<p>The William Safire part of me (a part I’ve attempted to exorcise, but to no avail) bristles every time I hear or see the term “AdCom” used to refer to a particular person, not to a committee. I understand that it’s a nice little term with a catchy sound. And I understand what people mean when they use the term.</p>
<p>Still, I haven’t been able to use it since a high school friend of mine – a career Admissions Represenative at a top-25 uni – stopped me cold. When I glibly referred to her as an AdCom a few years ago, she feigned indignation and said, “Oh great … like I don’t have body image problems already … I’m worried that I’m too fat … and here you go thinking I’m an entire Committee. I’m not an Admissions Committee, I’m a member of an Admissions Committee, an Admissions Officer, sometimes an Admissions Representative … so, if you need your abbreviation, an AdRep.”</p>
<p>Needless to say, I no longer refer to indviduals as “Adcoms.”</p>
<p>Yet, the term “adcom” is used so frequently on these boards to refer to individuals. Why? Just becuse it’s a catchy abbreviation? My horizonatally challenged friend notwithstanding, is anyone aware of whether other admissions representatives – actual insiders in their industry – refer to themselves or other individuals as “adcoms?”</p>
<p>AdRep might work. I suppose we could adopt “military speak” like AdCoRep. “Adof”, when spoken aloud, sounds way too similar to Adolf for my tastes!</p>
<p>MD (see … we all fall into the trap of abbreviating everything) . . .</p>
<p>Everyone … especially here … DOES use the term AdCom. And of course we all know what it means. No offense, but it’s much more catchy than the term AdOff (although most of us parents would frequently like to tell some of those Ads off) or AdRep.</p>
<p>This is totally unimportant. It’s one of those burdens I bear. I simply can’t see or hear the term “AdCom” and instantly translate to “Admissions Committee MEMBER.” The term “AdCom” could only mean THE Admissions Committee proper; you’d need a term like “AdComMems” or “AdComReps” to refer to the individuals who are a part of the “AdCom.”</p>
<p>I was just curious whether industry insiders used the term “AdCom” as a term of art. Or, is it something that we’ve just started using here?</p>
<p>You’re right … the term AdOff simply begs to have the letter “L” inserted. And that would not be a good thing. Good catch … coming from a poster who has battled “L” problems throughout (is it L-derochi or I-derochi???). :)</p>
<p>It is a lower case L – the CC font simply makes it impossible to tell the difference! It’s the same handle I use for every other board or chat room I use, and CC is the only place where this happens. I’ve gotten so used to having my name “mispronounced” that I don’t even notice anymore.</p>
<p>I’m with you, Dude, abbreviations, slang, and webspeak are fine, but to speak of an individual as a committee is grating and momentarily confusing until you get used to it. However, I’ll share the advice my wife always gives me when I humbly raise a point like yours: “Get over it, pedant!”</p>
<p>To be honest I’d never heard the term “adcom” before CC. Around here the committee is called the “selection committee” and individual members are called “admissions officers.” I imagine, however, that each school has its own variation of the lingo…</p>
<p>Idler,
Hey … I resemble that remark … and have heard it too. I remember having a grad English paper peer edited by this fascinating British girl from Leeds (I think). She objected to my fixation about some obscure point and wrote in the margin “Get past this, Dr. Pangloss!” When next we met, my comment involved “the pot,” the pot’s foil – the ever popular “kettle,” and the pretentious gall of a Voltaire reference simply to call someone a pedant. A most spirited and amusing year-long joust was born. In all honesty, I don’t lose sleep over the AdCom shorthand. I just threw it out there to see if anyone else found the term awkward and rather jarring. It’s nice to know that someone else is on my island, Idler.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Thanks Ben. Leave it to the good folks at MIT to mesh form and substance … no Rube Goldergian contortions … selection … admissions officers … no excesses solely for the sake of cuteness. I know you’re just giving the MIT perspective, but I find it difficult to believe that anybody in the business would refer to themselves or a colleague as AN “adcom.”</p>
<p>P.S. – Lest there be any confusion, this thread is 100% a light-hearted effort to take a jab at an awkward, jarring, and most of all inaccurate piece of shorthand. One part William Safire, three parts Andy Rooney (“Haven’t you ever wondered about the term ‘AdCom?’ Well, I have.”)</p>