensitive, admissions process?
A: We talk about all kinds of diversity at Pitzer. Diversity is one of our core values and we want to make
sure that our classrooms are filled with students who bring very different experiences to the table. We
make sure that we visit schools and community based organizations all over the country that serve
students of color, low-income students, first-generation students, and students who will bring diversity of
thought to our campus.
As we reach out to more diverse communities, we build a more diverse applicant pool and eventually, a
diverse (in every sense of the word) freshman class.
Q: I’m a high school senior. It’s, say, September, the start of the school year. What are the three
most important things my family and I should be considering right now in terms of college
admissions?
A: 1. What kind of institution do I want to attend? Your success in college will have a lot to do with the type
of institution you choose. Do you want a small school, a large school, a rural or city school? Do I want a
school with a particular mission or value system? All of these are questions that when well-answered lead
to student success.
Colleges and universities have an obligation to serve the public good. Admission Deans, Presidents, and
Provosts need to work together to work outside of their own institutional needs and do what’s right for kids.”
2. Am I doing financial aid research? Every school has a different financial aid policy and system. Some
schools require some forms while others don’t. It’s really important to begin asking questions about
financial aid at every school one visits (either physically or on the web) to make sure you fill out the correct
paperwork. When it comes to financial aid, deadlines are critical. If you miss the deadline, it may be too
late to qualify for aid.
3. Who am I? This is a really tough question to ask yourself at the age of 16 or 17, but I fundamentally
believe that the college admission process is about discovering who you and what you value and then
finding a school that is going to nurture those things in you.
Also read…

4. • Becoming an Admissions Dean (Inside Higher Ed)
• Race, class, and belonging (Skidmore Scope)