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

How well-meaning parents sink their child's chances of college admission

"What's the number one parent behavior that will hurt a child's chance of admission?"  The question was posed to Robert Alexander, the University of Rochester vice provost and dean of enrollment management, on the podcast "College Knowledge." He was quick to answer. "Parents needs to be empowering the student and not driving the conversation" when it comes to choosing a college and engaging with college admissions professionals, Alexander replied. He explained that too many parents have a narrow view of what they deem as "acceptable" institutions of higher education for their child. They come by it honestly, he said, with most of their knowledge derived from their own college searches and dreams a generation ago.  They tend to home in on 20 or 30 schools when, in reality, the universe of quality colleges and universities has expanded exponentially since the days these parents were considering where to study, Alexander said. "Widening that lends and thinking beyond the 20 or 30 schools they know a lot about or think they know a lot about or see a lot of bumper stickers for, that's really important," Alexander said. "There are many more really great institutions and what's important is not your child getting into 'the best college' that they can, but instead their child finding the best fit at one or maybe a range of different institutions." 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

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
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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 Business Side of College Admissions: Expert Insights with Dr. Robert Alexander

College Knowledge: The Podcast  online

2025-09-05

College Knowledge hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerns explore the business of college admissions with Dr. Robert Alexander, Vice Provost and University Dean of Enrollment at the University of Rochester.

Alexander offers a behind-the-scenes look at how enrollment decisions are made, blending insights on institutional strategy with advice for students navigating the process.

Together, they unpack critical topics for students and families, including:

- College yields and why they matter
- Early Decision vs. Early Action
- The role of financial aid in shaping a class
- Waitlists, lawsuits, and equity in admissions
- How institutions balance goals with accessibility and diversity

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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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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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