Robert Alexander

Vice Provost & University Dean for Enrollment Management University of Rochester

  • Rochester NY

Alexander is an expert in undergraduate admissions, enrollment management, and curricular design.

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Spotlight

2 min

Should I use AI to write my college entrance essay?

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence tools such as generative pre-trained transformers, or GPTs, high school students may be tempted to use the tools to perfect their college applications, particularly their entrance essay. Robert Alexander, a vice provost and the dean of enrollment management at the University of Rochester, cautions prospective college students from relying too heavily on AI tools in their applications. “The sentiment among college admissions professionals is that while AI tools may be helpful in generating essay topics and refining or editing students’ writing, we discourage their use to compose application essays or short answers because AI stifles an applicant’s authentic voice,” Alexander says. That personal voice becomes paramount when admissions officers are sifting through applications and considering how each student will contribute to the campus community and fit into the incoming class. “No college or university is trying to admit perfectly identical automaton students,” Alexander says. “At the University of Rochester, for instance, we’re not looking for 1,300 perfect students. We’re trying to craft the perfect class of 1,300 very different and highly-imperfect, but great-fit students.” The goal, he says, is to invite great students, inclusive of their imperfections, and guide them on a transformative journey through their next four years. “Colleges want students to come in with a growth mindset and potential,” Alexander says. “So, if students think they can use AI to help make their application ‘perfect,’ I think they’re chasing the wrong brass ring.” Alexander is an expert in undergraduate admissions and enrollment management who speaks on the subjects to national audiences and whose work has been published in national publications. Click his profile to reach him.

Robert Alexander

2 min

Ask the expert: What's the real deal when colleges say they're 'test-optional'? Do they want a student to submit scores or not?

Are test-optional colleges being straight with students when they say the absence of SAT and ACT scores on an application won’t affect a student’s chances of being admitted? “Colleges are not trying to trick or trap applicants,” says Robert Alexander, who oversees the admissions process at the University of Rochester, where he is a vice provost and the dean of enrollment management. “No one is trying to fool anyone into thinking, ‘I don’t have to submit a test score,’ when that test score is secretly make-or-break.” Much more important in any academic assessment, Alexander says, is and always has been the four years of academic performance detailed in an applicant’s high school transcript. He says most colleges, including Rochester, take a deep dive into the transcript to not only consider the student’s grade point average, but also the rigor of the high school and its curriculum and why the student selected certain courses. “Some students are limited by the opportunities offered at their schools,” Alexander says. “In that case, colleges look for what they have done to utilize their resources and push beyond those limitations.” The University of Rochester has a test-optional policy. The average standardized test score of incoming students has been trending upward, in part because the students who are most likely to submit their scores on their applications are those with strong scores. Alexander says prospective students and their families can use the average test scores at the college or university they’re considering as a barometer, but not the arbiter of whether a student will gain acceptance. “I think admissions officers are being as transparent as possible in telling students what they require,” Alexander says. Alexander is an expert in undergraduate admissions and enrollment management who speaks on the subjects to national audiences and whose work has been published in national publications. Click his profile to reach him.

Robert Alexander

2 min

Finding your college fit

With the college admissions application season in full swing, Robert Alexander, University Dean of Enrollment Management at Rochester, offers some perspective for all high school seniors as they begin to navigate the process and ultimately make a decision that is a match made, not a prize to be won. "When considering academic fit, don’t spend a ton time, energy and money trying to reverse engineer a way to game the system to find your way in. You don’t want to end up somewhere and find that you’re struggling just to keep your head above water, or that you’re swimming with sharks in a cutthroat and competitive environment. Once you identify a few characteristics that are important to your fit, then you can broaden your aperture to a range of schools that meet some of those parameters—the right size, campus type, focus, selectivity, and academic programs offered. "When it’s time to start filling out college applications, discern how you’ll tell YOUR story: in your essay or short answer responses; in how you determine which teachers you’ll ask to write recommendation letters; and in topics you raise in an interview. Remember, colleges aren’t looking for a single perfect archetype student, but rather a diverse array of students who are interesting in different ways. In fact, more important than someone who might be the “perfect applicant” is someone who acknowledges they’re not flawless, but wants to strive to become better. Find ways to convey what’s authentically you, emphasizing your strengths, but including some areas where you want to grow and change, and maybe some vulnerabilities, too. "As far as financial fit, don’t eliminate any college that seems like a great fit for you just because of the published sticker price. Colleges are required to have a net price calculator on their website. But the only way to know your exact cost is to apply for admission, academic merit scholarships, and federal and state grants."

Robert Alexander

Areas of Expertise

Undergraduate Admissions
Test optional admissions
College Admissions
Admissions
Higher Education Affordability
Nonprofilt organizations
Enrollment Management
Access and Education
College Affordability
Financial Aid in Higher Education
Undergraduate Education

Social

Biography

Dr. Robert J. Alexander is active with the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the American Association of College Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO), the College Board, the Association of Governing Boards (AGB), and the American Marketing Association (AMA), speaking at national meetings regarding enrollment management and marketing strategies. His work has appeared in national publications, including the Association of Governing Board’s Trusteeship Magazine.

Prior to the University of Rochester, Alexander held senior administrative and teaching roles at various institutions across the United States. As vice president for enrollment and communications at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, his work increased undergraduate net revenue per student, doubled the representation of domestic students of color and the proportion of international students. As an academic leader and instructor of management, Alexander helped revamp the undergraduate curriculum and developed and taught in Millsaps’ nonprofit management program, combining Liberal Arts and Business concepts to provide skills for graduates to positively impact their communities.

While serving as the associate provost for enrollment at University of the Pacific in northern California, Dr. Alexander coordinated strategic plans that dramatically increased prospective student interest, increased university-wide enrollment to record levels, while simultaneously improving academic quality and financial metrics. As assistant vice president for enrollment management at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, Alexander’s efforts during and following Hurricane Katrina successfully restored enrollment and improved the institution’s reputation and impact on its surrounding community.

Education

University of Pennsylvania

Ed.D.

Higher Education Management

2012

Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business

M.B.A.

Management and Marketing

2005

Tulane University

B.S.

Psychology

1999

Selected Media Appearances

The college application process can be stressful. Pittsburgh-area counselors weigh in on how parents can get involved.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette  print

2024-10-01

“Ultimately the college process is about a student and their family finding the right match in a college and that right fit isn't going to happen if the student doesn't feel really comfortable and communicative about what they want for themselves,” Robert Alexander, vice provost and university dean for enrollment management at the University of Rochester, which put together a tip sheet to help parents, said.

But, he added, “I think it’s totally appropriate for parents to put some guardrails around things like how much they have budgeted and can afford to spend on college, on things like what are and maybe even what aren't acceptable options of schools.”

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The Path to Affordable Ed

Rochester Beacon  print

2023-10-11

“I’m training my staff at every institution to not just be admissions counselors, but to advocate and educate financial literacy,” says Rob Alexander, vice provost and dean of university enrollment management at the University of Rochester since June 2020. He previously served as vice president for enrollment and communications at Millsaps College in Mississippi, and before that in administrative and teaching roles at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., and Tulane University in New Orleans.

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Why a growing number of colleges and universities are becoming test optional

WXXI Connections  radio

2023-03-15

Columbia is one of a growing number of colleges and universities that have become test optional, citing equity issues. We’ve reached out to colleges and universities in the region to inquire about their policies.

This hour, we discuss the issue and current trends in the college application process with our guests:
Shaun Nelms, Ed.D., superintendent of East High School, and professor at the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester
Robert J. Alexander, Ed.D., dean of admissions, financial aid, and enrollment management at the University of Rochester.

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Selected Articles

Institutions Must Begin the Work of Cost Transparency

Penn AHEAD

Dr. Robert Alexander

2019-11-08

Prospective students need accurate, complete, and individualized information about their expected costs to determine the institutions to which to apply, and to appropriately plan for how to pay the costs. We’ve asked experts to give their take on the key ways colleges and university can address the college affordability crisis and be more transparent on the costs of college.

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Everybody's Talking...But What Can We Do?

Penn AHEAD

Dr. Robert Alexander

2014-10-01

As enrollment officers become more engaged in the strategic planning efforts of their institutions, our focus will continue to widen beyond the old reporting lines of admissions and financial aid, broadening to include closer relationships with student retention, academic program development, and marketing. At institutions on the cutting edge, multidivisional efforts already underway reinforce the value for current students on our campuses, not only during the sales portion of recruiting new students but also throughout their educational experience. We’re beginning to think beyond graduation, to how institutions and alumni can deliver ongoing value through engagement in career networking and mentoring, fundraising activities, and as potential recruiters to perpetuate a virtuous cycle and sustain our colleges into the future.

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Wanted: A President with a Compelling Vision

Penn AHEAD

Dr. Robert Alexander

2013-07-01

Selecting the right president is the most important thing a board must do. But close behind is the need for the board to insist that board members and the president agree on and work together to carry out a strategic vision.

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