Marni Blair was a senior at Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, on the cusp of adulthood and ready to apply to college. The only problem? She didn’t know what to study.
When she started looking into IU, the Office of Admissions helped her feel right at home.
“Senior year, when I was looking at IU, I felt like I had a connection with several members of this office,” Blair said. “I felt like I was more than a number, I felt like they cared, even though it was a large institution.”
Blair ended up applying to IU, excited by the school’s exploratory major program. She said that since the admissions office had personally connected with her over the phone and by personalized emails, she felt significant.
“The director, when I came to visit, kind of took me under his wing,” Blair said.
Nearly 30 years later, Blair is now an associate director at the Office of Admissions. She’s been working with them since her freshman year when the director of admissions at the time offered her an internship.
As a student intern, Blair interviewed hundreds of students about factors influencing their decisions to come to IU. She was hired full-time in 2001 after graduating with a dual degree in psychology and sociology. Her experience with IU admissions has translated into her desire to help students as an admissions director.
“We do get a lot of applications,” Blair said. “I want to do what I can, because I was afforded that when I was looking to IU. I wanted to have that experience for those that I get to communicate with.”
Blair said she does her best to communicate with applicants, having conversations about ways to transfer for students who were not admitted and helping parents and students navigate the application process.
Though the regular decision deadline to apply to IU isn’t until Feb. 1, Blair said the office has already received over 65,000 applications. Blair said admissions looks at everything students send them. The office takes into account rigor of classes, GPA, AP or dual enrollment courses, actiactivities and letters of recommendation. She specified that the essay was especially important for counselors to be able to fill in the blanks and get to know students. It also provides an opportunity for students to share their leadership, cultural and social experiences.
“In cases in which a student might be around where we want to admit, but are potentially just below, we may ask for additional information,” Blair said.
Information could include senior grades, additional statements to talk about academic and career interests or challenges applicants may have faced academically, she said.
“At the end of the day, we’re looking at, will a student be successful at IU,” Blair said. “There’s only so many that we can certainly admit.”
Blair said that the most difficult aspect of her job was having to let students know that they were not being offered admission for that application cycle, though she never wanted to close the door for a student if IU is their goal.
“Having those conversations is challenging, but at the end of the day, I will do everything that I can to support a student,” Blair said.
She said IU admissions will be busy in the coming months before decisions are released, processing and updating students, communicating via email and planning events like Red Carpet days. From mid-February through April, the university hosts the programs, where admits come and visit the campus.
Blair said this year the Office of Admissions rolled out IU Portal, a way for freshman applicants to check for updates on their admission.
“There is a tremendous amount of information and resources, ways to update their application,” Blair said. “If we are missing anything, they can include, or we can include, that there.”
2025 regular decision applicants will receive word of their admissions decision on or before March 15, according to the office’s website. Early action applicants received their decisions mid-January.
“I feel like this office is a family,” Blair said. “This is a really special place, and we want to do what we can to help support students, make the best decision for them.”