Taipei American School was fortunate to be represented by Dr. Dodge and Dr. Limmer on a whirlwind tour along the East Coast of the United States. Taking advantage of the unprecedented 5-week winter break, they traveled to the United States for a series of conferences, alumni events, and meetings with university admissions leaders.

Taking advantage of the time and location, they attended the "CASE NAIS” conference, a collaboration by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the premier conference for the development and advancement of independent schools. At this conference, Dr. Limmer was recognized as a CASE Laureate for her expertise, years of dedication to independent schools and to CASE, and achievements on behalf of the schools she calls home.

It was also at CASE NAIS that Dr. Dodge and Dr. Limmer were able to meet with potential candidates and search firm representatives as part of the upcoming search to replace Dr. Limmer, who will depart TAS at the end of this school year after 9 years of service to the school.

In New York, Boston, Washington DC, and Connecticut, they hosted alumni events which drew over 200 Tigers of all ages. From our most recent graduates to the first graduating class – the Class of ‘61 – it was a pleasure to reconnect with alumni, most of whom have not been able to visit Taiwan during the pandemic.

In between alumni gatherings, Dr. Dodge visited with representatives from 12 colleges and universities to personally advocate for TAS students who had applied, and for future students who wish to apply to these institutions. In addition to her strenuous support for our students’ 2023 applications, Dr. Dodge invited senior representatives at these universities to attend our in-person CAT Fair, the Taiwan island-wide college fair that TAS will host again in the fall of 2023. She had the opportunity to emphasize TAS's commitment to social emotional learning and student well-being, especially as these values aligned with Ivy League and other schools' commitment to the "Turning the Tide" report created and revised by Harvard after 2019.

Dr. Dodge was able to speak with international admissions rep resentatives and TAS's application readers from Barnard, Columbia, the Eugene Lang College at The New School and Parsons School of Design, New York University, Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Boston College, Wellesley College, Northeastern University, and Georgetown University. Following on from these meetings and Dr. Dodge's outreach, TAS will soon host Ms. Joanna May, the Vice President of Enrollment at Smith College, to speak to students and parents about the larger American college admissions landscape in May.  Before Dr. Dodge’s return to TAS, she held the same role working on behalf of the US Department of State and the College Board visiting international and American schools in Europe to talk about American college admissions.

By speaking with the key decision-makers and influencers who admit each new freshman class on these campuses, Dr. Dodge sought to communicate the current profile of a TAS graduate, and how these students are an excellent fit for each college or university in question. In some cases, she was advocating for TAS applicants in applicant pools of nearly 100,000, making her personal visits all the more impactful for college representatives to understand TAS and how well our students are prepared for the world beyond TAS and Taiwan. It is our hope that each TAS student can articulate the joy and love of learning they have gained from their TAS experience.