By Daniel Molina and Ally Hutzler
The class of 2019 will be the last students to receive Dana Rose’s stamp of approval.
After four years as the director of admissions, Rose is leaving Manhattan College for a position as director of college placement at Maria Regina High School.
Maria Regina High School is a private, all girls’ college-preparatory school. Rose’s last official day at the college was August 17.
“I had a child this past year, and I wanted a better schedule to just be home more,” Rose said about her departure from MC. “But I love admissions, I love the work and I love it here.”
A cocktail reception was offered at the Kelly Commons to allow her colleagues to say goodbye to her and recognize her work at the college.
Rose’s exit proves to be bittersweet, as the college just had one of its most competitive and sizeable recruiting classes in several years.
“I am still doing the research but it might actually be the largest freshmen class we have ever brought in. So she went out at the top of her game,” President Brennan O’Donnell said. “She and the staff of admissions and enrollment management are really great professionals and year after year they give a really high level.”
The college has also shined in recent rankings that measure return on investment and salaries after graduation. The Brookings Institution placed the college ninth on its list of top 10 universities to increase career earnings. Money Magazine ranked the college 41st overall out of 736 four year colleges and universities in the U.S.
Payscale.com ranked Manhattan College 33rd out of 1223 schools for return on investment, a metric that measures success of graduates coupled with the affordability of attendance. The college was the highest ranked Catholic institution on this list.
“Dana was completely dedicated to getting the best students in for Manhattan College,” Brother Robert Berger, associate professor of religious studies, said. “The girls that she’s going to be working with in high school are going to be very fortunate to know her. Our loss is really their gain.”
Rose leaves some advice for her co-workers and faculty in the admissions office: “The details matter and always pay attention to customer service. Never think that the details don’t matter.”
The college does not fear that the change will affect the reliable work to come from the admissions and enrollment management staff.
“One of the good things about Dana is that she was always teaching others around her to be the best in their roles,” O’Donnell said.
In her absence, the staff Rose helped train will be stepping up into bigger responsibilities and positions.
“A person who takes her position is really going to have the same enthusiasm and intelligence to get the job done like she did,” Berger said.