Elizabethtown College staff promotion enhances incoming student programs

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Paula "Polly" Orenstein

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (08/05/2011)(readMedia)-- Elizabethtown College's Admissions Office recently announced the promotion of Paula "Polly" Orenstein to senior associate director of admissions. In her new role, Orenstein will focus on implementing programs that assist prospective students to make a successful transition to the Elizabethtown College community. Orenstein has worked in the Admissions Office in a variety of roles, all of which are aimed at helping candidates join the college setting with confidence.

Polly joined the College in 1999 as an interviewer of prospective students. Since then, she has led many initiatives that introduce applicants to Elizabethtown such as "Jay for a Day;" the Overnight Visit program; the dual enrollment program, in which high school seniors take a college course in addition to their standard high school curriculum; and the Center for Talented Youth program, in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University.

Additionally, Orenstein has worked with the incoming first year orientation program and oversees the student assistants who work in the Admissions Office. "The beauty of this office is that we can always try something new to stay fresh and get different insights into how to run a program," said Orenstein. "By far, my favorite work is anything that brings me into contact with the students. They are always a great source of inspiration and keep me connected to what is happening on campus."

Having worked in higher education for most of her career, Orenstein says that Elizabethtown is a very special environment. She emphasized that the variety of programs that the Admissions Office operates helps to keep the staff energized and developing new skills.

Elizabethtown College, in south-central Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than four dozen liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, communications and education degrees. Through personal attention, creative inspiration and academic challenge, Elizabethtown College students are encouraged to expand their intellectual curiosity and are given the opportunity to become a bigger part of the world through experiential learning-research, internships and study abroad. Elizabethtown College's overall commitment to Educate for Service is fulfilled as students are taught intellectually, socially, aesthetically and ethically for lives of service and leadership.

Visit www.etown.edu for more information about Elizabethtown College.