Stonehill Admissions Counselors' Blog

Stonehill Wins President's Cup!!!

2010-06-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

As you can see by the title (3 exclamation points) we are all very excited to have won the President's Cup this year. The Presidents Cup is given out every year to the school with the most success across the board in the Northeast 10 Conference. The President's Cup is something we try to win every year, so when everything comes together the way it did this year schools across the country take notice.

Director of Athletics Brendan Sullivan accepts the award

So why did we win this award? Because we're awesome (of course), but also because a number of teams had outstanding seasons. The baseball team won the NE10 Championship defeating Franklin Pierce on their home field. Our Skyhawk Field Hockey team also won their NE10 Championship right here on campus. The Men's and Women's Cross Country teams each won the NE10 Championship, and our Men's Basketball team had another great year capturing the NE10 Championship as well.

Our Athletics Program can also boast about 10 All Americans (and counting). So all things considered our Skyhawks had a fantastic year. Congratulations to all of our student-athletes. Aside from the obvious joy and excitement over winning the President's Cup (the last time we won was 4 years ago) I think the campus should be incredibly excited about me wearing the Ace Costume.

I know what you're all thinking, and I'm sorry for breaking your hearts, but yes Ace the Skyhawk is a costume (correction: a smelly costume). While Ace may not be physically real, he is real in each of our hearts.

Orientation 2010

To all of the students in the clas sof 2014, we can't wait to have you on campus for orientation. Enjoy it! There is no reason to be nervous, you will have fun, you will learn, and you will make connections that will make your transition to college a lot easier. If you see a crazy person running around with a Flip taking video of the events, that is probably me. Feel free to flag me down and say hi.

As always, remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube

Stonehill at NEACAC

2010-06-01T10:41:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

In case you were wondering why the admissions office basically came to a screeching halt, it's because we were all at NEACAC! NEACAC stands for Northeast Association of College Admissions Counseling, the Conference was held at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. Not a bad spot right?

Salve's Ochre Court

View from the Cliff Walk

Much of Salve's campus is overlooking the ocean and we had great weather. NEACAC is really a learning session for all of us, kind of like going back to class. A number of sessions are held by other professionals in the field so it's great to hear other perspectives on the college admissions process. For instance I saw a presentation advocating the shortening of information sessions so visitors to campus will have more time on tours, not a bad idea right? The conference also has nightly scheduled events, the most popular of which is BINGO!

Counselors Andrew and Shamika have mixed results

Well let me tell you, I have been practicing BINGO! for literally an entire year. Practice makes perfect right? Anyone that tells you BINGO! is a game of luck has obviously never lived throught he ups and downs of a competitive BINGO! game. Despite all my practice, the hours of blood, sweat, and N39s, I was still unsuccessful this year (sad face). But fear not, I have already started a new training regimen and I hope to come back even stronger next year. BINGO! is a fickle game my friend.

My How the Tables have Turned (BINGO!)

The whole gang had a great time at the conference

At the conference we had one big announcement to make: Stonehill College will be hosting NEACAC 2011! We are really excited about it. It's a great chance to showcase our school to a lot of college admissions folks. We have a lot to live up to, Salve did a great job. Ace decided to join us for the announcement so you know it was a big deal.

Ace and friends making the announcement

And now since I know you want them (and I have no place else to put them) here are a few pics from around Newport.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube

Stonehill Baseball win NE10 Championship

2010-05-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

I know that my blog posts are generally not very serious. So why change now:

In case you didn't know, Stonehill College plays Division II athletics in the Northeast 10 Conference. This Sunday the baseball team achieved something that does not happen often, a Conference Championship! I'm lucky enough to be an assistant coach on the team.

The team came together at the right time, we have won 11 straight. The tournament was hosted at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge New Hampshire. They have a great turf field up there which really helped with all the rain we had in the Northeast Saturday. The NE10 Championship is a grueling schedule. We played 4 games in 4 days, the weather ranged from hot and sunny at the beginning to cold and raining towards the end.

The guys on the team gave a great effort everyday, we ended up defeating Franklin Pierce in the Championship game on May 9. The title is the 3rd for the baseball team.

I think at this high level of competition, the winner usually ends up being the team with the best assistant coaches (kidding). In all seriousness, I don't think I can describe just how excited everyone was so instead I'll just put a link up to the YouTube video we have been watching non-stop.

Thanks to everyone who supported us throughout the year! Now it's on to the NCAA tournament and our regional games in New Haven. For game schedule and updates please check our varsity athletics website http://www.stonehillskyhawks.com/

On a completely different note, I would like to welcome all of our great students entering Stonehill in the fall. The Class of 2014 will be one of the most competitive we have ever seen.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

If you are looking for a little more from orientation, check out our orientation video from last year at www.youtube.com/whystonehill.

If you have not already, join the Facebook Stonehill Class of 2014 Group

Follow @WhyStonehill for the latest admissions updates!

Greetings from Philly!

2010-05-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Boston- I love you. But sometimes it's good to get out! I've spend a good portion of April 'on the road' recruiting juniors and sophomores and catching up with all the folks in the world of college admissions. Since I'm the rep for a large portion of CT, I usually spend at least a week in the area towards the end of April. I had a great time meeting students from Avon and Simsbury High School, TONS of students at the Hartford National Fair and many more at the HAISSCCA Fair (Hartford Area Independent Secondary School College Counselors Association). Also had time to stop by fairs at Pompfret School and Choate Rosemary Hall. A big thank you to all that came out and had a nice little chat with me. It's always great to meet students that are enthusiastic about Stonehill!

Last week I spent 5 days in PA- a little work, a little play. My best friend from college is getting married so I flew down early to attend her bridal shower. One of my official duties as a bridesmaid was to make a lovely hat out of the discarded wrapping paper and ribbons. Lisa would probably kill me if she saw this picture so let's just keep it to ourselves.... Also got the chance to eat lunch in Philly with my friend Teddie from my semester abroad in France. After those rendez-vous it was time to do what I do best- bring Stonehill College to PA! I spent two days in the Wilkes-Barre area at a regional fair and another in the greater Philadelphia area at Holy Ghost High School and the Main Line Fair at Villanova. I was SWAMPED at the Villanova Fair which was great. It sounds like lots of juniors area heading up to the Boston area this summer and are stopping by Stonehill on the way. I gotta say- it's a good idea...you should think about it too!

Side note: you may ask, "What does one do in Wilkes-Barre, PA on a Sunday night?" Answer: go to the casino. My buddy Neil from Wentworth Institute of Technology and I headed up to the casino to get dinner and decided to take advantage of a free $20 voucher we received from our hotel. Did we win big? No. Was it good, clean fun? You betcha. And yes, that's $14 in one dollar bills. High rollers.

May 1st is coming up....

2010-04-29T12:02:00.001-07:00

Have you sent in your deposit to Stonehill? Just a quick reminder that deposits need to be postmarked, NOT received by May 1st. This gives you until Saturday to put it in the mail! Best of luck in the decision making process!

Wrap up for Receptions

2010-04-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

This year we hosted two regional receptions for our students accepted into the class of 2014. One was held at the Westin Time Square and the other was at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. We had a great time at both unique venues, it was nice meeting all of you accepted students! Here is a quick recap from our trip:

Ben Carr '11, Counselor Katie Stango, and Tim Cushing '10

Our trip to New York City started with cramming our whole admissions team, many Stonehill faculty members, students, and various leaders in the community into our bus to take Stonehill on the road. The team took off down 95 South singing "The Wheels on the Bus". Ok, they may not have been singing, but that's how I imagined it. The bus had to make a pit stop at the lovely bus stop in Westport, CT to pick up Admissions Counselor Katie Stango and myself. We were both doing college fairs in Connecticut but could not bear missing a night in the City with Stonehill.

We arrived at the Westin Times Square and started preparing for registration etc. By the time we were done it was 3:30pm so we had some time to explore the city. Being the avant-garde, metropolitan, world travelors that we are, we decided to do the most touristy thing imaginable and have dinner in Times Square. As a lifelong Yankee fan I was ecstatic to be back where most of the hats in the streets have the interlocking NY on the front.

Me trying to be cool

The reception went great! We had a number of Stonehill Alumni who are working in the New York area stop by to meet our accepted students. The food was good, the venue was good, the people were great. Speakers for the night included the Vice President for our division Mary Beth Carey, two senior students Tim Cushing and Sara Morales, and our President Father Mark Cregan. Everyone who I spoke with enjoyed themselves, we even had 2 deposits!

A newly enrolled student with Dean of Faculty/Assoc. VP for Academic Affairs Joe Favazza

We made our way back to Stonehill's Campus late that night, only stopping for ice cream (of course).

Our next reception was held at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. It's a very interesting place. I have been a basketball fan my whole life but this was my first opportunity to wander around and see all the exhibits. I really enjoyed the exhibits featuring my favorite UCONN championship teams and the exhibit featuring all of Michael Jordan's sneakers throughout the years.

VP Marketing and Enrollment Management Mary Beth Cary addresses the crowd

The reception really went great, the accepted students who came were impressed with their tours of the Hall of Fame. I think through it all, what I will remember most is the free games. The Hall of Fame has some great free games the Matt Gorman '11 and I decided to take advantage of while touring the building.

I want to clear something up right now, I've been hearing this rumor that I was dunked on by a WNBA superstar. This is true and can be verified by the picture below. However this occured while I was playing the virtual video game at the HOF (Hall of Fame). This would never happen in real life because I have much too much game.

Me playing the vitual video game at the HOF

Me getting dunked on by a WNBA superstar

So now that we have cleared up that issue, we can move on to the other games. The old fashioned arcade basketball shooting games were probably the most used games there. Our current students could not get enough of the competition. The HOF even had a machine that moved a basketball for rebounding up higher and higher until you could no longer jump to reach it. (Yes I beat Matt Gorman, but he also took the picture of me getting dunked on so I guess he got the last laugh.) The HOF even had a booth you could sit in and pretend to be the announcer for your favorite game then have it played back.

All of our receptions were fantastic! That's to everyone who participated. We only stopped on the way home from Springfield for one thing, you guessed it, ICE CREAM

Andrew Leahy, Sr. Admissions Counselor, Ice Cream Enthusiast

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Behind the Scenes: The Pics You Should Have Seen!

Guest post featuring financial aid!

2010-04-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

It looks like spring is finally here! We're having some absolutely phenomenal weather in New England this week-it was in the 80's today! Ok...back to business. Every now and again we like to have "guest posts" from other folks on campus. This week's guest post is from the financial aid office so please enjoy!

The financial aid office is back to work after a restful Easter break and we are busier than ever! Like the incoming class we are gearing up for the May 1 commitment date, and we are working hard to help make this process as smooth as possible for you and your family.

The financial aid award letters were mailed on April 1, so if you haven’t yet received your letter you may contact Student Financial Services at 508-565-1088 and we can make sure there isn’t a problem with your financial aid application. You should also have received the 2010-2011 Financial Aid Guide, which explains the various types of aid offered to Stonehill students and what the requirements are for keeping these awards. If you plan on appealing your financial aid award, please refer to page 14 of the Financial Aid Guide which outlines the appropriate steps you should take to file an appeal. Please remember, all appeals are due by Friday, April 9. You can expect a response to your appeal by Friday, April 16.

Congratulations again on your acceptance to Stonehill and we look forward to seeing you in the Fall!

Financial Aid- on the way!

2010-04-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

A few quick notes:

1. The last of the financial aid packages were sent out this week. You should be receiving yours very soon!

2. We are still registering accepting students for our off-campus receptions and open houses this spring. We're SUPER EXCITED about our two regional receptions that are *new* this year. Stonehill comes to you! We'll be celebrating your acceptance at the Westin Times Square in NYC on April 8th and the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA on April 12th. Current students, faculty, staff and President Cregan will be in attendance. This is a great opportunity to get all of your questions answered before you make your final decision. You can register for our open houses at www.stonehillevents.org and the regional receptions at www.stonehillevents.org/regional. We hope to see you soon!

3. Happy Easter/ Passover! Have a great weekend everyone :)

YIELD!

2010-03-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

YIELD- our favorite word here in the Admissions Office. In the spring we spend a good amount of our time "yielding" students- also known as turning an accepted student into a Stonehill student! We try our best to offer a variety of programming to suit the needs of every accepted student- whether you're interested in Science, Business, Liberal Arts or you're just confused! Why come to an open house? Obvious answer- free food.....I kid. It doesn't matter what schools you're considering- you need to revisit! I have a feeling that a lot of you visited dozens of schools last year and they're all starting to run together. Am I right? Revisiting will give you a chance to have a fresh view of a school while also learning more about specific programs that may be of interest to you. Our open houses are pretty specific as well. For example: during the Science Open House you'll meet science faculty, listen to a student panel, sit in on a mock class and tour campus. This enables students who have previously toured or attended a group information session to get a different view of campus and learn more specifics about their probable major. Below are a list of the upcoming open houses and information on how to register.

April 7 - Business Open House
April 9 - Science Open House
April 11 - Liberal Arts/Undeclared Open House

Days at the Hill (smaller open houses that are divided according to major)
April 14 - Visual & Performing Arts, Education, Communication & Math
April 15 - Undeclared, Foreign Languages, English, Political Science & International Studies
April 16 - Health Care Administration & History
April 21 - American Studies, Catholic Studies, Gender Studies, Multidisciplinary Studies, Philosophy, Public Administration, Religious Studies, Criminology, Psychology & Sociology
April 23 - Economics, Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Undecided, Environmental Studies

You may sign up for an open house using the links provided above or by calling the main admissions line at 508-565-1373.

If you would like a different type of experience, Stonehill also offers Accepted Student Class Visits where accepted students are assigned a host to shadow for the day. During a typical Class Visit an accepted student will eat lunch in the caf, attend a class or two and go on tour with their assigned host. This is a really great way to see a "day in the life" of a real Stonehill College student!

The Class Visit dates are listed below. Please have a date or two in mind as well as an idea as to what type of class you would like to attend. Science students: due to limited lab space and liability, we ask that you make all efforts to attend the Science Open House on April 9th rather than trying to book a Class Visit. We have extremely limited space in science classes and we cannot guarantee availability.

Please call at least two weeks in advance to schedule a Class Visit or modify an existing reservation at 508-565-1373. Space is limited so please call as far in advance as possible so that we can be sure to accommodate you!

April
Thursday, 8th
Monday, 12th
Tuesday, 13th
Monday, 19th
Thursday, 22nd
Monday, 26th
Tuesday, 27th
Wednesday, 28th
Thursday, 29th
Friday, 30th

We hope that you are able to make it back to campus (or visit for the first time) before making your final decision!

Vancouver Olympics 2010

2010-03-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

Alright everyone, it's time for another fun post. Since there was an article about me on the front page of the Summit (the Stonehill student newspaper) I figure that I'm a pretty big deal and I should make the fun post about me. I take it you agree.

Two weeks ago I got to take the trip of a lifetime to the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. The city of Vancouver has always been a place that I wanted to visit, when I saw the games were being held there I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I was able to see the USA Men's and Women's Hockey teams, go skiing at Whistler for the day, explore Vancouver, take in a curling match and go to a victory ceremony. Not bad for four days.

Day 1 was all about hockey. We had tickets to the USA Men's game vs. Norway and tickets to the USA Women's game vs. Finland. I'm not the biggest hockey fan in the world, but come on- it's the winter Olympics! Hockey is THE premier sport to watch. The Men's game took place right in downtown Vancouver where the Canucks team plays, so it was really easy to get to. The arena was packed with people, most of them Canadians who just wanted to see a game. I can't begin to explain how seriously Canadians take hockey, they live, die, and breathe hockey. There were a lot of Americans enjoying the game as well. The fans cheering for Norway were outnumbered but they were loud. Hey, if you traveled across an ocean and a continent to see your team, you are going to cheer. The Canadians tend to support whoever is playing against USA so it sounded like we were the visiting team.

USA Men's Hockey v. Norway

The USA Men's team got the victory that afternoon. I tend to think it was because of the luck I brought them. We then headed off to the other end of town for the USA Women's game. By the time we got there, the 1st period had ended but that was fine with me. You can only take so much hockey in one day. The game was played at Thunderbird Arena which is on the campus of the University of British Columbia. It was interesting to see an international university. The women won their game against Finland 6-0, and I rang my cowbell a lot. It's pretty much a requirement at the Olympics.

More Cowbell!

The next day we went skiing at Whistler Mountain for the full day. It was literally the best skiing I've ever done, and there were Olympic events going on so we got to catch a bit of the Men's GS as well. Pictures:

Whistler

The skiing was fantastic, but afterwards in Whistler Village was just as fun. There was a gathering area where all the visitors could watch the events happening at Whistler and it also happened to be the night Canadian John Montgomerry won the gold medal in Men's Skeleton. All of the Canadians watching went wild for him.

The next day we did some exploring which included a seabus ride across the bay to North Vancouver. The view from the boat looking back at the city was fantastic. We eventually found our way to the suspension bridge we were looking for, it was a great sight.

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Our last day in Vancouver we made it to the Men's Curling Competition. USA was playing Great Britain and the Canadian team was playing as well. I didn't know most of the rules but luckily I was seated next to a native Canadian who helped me figure out when to cheer. Surprisingly, the curling matches got pretty intense, the crowd really gets into it. We had great seats right in the 2nd row.

Curling Match

The whole Olympic experience was once in a lifetime, I'm so happy I was able to go. I really got to see and do a lot in a great city. I hear the 2nd Early Action Open House went pretty well, even without me. In case you were wondering to yourself while you visited "Where is Evan. G? I love his blog and really wanted to meet him!" Well, I apologize but I have to come up with these posts somehow, even if it means traveling to Vancouver for the Olympics. It's a tough job, but somebody has got to do it. And yes, I did get my mittens!

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EA Open Houses

2010-03-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back from winter break for those of you in high school, for the Stonehill students out there have fun during Spring Break!

The past three Fridays we hosted our Early Action Open Houses for accepted students who applied to Stonehill early action. The programs were a great success, bringing over 1500 people and 600 students to campus across the three dates. Sessions were held for all aspects of student life here at Stonehill including Rec Sports, Liberal Arts Panel, Financial Aid, Campus Ministry and Study Abroad.

We were even able to use our new Shields Science Center for the opening and closing receptions. The first Early Action Open House was the first time the Atrium had been set up for maximum capacity so everyone was holding their breath and hoping that all of our visitors would fit in the room. Everything went according to plan and all of the Admissions folks were relieved that the space worked out perfectly.

Sheilds Science Center Atrium

We were excited to see so many of you at the Open Houses, if you saw us you may have realized something was different. A certain something had returned to make another glorious appearance. This something is Bow Tie Friday.

Katie Stango tying Sr. Admission Counselor Andrew Leahy's Bow Tie

All of the male members of the Admissions and Marketing teams wore Stonehill colored bow ties for the open houses (except the first one) the female team members wore Stonehill colored scarves.

Admissions Staff with bow ties and scarves

Everyone on campus put in a lot of work to make sure these events ran smoothly so a big THANK YOU to everyone. If you are an accepted student that did not attend these Early Action Open Houses feel free to join us on one of the other Open House days, you can register online or by calling the main admissions line at 508-565-1373. I hope to see you soon!

Class of 2014

HEY JUNIORS- we haven't forgotten about you!

2010-03-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

What a hectic time of year in the world of Admissions! In addition to reading Regular Decision applications and planning open houses for accepted Early Action/Early Decision students we're also recruiting for the class of 2015! While it's easy to get wrapped up with the seniors, we have to devote a good amount of our time to shaping the class for the following admissions cycle. Case in point: two trips in the last few weeks to meet with high school juniors in two very different settings.

A few weeks ago I traveled to scenic Salisbury, CT to sit on a panel at the Salisbury School with other admissions reps from UMass Amherst, Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Trinity College. We fielded questions from their college counseling staff and then finished with Q&A from parents and students. I was also in Pittsburgh, PA two weekends ago for the Pittsburgh National College fair which is attended by thousands of students. A lot of the discussion at both events was centered around topics that juniors should start to be thinking about at this time of year. Below are 4 quick steps for those juniors that are just starting the college search process.

1. Where do I start?

This is a tough time for a lot of students and families that are trying to start the college process. My advice is to take it one step at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. You can't start worrying about your essay, recommendations and college list until you know what type of school is right for you! First step- prioritize. Make a list of the type of qualities you're looking for in a school. Start with the basics- size, location and majors offered. From there start to research schools that meet some of these criteria. You can request print materials by calling the Admissions Office or fill out a form online. A college's website may have an online viewbook as well if you would prefer to go green.

2. What's next?

Visit! While you may think you know exactly what you want, you'll never know until you visit! An admissions brochure or college website cannot take the place of an official visit to campus. This will enable you to see the surrounding area, talk with current students and learn some information that you may not have come across in your research. This spring is a great time to start visiting colleges since the students are on campus. While it's sometimes more convenient to visit during the summer, you will really miss out seeing the majority of the students. Many schools have extra group information sessions and tours during your school vacation week so make sure to check out their website or call to make an appointment.

3. Course Selection

This is very important. The courses you take in your senior year can really make the difference between and accept, waitlist or denial letter. I am always impressed with students that are taking all academic subjects in their senior year and challenging themselves with honors and AP courses. Yes, it's easy to float by on electives and "fluff" courses, but the work you do as a senior is the best prediction we have of your success in college. Start thinking about your senior schedule now and how you can challenge yourself and impress colleges with your drive and motivation.

4. RELAX!

You still have plenty of time! Take this spring to visit campuses and really enjoy the college search process. I always tell families that this doesn't have to be stressful- you can look at is as an adventure. My Mom and I were quite the college search nerds back in the day and we used your various roadtrips as good mother-daughter bonding time. At this point visit schools, start thinking of potentially teachers to ask a recommendation from and brainstorm a few topics that may work for your essay....and of course continue to do well in school!

Looking to connect with Stonehill this spring? Check out our visit calendar to see what we offer on campus or look for us "on the road" as we travel to various high schools and college fairs all over the nation.

New Englander Heads to Mid-Atlantic: Snow Follows

2010-02-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Figures. I leave Boston for a recruiting trip to Pittsburgh in the midst of their largest snow storm since 1992! Luckily I had already planned to spend the weekend in Harrisburg visiting my friend Lisa so I didn't have to worry about my flight being cancelled....wish I could say the same for some of my colleagues. Some of them were stranded all weekend!

As mentioned in my previous post, I was in town for the Pittsburgh National College Fair at the Lawrence Convention Center. Here's a lovely photo montage of my time in 'Steel City."

Admissions isn't all fun and games....but sometimes it is. Playing at the Cracker Barrel with colleagues.

My table at the college fair. Go Hill!

Instead of filling out an inquiry card, a student can have an ID number scanned and we're emailed their information in a spreadsheet. It's pretty amazing!

Lisa and I trekking out into the snow!

Yep- that's my rental car.

Overwhelmed.

Come Visit Campus....Again!

2010-02-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to come visit campus again (or for the first time) and would like a different experience, I have a tip for you. Schedule your next visit around a Skyhawks game.

The games are really a great opportunity to see a part of student life that you don't really get a chance to see during a tour, plus it's EXCITING! Just last week I was able to go to a Stonehill basketball game vs. AIC that came down to a last second shot. Which also happened to be a dunk that won the game for the home Skyhawks. It reminded me of myself way back in my playing days, except I missed most of the shots I took. This statement is still true to this day as anyone shooting around in the SpoCo can attest to.

Both Men's and Women's Basketball have home games just about weekly right here on campus at the Merkert Gymnasium. You can check out their schedule here. Right now the Men's team is 16-4 and the Women's team is 17-5 so both teams have been successful so far in their push to make it back to the NCAA National Tournament.

As a prospective student you can really get a feel for how involved our students are here at Stonehill. If you're not a basketball person, during the winter season you can also catch an Ice Hockey game or an Indoor Track & Field meet. I just happen to be more of a basketball guy. Here's another idea (I'm filled with them today): Check team schedules for any date you will be coming for an Open House, maybe your favorite sport is playing. And if you're really lucky, maybe Ace will be there too. FREE T-SHIRTS! (In the interest of being fully transparent I have no idea whether there will be free t-shirts or not. Only one way to find out. GO)

Our Mascot, Ace

In other campus news: our brand new residence hall is looking good! Things are really moving quickly with the construction. Last week we got a feel for what the furniture in the new building might look like. The building is going to be suite style housing and when it goes online it will certainly be one of the top living choices for students on campus. Did you know over 90% of our students live on campus? BAM! I just hit you with some knowledge and you didn't even know it was coming. I lulled you back then the sneak attack started.

New Residence Hall

This I DO know for a fact: first one to tweet a link to this article with the hashtag #whystonehill gets a real free t-shirt.

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The Students Are Back!

2010-01-20T07:24:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,

After a long winter break, Stonehill students have made their way back to campus to start the spring semester. Classes started on Tuesday after the college observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Although it was a Tuesday, it was a "Stonehill Monday". This happens every now and then after a long weekend, even though it is Tuesday classes operate under a Monday schedule. It's a little confusing at first but once you go through a couple you get the hang of it.

In other exciting news: The January 15th Regular Decisions Deadline has been extended to February 15th! Please inform your friends of this new date, we want to give as many students as possible the opportunity to apply.

You may be asking yourself "What happens at Stonehill when the students are gone?" It's definitely not as busy around campus, but one of the main things we do in the admissions office is READ APPLICATIONS. We have gone through many great applications and the rest of the Early Action notification letters are in the process of being sent out. The office has just started reading Regular Decision applications that were submitted before the original January 15th deadline.

And now to the main subject of the blog post: Dean of Admissions Brian Murphy.

Brian in 1968

Brian has been working at Stonehill for 41 years, he has signed 18,000 of our alumni's acceptance letters, and he is retiring from Stonehill College. While it may seem like a sad time, saying goodbye to a friend, we have been celebrating all the great things he has done for Stonehill through the years. Stonehill has grown tremendously in the time Brian has been Dean, both in the size of the college and in the quality of the students matriculating.

Last week we gathered to celebrate his career at Stonehill. The "Brian Murphy Roast" was a great success. Longtime friends and colleagues of Brian offered up some hilarious stories that really made the night fun. Brian, being a great sport, had a smile on the whole time.

Current and Former Admissions Staff Members

So cheers to Brian for a great career at Stonehill! He has been a great mentor for so many people through the years, both his staff and students here. Even though he is technically "retired" I still see him walking the halls of Donahue, keeping busy, just as often as before. Congratulations!

Deadline extended!

2010-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone- just a quick note!

The deadline for regular decision applicants has been extended to February 15th! Applicants who apply by February 15th, will be notified of an admissions decision by March 15th.

Questions? Email admissions@stonehill.edu

Long Overdue Post

2010-01-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over and we're back! The college closes for a few days around the holidays and the staff takes a bit of vacation so it's always an adjustment getting back to the office after the New Year. I went home to my parent's for an entire week to relax and spend some much needed quality time with my family. My sister's studying abroad in Brussels, Belgium this semester so it was good to spend some time with her before she left. Below are some quick holiday snapshots from my vacation.

Central Mass winter wonderland

Cafe Stango- very excited by my Christmas presents

I take Christmas cookies very seriously

Yankee Swap madness with the extended family

And the best for last- my cousin Mike's gift in the Yankee Swap

Ok, back to business! We're coming towards the end of Early Action- notification date is January 15th. If you haven't heard from us yet, you will very shortly! We've also started reviewing the Regular Decision applications that are complete. Haven't applied? You still have time- deadline is January 15th so get on it!

We're also working hard to plan the Open Houses for accepted student that will be starting soon. Information for accepted Early Action and Early Decision students will be send via snail mail so get excited! Attending an Open House is a great way to familiarize yourself with Stonehill in a different way than a tour or group information session. We'll talk more about Open Houses as the winter progresses, but just something to think about as your plan your late winter/early spring.

Bow Tie Friday and Holiday Festivities

2009-12-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

This past Friday is a date that will live forever in the hearts of the Stonehill Community. A lasting tradition was started, friends were made, and admissions cleaned house at the Christmas Party Raffle. On this special day there was one thing that made the holiday party extra special, there was one thing that brought the entire Stonehill Community together and made each Stonehill staff member believe in the magic of Christmas, if only for a moment. My friends, this one thing is BOW TIE FRIDAY.

Sam Smith Associate Dean, bow tie enthusiast

Now, you may be asking: Evan, I’m already on the edge of my seat, this tradition seems life changing and instrumental in the struggle for world peace, how can I participate?

Well wait one second there whipper snapper, why don’t we gather around the fireplace and I’ll tell you a little something about the long storied tradition of Bow Tie Friday.

Bow Tie Friday Begins

It all started way back in the dark ages when no one wore bow ties. Times were tough. Then people wore bow ties for awhile in the 70s and things were good. Bow ties faded out but made glorious sporadic appearances throughout North America. During this time bow ties still held a strong following among English gentlemen and Biology professors, often accompanied by a tweed jacket. (Reader disclaimer: This short history of bow ties may not be entirely historically accurate.)

That brings us to present day. I had been keeping tabs on the original bow tie Friday, started by a colleague, via twitter. Drew Millikin (a.k.a. the bowfather) held up the tradition strong and proud. I had been talking it up around our admissions office for awhile, and it was time for the first step of expansion: I wore a bow tie to work last Friday. Then it all snowballed into this:

The Donahue Hall folks

Notice we do not discriminate, all are invited to join in the bow tie love. This Friday also happened to be our Employee Christmas Party. To quote Stonehill President Fr. Cregan addressing the large crowd:

“We are a young college and new traditions are what keep us going. The admissions office has started a new tradition, and will all members of the office participating please stand up and be recognized.”

This quote may not be word for word, but that is what the sentiment was (and all I remember). I also remember an inspiring round of applause, the loudest of which was saved for Tony. Tony has been a custodian in Donahue Hall for 20 years now, everyone knows Tony and his willingness to participate really got everyone excited.

Tony, willing to particpate

Imagine that, being recognized by the President of the college, in front of everyone at the Christmas party. This was only our first attempt as a group wearing bow ties, imagine what could happen after some practice! I think the obvious overarching theme of Bow Tie Fridays is that anything is possible… even world peace.

To answer your original question, reader, to participate just grab a bow tie, throw it around your neck, get on YouTube to figure out how to tie it and BAM! You’re in. Just make sure it’s Friday.

Admissions News: This is what you’re really here for right? The Admissions office will be slowing down over the holidays, but certainly not stopping. We’re working hard reading some great EA applications, expect to hear something in mid-January.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

For more media from Bow Tie Friday check out Facebook

If you can't get enough Bow Ties, here a video of BT1 (Bow Tie Week 1) to hold you over until Friday YouTube

As always, get the latest Stonehill Admissions news on Twitter

Chugging along...

2009-12-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

Can you say busy?

We're in full swing with Early Action and just starting to receive all of the information from students applying Regular Decision. Need less to say, Christmas shopping has taken a back seat for me. I have a feeling I'll be one of those crazy people buying gifts on December 24th!

Just a quick note to address some concerns over Early Action and Early Decision notification letters: Due to a large volume of applications from a very competitive pool of candidates, we are working hard to send out decisions as possible. If your application is complete, you should be hearing from us soon! If your application is incomplete, please look for correspondence about your missing transcripts, recommendations, test scores, etc. so we can review your application as soon as possible.

And on a random note, enjoy these winter photos from around campus! Yeah!

Christmas Tree with "presents" on campus

Taking a break from reading applications to stop at Dunkin Donuts. Mocha latte and peppermint donut...mmmm

Donahue Hall after the first snowfall of the year

Admissions Staff Members (from left) Jacinda, Shamika, Eric, Evan and Andrew take a stroll around campus

2009-12-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hello Blog World

This is my first entry in our Stonehill Counselor’s Blog, and judging by the time of year I bet you think this will be about reading applications and the whole process…WRONG.

Since it is my first blog it has got to be something fun and interesting….something that will make you want to tune in next week.

What could be so powerful, special, and exciting that each of you will follow my blog religiously from this point forward? I’ll tell you what: MR. STONEHILL

Conor Nordengren '10 making his parents proud

That’s right, Mr. Stonehill, if you’ve been on a tour of campus or spoke with a Stonehill student they probably talked about it. Mr. Stonehill is a glorified male beauty pageant….but make no mistake about it, we aren’t dealing with the Moms from “Toddlers and Tiaras” (no I do not watch the show...). This competition is not meant to be taken too seriously. All of the contestants have a great time, a lot of laughs and a lot of smiles.

Fourteen of Stonehill's finest young men, took part in the competition. The judges included officers from every class, a few others from the Stonehill community, and our very own Andrew Leahy. Our Senior Admissions Counselor extraordinaire is not just a compassionate,intelligent member of our Stonehill Admissions team- he is also a fantastic judge of talent (and I’m not just saying that because Andrew is my boss…)

I hear he accepts Mr. Stonehill bribes (cash or money order)

Four of our Student Ambassadors took part in the competition and did an awesome job. Clenton McArthur '10, or should I say his brother "Clenny Kravitz", performed a great rendition of ‘American Woman’.

Other notables included Jay Ardizonni '11 performing the vampire musical from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and the Tiger song Ed Helms sings in "The Hangover", and Randy Jose '12 absolutely killing it performing a Michael Jackson dance tribute, the crowd rose for a standing ovation after the performance. And I have to give props to our Student Ambassador Tim Cushing '10 for doing a great all around job (or he will keep bugging me about it).

Alas, in the end the deserving winner was Joey D’agostino '10 who performed some great magic, and was a crowd favorite in the swimsuit portion of the competition rolling through on his skateboard with lights all over him. The lights somehow made their way into the formal wear segment of the program.

Well, now devoted followers, that wraps up my wrap up of Mr. Stonehill. It was a lot of fun, everyone had a great time. All of the contestants did a fantastic job performing. I think this video of Conner speaks for itself.

If you are interested in any other media from the event check out Facebook

Also, don't forget, for all the latest admissions news check us out on Twitter

Fall Travel Superlatives

2009-11-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

Yes folks, it's that time again. Let's wrap up Fall Travel high school style...with superlatives!

Best downtown:Hershey, PA

If you look closely on the light poles you can see the giant Hersey Kisses!

Nicest drive: Litchfield County, CT

Besides the construction that made me late to a visit or two, I have to give credit to the beauty of Litchfield County!

Best "work weekend" ever: MIAMI

You can't really consider being in Miami for a weekend in October "work." Please keep in mind it was snowing in Boston when this picture was taken. That made this deal a little bit sweeter :)

Best rental car: Lime green VW Bug with Kentucky plates

I have no clue how this car got to Pittsburgh, but I was so glad it was mine for the week!

Biggest Fatty Fest: Primanti Brothers

Yes, that would be a chicken, cheese, cole slaw and french fry sandwich. I split it with a friend and still didn't finish it!

Best New Building: Huizenga Science Center at the Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Double winding staircases, rooftop terrace, 8 labs, etc. Unreal!

Most high tech visitor sign-in: Great Valley High School in Malvern, PA.
Step 1: Take your photo using a camera hooked up to a computer. Step 2: Enter your personal information into the computer. Step 3: Sticker prints out with your photo, information and arrival time. VERY COOL! When you leave the building, they scan you out! Best part: when I return next fall, my information is saved in the system. Very, very impressive!

Most Persistent:

A certain Admissions Representative who will remain nameless has been harassing me all fall to give her another Fall Travel Superlative. So there you go!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We are almost through reviewing Early Action and Early Decision folders. When are we sending out decision letters? Follow us on twitter to be the first to know!

Quick Update

2009-11-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I only have a few minutes to update because this week is CRAZY! We've started reviewing Early Action and Early Decision applications and there's no going back now! We received more applications at this time this year than last so we're busier than expected.

So far it looks like the class is shaping up well. I'm impressed with the quantity and quality of our applicants so far! I love this time of year because it's so exciting getting to learn more about our applicants after meeting so many of them last spring and fall. This year in particular I feel that the essays are really strong. I read a great one about a cross-country family road trip to visit colleges all over the nation and another moving essay about an applicant's cousin who recently passed away from a rare disease. Both very different, but well written nevertheless.

Missed the chance to apply Early Action or Early Decision? Fret not- the Regular Decision deadline isn't until January 15th so you have plenty of time!

As always, please feel free to contact admissions@stonehill.edu if you have any questions about applying.

Come to the World's Largest College Fair!

2009-11-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Ever wish you could get all the information that you get at a college fair from the comfort of your own home?

Well, Stonehill is participating in the world's largest College Fair, and it's located on-line! Over 42,000 students from all over the US have already signed up so why don't you? It's easy and free.

If you are interested in learning more about Stonehill, visit our virtual booth by visiting:

http://www.collegeweeklive.com/

This fair is currently live and is running until this Saturday at 6pm.

As part of this fair we are hosting several live chats. To chat with an Admissions Counselor and some of our current students, visit our booth during the following times:

Thursday, November 5th: 2:00pm-6:00pm
Friday, November 6th: 3:00pm-6:00pm
Saturday, November 7th: 12:00pm-3:00pm

While at our booth you can download several different brochures that include information about financial aid, various academic programs, and more!

Thanks and we hope to see you at the fair!

UPDATE: Early Action Deadline Extended!

2009-11-04T15:57:00.001-08:00

Happy November!

Didn't get a chance to submit your Early Action application in time for November 1st?
Do you wish you could turn back the clock so you could get your application in?

Well you're in luck!

We've decided to extend our Early Action Deadline until November 16th.

For those of you who have applied already, we thank you and we will begin the review of your applications soon.

To learn more about how we review your application click here.

To apply now click here.

More from PA

2009-11-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update! Being a massive history nerd, I couldn't pass up the chance to stop by Valley Forge while I was recruiting in the Philadelphia area last week. I've visited Concord, Lexington, Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry and Antietam so obviously I need to keep going. Now I can proudly add Valley Forge to my list!

US National Memorial Arch

Not exactly my idea of proper winter housing....

These deer were right next to my car!

Sun beginning to set on Valley Forge

Greetings from PA!

2009-10-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's been a long fall for us in the Admissions world but as always a fun one :) I'm currently in Philadelphia recruiting all week and will finish up my travels in Northern Worcester County, MA next week. Just a quick reminder: Early Action and Early Decision applications are due by November 1st. If you missed the deadline you can still apply Regular Decision by January 15th.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Miami and Ft. Lauderdale to go to some college fairs. I've been to Florida several times but never to Miami- very exciting, especially considering it was snowing in the Northeast for the majority of the weekend! I'm not going to lie- escaping to the sun and beaches wasn't a very painful way to spend the weekend. Although I had work commitments for the majority of the weekend, I was able to spend about an hour on the beach. There was also a dinner cruise sponsored by the Miami Invitational College fair. I took some photos from the top of the boat and posted them below. Enjoy!

Recruiting in Philadelphia is always one of my favorite weeks during the fall. I have a lot of friends and family in the area so it's great to spend some of my free time with people I don't get to see as often as I would like. There's also some fantastic schools in the Main Line area that I look forward to visiting each year. I've added some new schools to my list that I've never been to which will mix things up a bit. I'll have a full travel report (not to mention my travel superlatives) in a couple of weeks. Until then, get those Early Action and Early Decision applications in and enjoy what's left of the fall!

SC = Southern California!!!

2009-10-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is Andrew Leahy, one of the Admissions Counselors here at Stonehill. I just returned from an amazing week of recruiting in San Diego County in southern California! This is the first time Stonehill has been to CA to recruit students even though we have several Californians on campus already.

The weather was unbelievable! Plus, my younger brother is stationed at the Naval Base in San Diego so I got to spend some time with him in between recruiting appointments. SD is a lot of fun! We hit up Sea World, the Zoo, a Harbor Tour, the Wild Animal Park…just about everything! As part of my trip, I started a little list of superlatives to highlight some of the best times during my vacation…I mean work…in CA.

And the winners are…
Best Music: Poway HS Marching Band! They were practicing for homecoming as I walked into the school for my visit. Poway – you guys were amazing! Keep up the good work!

Best View: Academy of Our Lady of Peace! Leaving their college fair at night, overlooking all the lights of San Diego was absolutely breathtaking. OLP also wins for “Most Food & Variety of Food at a College Fair”! Every time I turned around there was another student with a tray of brownies, cookies, m&m’s or drinks. Thanks, OLP!

Most Beautiful Location: The Bishop’s School! Bishop’s is in gorgeous La Jolla and the campus is absolutely beautiful. Even the parking garage was pristine!

Best Lunch: Coronado HS! Coronado wins for their awesome quad with volleyball court, picnic tables in beach sand and music during lunch. Lunch never looked like more fun!

Most Questions: Cathedral Catholic HS! Not only did you guys ask a lot of questions, but they were GREAT questions to ask. Thanks for making the visit an exciting one!

Best Goodie Bag: La Jolla Country Day School! It doesn’t take much to keep Admissions Counselors happy and a little bag with a bottle of water, a granola bar, and some candy will do the trick! Plus, there was a Twix inside. I love Twix. Enough said.

Best Local Honey: San Pasqual HS! Okay, actually it’s Hernandez Farms which is about 5 minutes from San Pasqual HS just up the road. Orange blossom honey. I tried it. Bought two containers. Can’t wait to go back and get more.

Most Interesting Curriculum: Canyon Crest Academy! What an awesome integration of math and sciences and the arts. Enjoy it and take advantage of as much as you can Ravens!

Most Posters & Pennants: Rancho Bernardo HS! I don’t know if there’s much more wall space, but I’m sending a Stonehill poster and pennant along!

Thanks to all of you students and Counselors for making my travels out west a success! I hope you will take some time and learn more about Stonehill by visiting our website, coming to campus for a tour if you are out east or asking me questions! My email address is aleahy@stonehill.edu if you need to contact me. Also, two of your fellow Californians are writing blogs on our Admissions page. Check out Marco’s and Kathleen’s journals. To those of you who have already applied – I look forward to reviewing your application! All the best for a successful and fun senior year!

10 Dos and Don'ts- College Fair Style

2009-10-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

What a long overdue post about this subject! For all that have attended a college fair, you know how overwhelming the experience can be. There are sometimes hundreds of college reps and thousands of students to navigate through in order to get the information you really need. Hopefully a few pointers below can help you through the process. And remember, college fairs are fun and informative!

Do:

1.Fill out inquiry cards. This will ensure that a college can update your information, send you materials relevant to your academic and extracurricular interests. There are also a good number of schools (like Stonehill) that track a student's interest in a school. When we read your applicant file we can see that you met a representative at a college fair- we know you mean business!

2. Bring pre-printed labels. The savvy student knows that filling out inquiry cards can be a pain! Pre-printed sticky labels with your address, email, class year, high school name, DOB, academic and extracurricular interest will save you a lot of time and help avoid writer's cramp...plus it's easier for us to input in our computer system. Win win!

3. Ask questions- that's what we're there for! Your guidance/college counselor may be able to provide you with a list of good questions to ask or you could brainstorm on your own. Either way, it's never a bad idea to have a few questions in mind regarding academics, campus life, housing options, etc.

4. Do your homework! Most fairs will provide a list of colleges to expect at the fair. Try to come up with a list of schools that you want to visit to help make good use of your time. It's also not a bad idea to check out their websites to get some basic information and know what you want to talk about with the college rep.

5. Keep an open mind. Try to visit schools you may not have heard of and explore all that the fair has to offer. You never know what you'll find.

Don't:

1. Dress inappropriately, this may be your first and last impression! It's hard for us to take you seriously when you're wearing Sponge Bob PJ pants. Keep the sleepwear, sweatpants and other lounge wear at home.

2. Be afraid to speak up. While we love talking with parents, we want to interact with you as well. Introduce yourself and make sure we get to know you!

3. Hesitate to ask for the contact information of a rep. if the table is busy and you have more questions. We try as best as possible to speak with every student but this can be difficult at busy fairs. We never want you to walk away from our table with unanswered questions.

4. "Grab and go" a.k.a. take a brochure from every table- it's just wasteful! There is no possible way that every school will be a good match for you or that you'll be able to read every single one. Try to talk to a rep, see if the school is a good match and then take their materials. Consider this a good move for the environment as well :)

5. Travel in packs. Just because all your friends like a school, it doesn't mean it's the best place for you. Try to branch off on your own and go see the schools that you're really interested in attending.

Early Action or Decision?

2009-10-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well it's October and that means two things:

Playoff Baseball is here (go Sox!) and Early Admissions deadlines are around the corner.

Our Early Admissions Deadline is November 1. Still trying to decide between Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED)? Maybe you're not sure if you should apply EA or Regular. Read on and I will do my best to clarify your options...

Remember that while both ED and EA are "Early" admissions options, ED is a binding program.By applying ED you are telling that institution that you will definitely attend if you are accepted and your financial need is met. Because of this, ED should only be used if you are 100% sure that the school is for you. In most cases you must commit by the end of December, which is 5 months earlier than the normal commitment deadline of May 1st.
EA gives you a chance to sit on the fence for a while.EA can be a good alternative for students who have a strong interest in 1 or 2 schools but maybe aren't as ready to make that commitment so early. typically colleges notify their EA applicants of a decision in early January, some 4 months before they have to commit.
Want to compare Financial Aid packages?By applying EA you have the ability to compare financial aid packages with other institutions. When you apply ED and are accepted you must withdraw all other applications so there is no chance to do some comparison shopping. If Financial Aid will play a role in your decision it may be best to avoid ED altogether.
Is it easier to get in EA vs. Regular Decision? Statistically our acceptance rate is higher for EA applicants vs. Regular applicants. Having said that, I bet you would see this trend with a majority of schools. Reason being, those who apply Early typically are the higher achieving students. The academic profile of EA applicants on the whole are stronger, which leads to the higher acceptance rate. So while I won't say it is necessarily easier, EA does give those students who are "on the bubble" a chance to be deferred and re-reviewed with the Regular decision pool.
Are you applying early so X school knows you're really interested? Well you don't have to! One of the biggest trends lately is to apply early at more and more schools. Some students even feel pressure to apply early because they see all of their friends doing it. If you need the extra time to complete your application, don't rush to get it in for Nov. 1. If you are worried that by applying regular will lead the school to believe that you aren't that interested there are some steps you can take to show otherwise.

Go on an official visit.Many schools track who visits. By taking the time to visit the school in person you are showing interest in the school. Check out what each school offers. Some offer Group Info Sessions, Tours, Class Visit Programs, and a combination of all 3.

Include a supplemental personal statement. By taking the time to write a short statement about why you are interested in "X School", you can show that you have "done your homework" by discussing why specific programs and opportunities that the College has to offer are perfect for you. You can also talk about why you applied Regular as opposed to Early. Maybe you are taking the SAT or ACT again and want to wait for those score results. Maybe you are doing really well in your senior year and you want "X School" to see both first and second quarter grades. By taking these extra steps, in my mind, you have applied early!

Still nor sure? Contact your Admissions Counselor.Each Admissions Office has a counselor that is assigned to your area. Reach out to them and ask your questions. We are a friendly bunch so questions are ok with us! By reviewing with you your individual situation we can try to advise you the best route to take for applying.

In the end, the decision is up to you. But remember that it isn't when you send us your application that matters, it is what is IN your application that is the most important. Good luck!

Stonehill and the Windy City

2009-09-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been a while! Since we last spoke I've logged over 2,00o miles by land and air in 5 different states. One of these states was Illinois where I spent 4 days in the Chicago area for some High School Visits and College Fairs. A few thoughts about my trip:

Windy City is not so windy...Maybe it's just me but I didn't notice the wind all that much
Lack of Boston accent disappointing to students...I swear at almost every school I visited students would want to know where my Boston accent was. (I don't really have one) You could tell they were devastated. I did my best impression of one and that seemed to work well!
Wrigley is a great place to watch a game...When I found out I was coming out to Chicago the first thing I did (before buying my plane ticket and finding a hotel) was to see if the Cubs were home during the time I would be there. And they were! Myself and my friends from P.C. and B.U. came to the game with me. We had a great time but it was odd to be sitting in a ballpark in September watching two teams play a game with zero playoff implications. Leaving that night I vowed not to ever take the Red Sox and their consistent run at the playoffs for granted
Train system is amazing. I have to hand it to Chicago they have the public transit system down to a science
SAT? What's that?...This is ACT country. The SAT was hardly brought up by the students.
You never know who you might meet at a College Fair...At a fair at Loyola Academy I met a 3-time NBA Champion from the Chicago Bulls. No, not Jordan, but former back-up center Bill Wennington. He was easy to spot at the fair since he is 7 feet tall and his son was 6' 10".

Overall it was a great trip. The school counselors I met with were very receptive, and many of them knew of us already. They said if students are thinking of the Boston area in the search, they add us to their students' lists.

Next post I will recap the NACAC annual conference which brought together over 3,000 Admission and School counselor professionals from around the world. Needless to say it was an interesting week.

Stonehill Invades Pittsburgh

2009-09-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings from "the road!" I'm currently in Cleveland after spending several days in Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Rochester. Since I had high school visits and fairs on Friday and Monday I had the opportunity to stay the weekend in Pittsburgh and see all the sights! It was the week before the G20 summit so the city was abuzz but luckily I was out of there early enough to avoid all the traffic, flight delay, protesters and general craziness that surrounds an international event of that magnitude.

I have a few friends from college in the Pittsburgh area so it was great to catch up with them and let them show me around the city a bit. On Saturday we caught a football game which was a new experience for me. Coming from a small high school, attending a college with DIII athletics and working at Stonehill (Division II) I've never really experienced the wonder that is BIG football. We got tickets for Pitt v. Navy and had a blast...especially since Pitt won! Chris is the world's biggest Steeler fan so he was just excited to be in the new Heinz Stadium for the first time. That's him with the Superbowl Trophy. I was more excited for tailgating and food! I ordered a hotdog and this is what I got. As you can see by my face it was a daunting task.

Despite the rain, Chris and I headed to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. They were feeding the Komodo Dragon when we were there which was really cool to see. We're both huge fans of penguins (who isn't?) so the aquarium was the best part for us. I've attached a live action video of a penguin diving and playing peek-a-boo with Chris.

It was a great weekend to relax a bit before travel really gets underway. This week I'm in Cleveland, OH visiting high schools from Monday-Friday. In October I travel from Hartford, CT to Springfield, OH and finish up with Philadelphia, PA.

We'll update soon with some frequently asked questions we receive during travel season and what types of questions you should be asking reps at college fairs and visits.

On the Road Again!

2009-09-20T07:40:00.001-07:00

Well it's that time of year again- fall travel! The Admissions Team is hitting the road and coming to a high school or college fair near you. We'll be traveling all over the country for the next 6-8 weeks and blogging live about our adventures!

I'm currently in Pittsburgh, heading to Rochester, NY on Tuesday and finishing up September with Cleveland, OH next week. I'll have mostly local travel for October before I finish up in Philadelphia. Look for a post about my exciting weekend in Pittsburgh soon! One word: football.

Eric is currently in Chicago, IL and I'm sure he'll have a post since it's the first time Stonehill has traveled to Chicago in at least a decade!

Below is the college fair schedule for the entire office. Check in with your college counseling office to see if we're visiting your high school as well!

http://www.stonehill.edu/x11047.xml

We can't wait to meet you!

Busy school year? Same here!

2009-09-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

What the best way to know if a school is right for you? You have to visit!

We're offering some new ways to visit Stonehill this fall. We're now offering TWO sessions on select Saturdays to come visit campus during the fall. Group Information Sessions followed by campus tours will start at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on September 19th, October 10th and October 17th. Please call the main Admissions line at 508-565-1373 to make a reservation. Space is limited so please plan in advance.

The Senior Class Visit Program is also in full swing! Seniors are assigned a current student host that takes them to class, lunch and a personalized tour. This is a great program for Seniors that are thinking about applying to Stonehill and have already done a Group Information Session or a Tour. We require one week's notice to sign up so we can notify professors and find suitable student hosts. Please call the main Admissions line at 508-565-1373 to reserve a spot. Space is limited.

Friday, September 18th (Rosh Hashanah)
Monday, September 21st
Friday, September 25th
Monday, September 28th (Yom Kippur)
Tuesday, September 29th
Friday, October 2nd
Tuesday, October 6th
Thursday, October 8th
Friday, October 9th
Wednesday, October 14th (PSAT Test Date)
Friday, October 16th
Tuesday, October 20th
Friday, October 23rd
Monday, October 26th
Wednesday, October 28th
Friday, October 30th
Thursday, November 5th
Friday, November 6th

New Dunkin Donuts!

2009-09-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

While the new science center has been open this summer to students doing undergraduate research in the S.U.R.E. program, there has been one important component missing from the building.....Dunkin Donuts!

Yes, the time has finally come! The entire campus came out in full force last week for the Grand Opening which included free coffee, donuts and tons of samples. Included are some photos of the *new* Dunkin Donuts which is located right outside the atrium with beautiful floor to ceiling windows. This space can be set with tables (see photo) or chairs for presentations, speakers and hopefully Open Houses in the spring for the Admissions Office!

It's also another exciting time: back to school! The academic year officially started yesterday with the first day of classes. Congratulations once again to the Class of 2013 and best wishes on their first week of college!

Ted Kennedy

2009-08-26T16:41:00.001-07:00

I was sad to learn of the passing of Ted Kennedy. I've always admired his work ethic, empathy, and the genuine concern he had for those less fortunate. I especially admired his dedication to the important issue of education. Kennedy made it one of his priorities to work towards ensuring high quality education for all students. Kennedy was a main contributor to the creation of such programs as TRIO and GEAR UP.

Kennedy also worked to help make Higher Education more affordable. Kennedy is credited with helping to create the Pell Grant Program, and the Direct Lending Program. Millions of students who did not have the economic means to pay for college, have directly benefited by Kennedy's work. Kennedy's tireless effort to help low-income, first generation students, receive a high quality college education is something I personally admire. I was one of those students so I can personally attest to the impact his work can have.

Kennedy has also been a part of Stonehill's history. In 1964 he received an honorary degree from Stonehill. Since then, Kennedy has returned to campus on several occasions. He will be missed but as he famously said in his 1980 Democratic Convention speech, "The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream will never die."

To view a photo snapshot of Kennedy's various visits to Stonehill, click here

Stonehill College Ranked 7th in the Country!

2009-07-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

So I know we always talk about the wonderful community we have here at Stonehill...and we do! 93% of our students live on campus, are heavily involved in community service, activities, and in genreal have a lot of fun.

Yet sometimes it can be hard for us to truly get across that our students are genuinely "happy" here at Stonehill...How does one measure that? Well Princeton review does each year when they release their Top-10 list of Colleges with the happiest students. and guess what? Stonehill is number 7 on that list.

Here are the other Schools on the list:
Brown
Clemson
Clarmont McKenna
Stanford
Bowdoin
Yale
Rice
St.Mary's College in MD
Colorado College

Pretty good company I say.

To learn more why our students are among some of the happiest in the country click here to read the article.

To see for yourself come visit us. Here is a link to our Visit Schedule in August:http://www.stonehill.edu/x12715.xml

See you on Campus!

Eric

Happy 4th!

2009-07-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

As per tradition, my family always goes down to my aunt's lakehouse in CT for the 4th of July. After THREE STRAIGHT WEEKS of non-stop rain, we finally had a weekend of sun! Below are some pictures of my fun weekend.

Lounging in the lake

Intense game of volleyball

My attempts at serving

Mom's version of "tanning"

Chris attempting to jet ski

My sister's 21st birthday cake

My cousin Michael's fireworks display

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! Eric and I will be on vacation for the next week but we'll be in touch soon. In the meantime, check out some of our student bloggers who have been posting throughout the summer. Kathleen (our newest First-Year blogger) just wrote about her 1st experience as a Stonehill student at Orientation! http://www.stonehill.edu/x13106.xml

Welcome to Stonehill!

2009-06-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Orientation is here! Stonehill College welcomed about 1/2 of the Class of 2013 this morning and below are some pictures of the Opening Ceremony. The rest of the class will attend the second session starting this Thursday. Be sure to check out our student blogs are well. Kayla will write about her experiences as an Assistant Orientation Coordinator and Kathleen who is starting to blog for us next week will tackle Orientation from the First Year perspective. Here's the link to our student blogs! http://www.stonehill.edu/x13106.xml

Stonehill President Father Mark Cregan welcomes parents and students

2009 Peer Mentors in all their glory

Here is a video of the Peer Mentors in action doing the "Stonehill Cheer!"

Why not?

2009-06-17T12:14:00.001-07:00

Photo of Ace and myself....just for kicks.

Loyola School Visits Stonehill

2009-06-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Quick shout out to the wonderful students at the Loyola School in NY. About 40 of their students came to visit Stonehill last week as part of a whirlwind 5 day tour of colleges in the New England Area. Here is a picture that was taken of the group before they left campus:

I'm glad they enjoyed their visit...I know we did!

Yeahhh summer!

2009-06-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Sigh. This sound can be heard around the country in every single Admissions Office. Summer is here! Finally! We're done with recruitment/travel, reviewing applications, event planning! While we still offer tours and group information sessions, the summer is definitely a more quiet time in our office. We keep ourselves busy with summer projects, planning fall recruitment and of course welcoming visitors. We also get to take the bulk of our vacation time during the summer. While Eric and I will keep you updated on all that is new at Stonehill, we hope you'll stick with us as we share a few personal photos from our summer fun!

Big news! Liz Stender from our office is now Liz Cheron! I had the opportunity to attend her wedding on the Cape over Memorial Day weekend. Here's some pictures-some stolen from her wedding photographer's website, some are my own. I think it's pretty obvious which are which!

Mr. and Mrs. Cheron!

I love oysters!!!

Stonehill representatives at the wedding

I spent this weekend spending some time in Columbia, South Carolina visiting friends from my semester abroad in France. This picture is from Teddie's going away party at a restaurant in The Vista called "Liberty." Teddie's moving to Philly to follow the love of her life (and our mutual friend from France) so her office threw her a going away party that Melanie and I attended. We spent Friday by the pool, Saturday at Lake Murray and Sunday going to the movies. Great people, good times....I miss them already!

Besides South Carolina, it's a pretty tame summer for me. I think I exhausted all my resources last year in California, Las Vegas, Newport and Myrtle Beach. I'll mostly be relaxing at my aunt's lake house in Connecticut, spending some quality time with my family in Central Mass, and visiting friends from college. My family is OBSESSED with the 4th of July so perhaps some of those pictures will make it up here. My uncles and cousins always put on a DIY fireworks display that gets more out of hand every year. I'm sure Eric will have much more exciting updates to come!

NEACAC: Good Times...Great People!

2009-06-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Since we last spoke myself and several members of the staff went to NEACAC. What is NEACAC you say? Well, about 400 Admission and School/College Counseling Professionals descended on the campus of WNEC (Western New England College) last week for the annual New England Association for College Admission Counseling’s (NEACAC) Annual Meeting and Conference

The conference is designed for one to reconnect with fellow admissions colleagues, network, learn some relevant information about our wonderful profession by attending sessions that are run by our peers, and fit in some time for fun too!

This year the conference offered over 75 sessions for people to choose from. I co-chaired the programming committee for the conference this year so I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at what was offered at the conference. It is always fun to see what the feedback is like after the sessions are complete. I have to say we have heard some great things!

To give you a sense of what types of sessions are offered at NEACAC, here is a sampling that were offered this year:

Admissions and Financial Aid In An Adverse Economy

Counseling the College Essay

You Can Do It: Attending Graduate School While Working Full Time

Exploring The Implications of Changing Demographics

Generation X—The Game Show

Training and Retaining your Student Ambassadors

The Use of Standardized Test in Undergraduate Admissions: A Conversation

Engaging Faculty in the Recruitment Process

Your Mom Reads My Blog: The Power of Social Media in Higher Education

Now, This is just a partial list but as you can see there is quite a variety to what is offered. After attending sessions and meetings for a majority of the day we transition into reconnecting with friends and having some fun!

One of the most anticipated events is the legendary game of BINGO...Now this isn't your Grandmother's BINGO...This is BINGO, Admissions Style! There are exciting prizes and some heated competitions. Some prizes this year included an IPOD, Wii, Blue Ray Player, and more!Best part about BINGO? All of the proceeds went to the a charity called the Imagine Fund. It is a great program.

Here are a few Pics from Bingo:

Your faithful Bloggers eagerly anticipating the beginning of Bingo.

Evan got a severe case of Bingo Elbow...He'll be ok

Katie showing us the tools of the BINGO trade.

Unfortunately no one at our table won BINGO... )c:

Another well run piece of entrainment was a Luau-themed party!

Here's Liz from our office getting into the spirit of the event!

As you can see a few of us at least attempted to find a Hawaiian shirt to wear.

All in all it was a great conference. I learned a great deal, met new friends and reconnected with old ones, and left with the motivation to move on towards next year and the search for the class of 2014!

Graduation

2009-05-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday 568 members of the class of 2009 celebrated their commencement. I am very proud of our graduates.

While every graduating class is special I have to say, personally, this class is one of the most special.

5 years ago, my first year in Admissions with Stonehill, I had the chance to meet many future members of this class during my first year of travel. I read many of their applications and even accepted a few! I remember seeing their potential back then, and I was very excited about the impact they could have on our campus.

Now they are graduating...

While this makes me feel a bit old, I still couldn't be more proud. So many realized that potential and I have to say one of the best parts of my job has been getting the chance to watch these students grow. From shy seniors in high school met during a college fair, to graduates with unlimited promise and potential...This is why we do what we do...to find students that will make a difference, who will leave Stonehill a better place than when they found it...They did not disappoint.

I think it's safe to say that most people in Admissions remember their "first class"...I know I will. thanks Class of 09 and best of luck to you in the future!

To see some pictures from graduation click here

Wrapping up spring travel and the academic year

2009-05-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we do the bulk of our recruitment efforts in the fall, but there are some select fairs we attend in the spring to talk to students that are current sophomores and juniors. I was in Pennsylvania recently recruiting in Wilkes Barre and the Main Line area. My buddy Neil from Wentworth Institute of Technology had been raving about this Bed and Breakfast in Wilkes-Barre so I decided to try it out for myself! Below are some pictures from the Hillard House which I would highly recommend :)

The music room. I'm not so gifted in this area so I just admired.

My cute bathroom!

Who doesn't love a canopy bed?

Neil and I owned breakfast-the aftermath. Fresh fruit, banana bread, coffee, orange juice, apple bread pudding drizzled in homemade caramel sauce and ham. Y-U-M!

In all, a great trip to PA! We're really drumming up some great interest for Stonehill in this area so it's an exciting place to travel. I'll be there again next fall so look out for Stonehill at your high school or local college fair!

As for on campus news...the academic year has come to a close! We're very sad to see the Class of 2009 leave us, especially the students who work in our office, some of whom we've know for 4 years! Here's some pictures from the student worker ice cream social we hold every year in the spring.

We love our students!

Eamon digs right in

Student Ambassador Coordinators Liz and Andrew chow down

Best of luck Stonehill Class of 2009! We love you and will miss you! As for 2013, you have a really fun 4 years ahead of you...we'll see you in June for Orientation!

Waitlist and Athletic Updates

2009-05-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

May 1st has just passed and with it marks the end of another admissions season...

It has been quite a year!

As of today we do have enough deposits to fill the class of 2013. Having said that, if you are currently on the waitlist, there is still a chance of spots opening up over the next few weeks. If other institutions go to their waitlists, some of our committed students may go in a different direction. This could open up some spots for our students on the waitlist. Regardless we will be in touch with everyone on the waitlist by the end of May with notification of where we stand.

In other news: Athletics! It has been quite a year for our Varsity and Club Sports Teams! Here are some highlights:

Men's Tennis won it's first ever NE-10 title this year and for the fourth year in a row went to the NCAA tournament
Not to be outdone, the Women's Tennis program also won the NE-10 title this year
Men's Basketball finished the regular season at 20-6 and made it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. Along the way they ended Bentley's NCAA record 43 game home winning streak!
Women's Basketball finished 20-7 this year and along the way was ranked as high as #4 in the country! The Skyhawks won two games in the NCAA tournament before being knocked out in the regional final.
Women's Rugby, although a club sport team, competes in Division II against such schools as Boston College, Boston University, Babson College, Wellesley College and Southern Connecticut. Along the way towards their undefeated season, they took out Division I teams like Holy Cross and Providence. The team recently left for California to compete in the NCAA Division II Championships. They beat Delaware in the semi-finals before losing in the championship game against Shippensburg. Still a tremendous effort by the 2-time defending D-III champions!

Up Next: Katie will recap her spring travel in Pennsylvania!

Yield Season!

2009-04-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Yield season is in full swing here at Stonehill College! What exactly is yield? "Yield" is the number of students that decide to come to Stonehill out of the number that have been accepted. At this time of year you can often hear Admissions Counselors bragging to one another about their high yield in a particular geographic territory. It's kind of like our own mini claim to fame.

Yield events at Stonehill include open houses, off campus receptions and Days at the Hill. We recently had five Days at the Hill which are mini open houses that are separated by major. This gives accepted students the opportunity to meet current students in their anticipated major, speak with faculty, and learn about what Stonehill has to offer in their area of academic interests. Below are some photos from a few recent Days at the Hill!

Tour during Day at the Hill

Dogs come to Open Houses too! They are part of the family after all!

Admissions Counselors in action....kinda

Next post: My adventures recruiting in Pennsylvania!

Vacation Week!

2009-04-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

While many of you may been on break this week from school, we're working harder than ever! April break tends to be one of the busiest weeks of the year at Stonehill College. We greet hundreds of visitors from Accepted Students to Prospective Sophomores and Juniors who are just starting their college search. Since it's such a crazy week we suggest that you register for a tour or Group Information Session in advance by calling 508-565-1373. We have limited space so please call early for the best availability. For dates and times check out this link to the visit calendar http://www.stonehill.edu/x13440.xml.

If you can't fit us in over April break, there's plenty of time this summer! The summer calendar is also available online so that you can plan ahead. http://www.stonehill.edu/x12725.xml

We look forward to meeting you!

Wait List-FAQ

2009-03-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Now that decision letters have been mailed, we figured it would be a good time to address a lot of the common questions we've received about the waitlist.

Why is the waiting list established?

Unfortunately there is only so much classroom and residence hall space on campus. The students we place on the waitlist can fill these spots if we do no have the correct number of deposited students from the accepted applicant pool.

Now that I have the option of being placed on the waiting list, what do I do next?

If you would like to reserve a place on the waiting list, then please return the enclosed Waiting List Response Card as soon as possible (but no later than April 1). We only keep people active on the waiting list that return the post card. We will also accept any updated grades/progress reports, letters or emails that state your interest in Stonehill. These can be faxed to 508-565-1545 or emailed to admissions@stonehill.edu.

How many people are currently on the waiting list?

We will not know the exact number until after April 15. In the past few years approximately 200-300 students chose to remain on the waiting list.

Can you give me an idea of how many students will eventually be accepted off the waiting list this year?

Since every year is so different, this is a very hard number to predict. Just to give you an example, in the past five years we have accepted as many as eighty and as few as ten students off the wait list.

Is the waiting list ranked?

No, we do not rank the waitlist. If we decide to take students off the waitlist, we will review all of the applicants and choose those that are the most qualified.

Should I deposit at another college?

Yes- in the chance that we do not take you off the waitlist, you will need a school to attend next fall! If you are taken off the waitlist at Stonehill, we will refund your deposit elsewhere up to $500.

If I am admitted, how will I be notified?

We prefer to call students to take them off the waitlist. You will later receive your official offer of Admission via mail.

When will I be notified if I am accepted?

You will be notified as soon as possible, but usually not earlier than April 15-30. Once the class is fully enrolled, all students remaining on the waiting list will be notified by letter no later than July 1 that we will not be offering admission to any more students.

Will there be any financial aid for students taken off the waiting list?

Historically, the College does award financial aid to students accepted from the wait list. We are uncertain at this time if we will be able to guarantee meeting all of a student’s demonstrated need.

Anddddd they're off!

2009-03-13T05:55:00.001-07:00

Regular Decision letters are in the mail!

Admissions Counselors say a final farewell to over 5,800 applications

Proud parents

The next time you see these, they'll be in your mailbox!

Stonehill on Facebook

2009-03-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Stonehill is on

Connect to your Classmates and to the Stonehill Community on Facebook!

If you are already an accepted member of the class of 2013, click here to join the Official Class of 2013 Facebook Group

Also you can become a fan of Stonehill by clicking here!

Update on Letters

2009-03-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hello!

A few updates from the Office:

Final decisions are being made and letters are already beginning to be sent out. A portion of our decision letters were sent out last week.
The rest of our decisions should be going out by mid/late next week...Some may go even earlier than that.
Financial Aid info will follow shortly after the arrival of the decision letter
Invites to specific Open Houses that we are hosting in late March and throughout April will be included in your acceptance packets.
Please note we are also offering several Senior Class Visit Days for accepted students. For more info on those click here

Don't hesitate to contact us with questions!

Decision Letters

2009-02-25T06:15:00.000-08:00

We've taken you through the process of reviewing applications and the path your application takes throughout our office. Let's finish our journey with decision letters!

Meet Erin. She painstakingly checks EVERY decision letter multiple times to make sure that we send the correct letter. She then separates the folders into batches (marked by post-its) to keep everything super organized. This enables us to find a folder quickly as we are simultaneously preparing decision letters. Here is Erin holding one of the many post-its that that take control of her office all winter.

The infamous batches. This picture was taken in Erin's office just before Early Action letters were sent out last month.

Next we prepare the packets to be mailed. The last step before we send them off!

Sandy checks ANOTHER time to make sure the address label matches your decision letter. As you can see, we really hate to make mistakes. The next time you see this letter, it will be in your hands!

Regular Decision will be mailing out within the next few weeks. We'll post pictures of the mailing once it goes out so stayed tuned!

Reviewing Applications

2009-02-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

After your application has been processed, then we get to review them! Below are a few pictures of our counselors reading real life applications!

Eric: New Hampshire is my life!

Evan: Jersey boy

Andrew: Long Island Extraordinaire

Me: Queen of Connecticut

Liz: Kansas or bust

Megan: Maine for life!

Shamika: Can you really love both Boston and NYC?

-------------------------------------------------------

There comes a certain time when reading hundreds of applications gets the best of you. We'll call this section "the meltdowns"

Finally! We make a decision! Andrew demonstrates where we "sign off" on an application. We give our recommendation to the Dean of Admissions who reviews every.single.application. This ensures that everyone gets at least two people to review their folder to ultimately make the final decision.

Next post: Decision letters!

Your Application Journey: Part 1

2009-01-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a little "inside look" at the path your application takes before an Admissions Counselor can review it and make a decision. As you can see, it's a multi-step process that takes a lot of time, effort and people power!

Step One: MAIL! We get lots of it! Our student employees open and sort paper applications, transcripts, recommendations and anything else that come to our office. As you can see, there is a bit of multitasking involved as Coral talks to a parent while sorting.

Step 2: Online application uploads. Christine downloads your Common Application and prints it out. As you can see, she loves her job! Towards the deadline, this can be over 200 a day!

Step 3: Data entry. These folks manually key in every piece of information we receive from students and their high schools. This makes it easy to track applicants information, send missing document letters and look up an applicant at a moment's notice.

Step 4: The folder! As you can see, not all folders are alike. We place different types of applications in different colored folders. This makes finding applicants' folders a lot easier, especially when we receive several thousand a year! This is especially useful for Early Action and Early Decision students who are deferred to regular decision. When we read the Regular Decision folders (tan) it is easy to tell if a student has been deferred since they will be in either a red (ED) or purple (EA) folder.

Step 5: Filing, sorting and coding. It takes a LOT of people for this job! This is constantly the busiest room in the Admissions Office. At time there are up to 9 people in the space! After every piece of paper is documented by data entry, it must then make its way down to the filing room, get coded in the folder and be placed on "the wall." Coding involves printing out name and SAT labels, documenting rank in class, GPA, what materials are included in the folder and many other important indicators we need a moment's glance.

Step 6: Ready to review! Folders are organized on the wall according to Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision and Transfer Student and then arranged alphabetically.

Up next: The review process!

Life After Stonehill

2009-01-28T13:13:00.001-08:00

Stonehill has always done a tremendous job preparing its graduates for life after Stonehill. For an introduction to what our Career Services Office does for our students click here.

Also, for a great article about a partnership between Stonehill and Beth Israel Hospital, Click Here!

Guess what???

2009-01-14T12:23:00.001-08:00

Early Action letters were mailed today!

The hand-off

Rookie Admissions Counselor Evan Grenier is pumped after seeing off his first batch

THE WALL

2009-01-12T11:44:00.001-08:00

Are you a part of it?

Deadline: January 15th

Your application...a mini series

2009-01-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder the path your application takes after you send it in?

Eric and I will take you from the moment your press "submit" or mail in your application to the mailing of decision letters....all in the form of a photo montage. Stay tuned for the next two weeks!

Happy New Year

2009-01-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2009!

A few updates:

EA Decisions are still on schedule to be mailed out mid-next week. Information regarding Institutional Merit Aid will be mailed shortly after. Full Financial Aid awards will arrive in March
Our Regular Decision Deadline is Thursday, January 15th...Still plenty of time!
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has added Stonehill to it's Community Engagement Classification. Click here to read more about it!
Stonehill's new Science Center is coming along nicely! Click here for a snapshot of recent photos of it's progress.

Happy Holidays from Stonehill College!

2008-12-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

As the semester comes to a close for our students, faculty and staff gear up for the Stonehill College holiday party! Below are some photos from our lunch gathering.

Stonehill College Admissions Counselors. From left: Megan Adams, Evan Grenier, Shamika Walters, Me, Liz Stender, Andrew Leahy and Eric Nichols

The official uniform of the Stonehill College Admissions Office-The Quarter Zip

John Leahy (Director Recreational Sports) and Santa raffle off prizes

In January we will continue our discussion of the review process by talking about the role of the college essay. We will also document the path your application takes from the moment you press "submit" until decision letters are mailed. Have a happy and safe holiday season!

We'll see you in 2009!

Early Decision Update

2008-12-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

Those of you who applied Early Decision, letters have been sent out! Financial Aid packages will be following shortly after. Thank you to all of you that applied to us early!

For those of you that applied Early Action, we will be sending decisions out by January 15th. Hang in there!

Recommendation Letters

2008-12-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Awoken from my tryptophan-induced coma thanks to copious amounts of turkey, I am back to continue our application mini-series by discussing how we evaluate recommendations…both teacher and school counselor.

Right off the bat let me assure all of you (and your teachers) that we DO read your recommendations. We consider teacher recommendations an important part of the process. After all, who better to accurately depict your academic abilities than your teachers? Your teachers can give us valuable insight into important aspects of your candidacy. There is always a story behind the grade you get in a class and, good or bad, your teachers tell us that story.

When considering who to ask to write a recommendation for you ask yourself who knows me best? It is important for the teacher to be able to describe your abilities and work ethic in class, but it is also valuable if the teacher is able to speak from experience about your activities outside the classroom. Also, if possible, consider matching one of your recommendations up with the subject that you are interested pursuing in college. For example, if you know you want to go the school to study Biology, perhaps your Biology teacher would be a good place to start when considering your source for recommendations. Keep in mind that while the Common App. requires two teacher recommendations, you can always send in additional ones if you like.

We understand that not all of your teachers may be able to go into significant detail about all of your accomplishments outside of their classroom…That is where your school counselor comes in. He/she can give us a great summary of all of your accomplishments, while also emphasizing your strengths and areas that you may need improvement in. Your school counselor also acts as your advocate by explaining what is going on behind the numbers. Perhaps on your transcript it looks like you hit a “sophomore slump” in 10th grade as all of your grades dipped. Your counselor will be able to tell us why. Maybe it was a death in the family or perhaps a major illness like pneumonia or mono. Your counselor is there to help explain any aberrations on your transcript and, for this reason, is very valuable.

Some of the better counselor recommendations I have read all have one thing in common: they tell the story of who the applicant is and they don’t let one factor define that story. It is not just grades, or just activities, or just talking about “the illness”… there is no one “thing” which defines a student. SAT’s alone don’t…a grade in a class won’t. It is a collection of your 4 years in High School that we value…and your teachers and school counselor have an important role in telling us this story within their thoughtful recommendation letters.

Next up: Your Essay!

Student Impact

2008-11-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

At Stonehill we look for commitment, dedication and leadership outside the classroom in conjunction with the academic transcript of a student. Does this mean you have to be student body president, captain of three varsity athletic teams and be a world renowned trumpet player? Absolutely not! Let’s discuss what we at Stonehill look for when we evaluate a student’s “impact.”

What’s important?

1. Quality over quantity. We would rather see an applicant who is serious about a club/activity/job for a longer period of time than a student involved in multiple activities in short spurts. If you’re dedicated and committed to a select few activities, we would much rather you follow your passion than to add superficial “resume boosters” to make your application look better. It takes a lot to fool Admissions Counselors – we can detect “fluff” from a mile away.

2. Taking a more active role. This could be anything from a leadership role as an upperclassman to a promotion at an after school job. An active participant is great, but someone who shows leadership and motivation is an applicant that really catches our attention.

3. Creativity and motivation. Love ping pong but your school doesn’t have a club? Want to raise money for diabetes but don’t know how? Figure out a way! It’s great to see on an application that a student has taken the incentive to start their own club, create a fundraiser or initiate something creative that they’re passionate about.

4. It doesn’t matter what you do- just get involved! There are no “right” or “wrong” activities to get involved in. Not every student we accept is in National Honors Society, has done over 100 hours of community service or has made the varsity team. We look for different activities, honors and clubs to create a more diverse and unique class. Basically, if you love it, keep at it.

Did you know that your level of involvement is factored into your financial aid and consideration for merit aid? You betcha. Just like we give curriculum a grade, we also grade students from “A” to “D” on their level of involvement and give special consideration to students that work part-time instead of after school activities. The students who typically end up with the best financial aid or scholarship packages are those who shine in and out of the classroom.

Why is impact so important in the admissions process? These students are the ones who enhance the Stonehill College experience for everyone on campus. Involved students are the reason why Stonehill has over 80 different clubs and organizations, 20 varsity athletic teams and hundreds of volunteer opportunities in the local and global community. They stay involved and make Stonehill such a fun place to be, they volunteer their time to help those less fortunate and they diversify the student body through their multitude of talents, experiences and ideas.

Up next: Eric discusses counselor and teacher recommendations

To rank of not to rank....

2008-11-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

The debate over class rank…will it ever really end? Well hopefully I can bring some clarity to the subject through the lens of the Stonehill College Admissions Office.

At Stonehill we try our very best not to disadvantage students from schools that do not rank their students. We have a system called “rank rating” in which we give unranked students a number from 1 to 7 based on information provided by their school’s academic profile. The school profile is a sheet of paper or a small brochure enclosed with every application that gives us all the information we could possibly want about a school. This may include courses offered, graduation requirements, grading system, average SATs, distribution of grades, number of students in the senior class, etc. It is with this class profile that we are able to assign students a rank rating based on the information provided directly from the school.

Do we re-calculate GPA? Simple answer- no. Since every high school is so different within their grading policy, we would rather get to know each high school well than attempt to fairly recalculate. “Fair” to us is taking the time to visit the high schools in our geographic areas, carefully reading school profiles and calling College or Guidance Counselors if we have questions about a particular student. We feel that this personal attention to each applicant is more valuable than a mathematical formula used to recalculate GPA.

We also look carefully at how a school weighs their grades. This example echoes Eric’s last post about curriculum.

Student A:
GPA of 3.9 and ranked 5% in their class in a school that doesn’t weigh their class rank. This student has taken all college prep classes and electives.

Student B:
GPA of 3.4 and ranked 15% in their class at the same high school. This student has consistently taken Honors and AP classes and in place of electives has taken an extra year of science and foreign language.

Although the class rank of Student A is better than that of Student B, their curriculum shows that they are challenging themselves and perhaps their rank is not a reflection of their academic success. Student B may very well be an acceptable student despite the fact that statistically his or her figures are lower than than of Student A. At Stonehill we also take into account grade inflation, the competitive nature of your class and why your high school has decided to rank or not rank its students when deciding how heavily class rank plays in an admissions decision.

Next discussion: Student Impact- why what you do outside the classroom is so important!

Application Review: Strength of Curriculum

2008-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

As Katie mentioned, this post begins a series of entries designed to give you a more in depth understanding of what we consider the most important parts of the application. First, I am going to focus on what is the number 1 most important part of our decision: the strength of your curriculum.

Notice I didn't say GPA or Rank in Class...No, it is the depth and overall strength of your curriculum that is given the most weight in our decision-making process. I want to give you all a visual to explain why the curriculum wins out vs. GPA.

Let's say you only had GPA to go by and you saw applicant #1 had a 3.67 vs. applicant #2 who had a 3.45...Would you automatically assume the #1 is the far superior candidate? Well it isn't that simple...

Look at this example below:

Applicant #1

Class #1 CP Statistics A-
Class #2 CP English 12 A
Class #3 CP Anatomy and Phys. A-
Class #4 H World History B+
Class #5 Drawing and Painting B+
Class #6 Intro to Business A

Overall GPA= 3.67

Class #1 AP Calculus B
Class #2 H English 12 B+
Class #3 H Physics B+
Class #4 AP US History A-
Class #5 H Spanish V A-
Class #6 CP Psychology A-

Overall GPA= 3.45

Now as you begin to evaluate the transcript you get a clearer picture.

So let's dig further:

Applicant #1 is taking 3 college prep level courses in Math, English, and Science. #1 is also taking an Honors level History class and two electives in Business and Art. #1 has taken mostly College Prep level courses with one Honors course and a few electives sprinkled in.

Applicant #2 is taking 3 Honors level courses in English, Science and a Foreign Language. #2 is also taking 2 AP courses in Math and Science. #2 is also taking a 1 College Prep level course in Psychology. #2 is taking mostly Honors courses with a few AP classes mixed in. #2 has also taken a fourth year of a foreign language instead of filling that slot with an elective.

Now which student do you think is a stronger candidate?

Keep in mind that this is an incomplete example because it is only showing one year of work. When we evaluate a curriculum for Admissions purposes, we look over the course of all four years and track the progression.

For example, let's take 2 students that are interested in Business.

Here is student #1 and his Math curriculum over four years
9th: Algebra 1
10th: Geometry
11th: Algebra 2
12th: Statistics

Now here is Student #2:
9th: Geometry
10th: Algebra II
11th: Pre Calculus
12th: Calculus

By evaluating these two progressions I would look more favorably on Student #2 because the depth of their math background is more in line with that of successful Business student's here.

The important thing to remember is that every student is different and therefore we do a holistic review of the application. We choose to evaluate every individual to see what their path has been and ultimately make our decision based upon four years of academic work.

Next up: Katie will discuss how your involvement in and outside your school plays a role in our Admissions process!

Application Review- A Mini Series

2008-11-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

Now that the Early Decision and Early Action deadlines have passed, Eric and I though it would be appropriate to discuss the process of how we at Stonehill review the application. It it one of our goals to "demystify" the admissions process by being open and honest about our process at Stonehill College. Throughout the next couple of weeks Eric and I will tackle the following topics:

-Strength of Curriculum
-Class rank versus schools that do not rank
-Student Impact: How what you do outside the classroom makes a difference
-Counselor and teacher recommendations
-Essay and supplemental materials

Eric wrote a great post on standardized test scores a few weeks ago, so in the spirit of not being too repetitive, we will not include much about that aspect of the admissions process in our "mini series."

REMINDER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE APPLIED EARLY ACTION

You must submit First Quarter Grades in order for your application to be complete. A midyear evaluation will not be sufficient. This is especially important to students from New York and New Jersey since schools tend to only send the Midyear Report. Please remind your College Counselor that we need First Quarter Grades ASAP. They can be faxed to 508-565-1545 or mailed to:

Stonehill College

Admissions Office

320 Washington Street

North Easton, MA 02357

Fall Travel Wrap-Up

2008-11-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Fall Travel is over!!!! For so many Admissions Counselors around the country, those are four wonderful words. Now don't get me wrong- we love to travel and meet students, but the wear and tear after two months can be quite draining! My bed at home and quiet office life is a welcomed change. In just a few weeks, we'll begin reviewing Early Decision and Early Action candidates which I know the entire office is looking forward to starting. After meeting so many great students, we can't wait to open up your file and see what you're all about!

To mark the momentous occasion that is the shift from travel season to reading season, I have added a photo montage of my travels in September and October. Here are "Katie's Fall Travel Superlatives"

Most Scenic: Litchfield County, CT

Prettiest School
Toss up this year between Salisbury School in Salisbury, CT and Avon Old Farms of Avon, CT. This decision was harder than McCain v. Obama. I'll give the upper hand to AOF for the coolness factor that they were second in line to have the Harry Potter movies shot on their campus.

Avon Old Farms

Salisbury School

AOF

AOF Fall Foliage

Thirstiest Counselor: Jackie Gould of Suffolk University
This woman drinks at least 5 water bottles during the course of any given college fair. I am constantly being asked if I can "watch her junk" while she goes on a hunt for more. She also harasses all the counselors around her to grab her more water bottles on their way to the hospitality room or the bathroom. She is out of control and must be stopped! In related news, I went as Snow White for Halloween and suckered Jackie into being my dwarf. Please see below.

(Photo credit: D.J. Moore of Wentworth Institute of Technology)

Most Memorable Student: Austin from Plainville High School

Austin asked me if I remembered his name, would he have a better chance of being accepted? He then proceeded to repeat in for me about 5 times in a row. Guess what? It's been a few weeks and I still remember his name. Perhaps this trickery works.

Best Ice Cream-Kimball Farm in Westford, MA

I'm a little bias. I grew up eating Kimball farm at least once a week during the summer months. It was 30 minutes from home and worth the drive! On my way through Central MA this fall I couldn't resist getting a cone. Their mint oreo in a waffle cone is to die for! Maggie Mo's in West Hartford, CT was a close second.

Best food at a college fair

Hands down- Glastonbury High School in Glastonbury, CT. The homemade cookies and apple cider made this an easy choice. Keep up the good work!

Worst Day: September 30, 2008

Hit a car parallel parking in front of a high school. Upon entering said High School, I found out I had actually parked at the lower school. So I dinged up my rental car for nothing. No worries, damage wasn't significant enough for penalty. Stressful nevertheless.

Best Friend: My GPS

Last fall travel season I did not have a GPS.....it did not go so well. Last spring I took my stimulus check and finally bought one. My life has forever changed.

Last of all....Happy Election Day! For those 18 and above, get out there and vote! If you need a little incentive, Starbucks is giving out free coffee and Ben and Jerry's is giving out free ice cream! Free stuff just for performing your civic duty! What are you waiting for???

Go Vote!!

2008-11-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

So coming up this week:

Katie will be wrapping up her Fall travel and highlighting some of the best, and worst moments.
Now that the Early Action/Decision deadline has passed, we will begin to discuss our application review process so you can see what happens from the time you click submit on your computer, until the day you get a letter in the mail.

But for now just GO VOTE!

Enjoy watching the coverage of the election tonight. No matter who you are rooting for, this is a truly historic day in our history!

Early Action Vs. Early Decision Vs. Regualr: What is best for me?

2008-10-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Our Early Admissions Deadline is this Saturday Nov. 1st!

Still trying to decide between Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED)? Maybe you're not sure if you should apply EA or Regular. Below are some thoughts about our 3 ways of applying...

Remember that while both ED and EA are "Early" admissions options, ED is a binding program.
By applying ED you are telling that institution that you will definitely attend if you are accepted and your financial need is met. Because of this, ED should only be used if you are 100% sure that the school is for you. In most cases you must commit by the end of December, which is 5 months away from the normal commitment deadline of May 1st.
EA gives you a chance to sit on the fence for a while.
EA can be a good alternative for students who have a strong interest in 1 or 2 schools but maybe aren't as ready to make that commitment so early. typically colleges notify their EA applicants of a decision in early January, some 4 months before they have to commit.
Want to compare Financial Aid packages?
By applying EA you have the ability to compare financial aid packages with other institutions. When you apply ED and are accepted you must withdraw all other applications so there is no chance to do some comparison shopping. If Financial Aid will play a role in your decision it may be best to avoid ED altogether.
Are you applying early so X school knows you're really interested!
Well you don't have to! One of the biggest trends lately is to apply early at more and more schools. Some students even feel pressure to apply early because they see all of their friends doing it. If you need the extra time to complete your application, don't rush to get it in for Nov. 1. If you are worried that by applying regular will lead the school to believe that you aren't that interested there are some steps you can take to show otherwise.
1. Go on an official visit.
Many schools track who visits. By taking the time to visit the school in person you are showing interest in the school. Check out what each school offers. Some offer Group Info Sessions, Tours, Class Visit Programs, and a combination of all 3.
2. Include a supplemental personal statement
By taking the time to write a short statement about why you are interested in "X School", you can show that you have "done your homework" by discussing why specific programs and opportunities that the College has to offer are perfect for you. You can also talk about why you applied Regular as opposed to Early. Maybe you are taking the SAT or ACT again and want to wait for those score results. Maybe you are doing really well in your senior year and you want "X School" to see both first and second quarter grades. By taking these extra steps, in my mind, you have applied early!
3. Still nor sure? Contact your Admissions Counselor.
Each Admissions Office has a counselor that is assigned to your area. Reach out to them and ask your questions. We are a friendly bunch so questions are ok with us! By reviewing with you your individual situation we can try to advise you the best route to take for applying.
Is it easier to get in EA vs. Regular Decision?
Statistically our acceptance rate is higher for EA applicants vs. Regular applicants. Having said that, I bet you would see this trend with a majority of schools. Reason being, those who apply Early typically are the higher achieving students. Their academic profile is stronger, which leads to the higher acceptance rate. So while I won't say it is necessarily easier, EA does give those students who are "on the bubble" a chance to be deferred and re-reviewed with the Regular decision pool.

In the end, the decision is up to you. But remember that it isn't when you send us your application that matters, it is what is IN your application that is the most important. Good luck!

Climbing a mountain after work? Me too!

2008-10-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

So this week I had the pleasure of staying in the beautiful 'Lakes Region' of New Hampshire. It has been a wonderful week of fairs and visits and I have met some great students!

But after a long day of recruiting I wanted to take advantage of these surroundings so a few of us decided to do something different.

So myself and two admission friends, ventured out on a perfect fall afternoon. Destination: Mount Major in Alton, NH. Elevation: 1786 feet. Everest it is not but it is one of the most heavily hiked mountains in New Hampshire.

Joining me on this sojourn were:

Julie from Wentworth Institute of Technology

Nik from St. Joseph's College in Maine

I have to give Nik credit for doing extensive research and bringing this great spot to our attention. He said that it should take about 45 minutes to get to the top...it was more like 1:30 but we did stop a few times.

The first "stop" was not planned. Nik courageously saved Julie and me from what he was sure was a skunk. Upon further review it was actually a black and white dog...A terrier I believe. Needless to say, we didn't let Nik forget about this one for the rest of the hike!

Julie and Nik leading the way

This picture gives you a sense of how beautiful the trail was. It is also a deceptive picture as you may think this was just an easy, flat walk through the woods. Oh not true...not true at all.

See? It's starting to get steep and Nik clearly is ok with that...In fact, more than once, he sprinted up some of the more steep inclines. I chose to not do that and instead take pictures...

Eventually we made it to the first main overlook which was about two-thirds of the way up. We had some fantastic views:

What a view!

Julie and Nik agree. Two thumbs up!

This is proof that I actually went on this hike and didn't just let them borrow my camera as I stayed in the car...

Julie wasn't afraid of the edge!

Nik wasn't either.

I was but I didn't tell anyone.

About 20 minutes later we finally made it all the way to the top. It was worth the wait. There were a good amount of people at the top enjoying the view and taking a much needed break.

Julie checking out the view.

All of us at the top. At this point I couldn't feel my legs...

Concrete evidence that this is a small world? The friendly hiker that took this photo? Her son was an applicant to Stonehill last year and I had accepted him! Although he ultimately decided to go elsewhere, she told me to be on the lookout for her other son who is a sophomore in High School. Travel season takes you all over but I didn't expect to be doing some recruiting at the summit of a mountain! I guess next time a climb one, I'll be sure to bring along a few business cards!

Well that's it for me. I'll be sure to catch up with you all soon!

A Day in the Life of an Admissions Counselor

2008-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Many of you may wonder exactly what us Admissions Counselors do during the mysterious time we call "fall travel." Ponder no more.

Here's an example of one of my days "on the road." This is how last Monday in Pennsylvania went:

6:00 a.m. First alarm-snooze
6:10 a.m. Second alarm-snooze
6:30 a.m. Hotel wake up call....time to get serious
6:45 a.m. Finally get out of bed.
7:30 a.m. Leave hotel after raiding the breakfast bar
8:30-9:00 a.m. Devon Preparatory School visit
9:15 a.m. Dunkin Donuts stop in Pottstown, PA. Hazelnut latte and sesame bagel with cream cheese.
10:00-10:30 a.m. Hill School visit
11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Kill time. Thank God for Panera's free wifi
1:00-1:30 p.m. Great Valley High School visit
2:00-2:30 p.m. Villa Marie High School Visit
2:45-2:50 p.m. Get gas
3:30 p.m. Take out from Cheesecake Factory at King of Prussia. I highly recommend the Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp...awesome!)
4:00-5:00 p.m. Oprah (go ahead, make fun)
5:30-6:00 p.m. Nap
6:10-6:45 p.m. Get lost on the way to the Chester County Fair (I think every road in the Greater Philadelphia area is under construction...or at least every singe one I drove on!)
6:45-7:00 p.m. Attempt to find parking and the entrance to the fair
7:00-9:00 p.m. Chester County College Fair
9:30 p.m. Dairy Queen. I went for the mocha brownie blizzard. That's dinner right?
10-10:30 p.m. Entourage
10:30-11:00 p.m. Prepare for the day ahead. Double check school addresses, respond to emails, check voicemail and attempt to regain sanity.

So I hoped you learned a few things about what exactly we do when we mysteriously disappear each fall! It's no wonder we're so excited to read all your Early Action and Early Decision applications come November after 8 weeks of such a hectic schedule! But honestly, it's the great students and counselors that we meet that keep us energized. Admissions Counselors are crazy, outgoing people so we love meeting new folks everyday! It can sometimes be a draining job, but also one that is so fun and rewarding for all of us. There's something so fulfilling about meeting a student early in their Junior or Senior year and later reading their application to learn more about what makes them tick!

I just finished up two weeks in the great state of PA. It's one of my favorite places to visit since I get to mix a bit of business with pleasure. About half my family and friends live there so I got a chance to see my sister's college field hockey team, eat homemade Italian food at Aunt Cathy and Uncle Bob's, and catch up with some of my college friends. Stonehill also sent me to Pittsburgh for the first time to scope out some area high schools and college fairs. It was personally really exciting to visit a new place and see what kind of interest I could drum up in this area.

This week I'm in Central, MA recruiting where I grew up...and yes, that means staying with my parents in Westminster. Where exactly is Westminster, MA? Good question....and one people often ask. See map below to expand your central MA knowledge. It may come in handy some day! What does Westminster have to offer? This quaint New England town is home to the original Westminster Crackers, The Old Mill, Wachusett Brewery and less than 1/2 of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area (technically it's in Princeton, but who's counting?)

Who says you can never go home? There is no turn down service here and certainly no take-out. The comforts of a hotel are far behind me but getting to sleep in my old bed is kind of a nice perk. Today was a unique day because I got to go back to Oakmont Regional High School where I graduated in 2003. It was great to see what was new and reconnect with my former counselor Mrs. Dubovick and some teachers I hadn't seen in years. I even ate lunch in the faculty dining room! Talk about going back in style! I'll be here until Thursday and then off to Cleveland, Ohio on Monday! After Cleveland I'll be balancing my time between Western MA and Hartford, CT. More travel updates to come!

The Great SAT Debate...

2008-09-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hello from Syracuse, NY!

I have met some wonderful students from this area, and besides our frequent requests to hear each other's respective accents (My Boston accent is nearly non-existent, but these kids had their up-state NY accents on full blast!), there have been many questions about how we view standardized test scores. Typical conversation goes something like this:

Student: "How much do you weigh the SAT and ACT?"
Me: "Well, we are actually test-optional so you don't have to submit SAT/ACT scores for admission.
Student: But if I don't send them it will look bad right?"
Me: Nope! The best indicator for us to know how well you'll do at Stonehill, is how well you are doing here and not the scores of the SAT/ACT.
Student: really?

Really!

School counselors in High School tend to get excited when they find out about another school that has abandoned the SAT. They tell me that they have always felt the SAT was hurting some of their brightest kids in terms of Admission into college, and by adding the writing section, the time it takes to complete the test has become an issue as well.

So why has it taken so long for Colleges to get the message?

I suppose stats have something to do with it...

SAT averages are a criterion of the coveted US News and World Report College Rankings. And most College Trustees want their school to be ranked as high as possible. SAT's are universally known, so if you are able to quote high averages, than your school has instant prestige in the eyes of many. The SAT has been ingrained in our society as the tell-tale indicator of intelligence. And admit it or not I bet most of the parents out there reading this are able to recall right away their own SAT score...but what if I asked you what your High School GPA was? Could you recall that?

Well, Stonehill is one of about 800 schools in this country who have attempted to put the spotlight back on a student's performance and course selection in High School as the most important measures of Admission. While I can't speak for all Colleges and Universities that have removed the SAT as a requirement I can tell you that there are at least 3 reasons why I feel we made this decision:

The SAT is not reliable as a stand-alone indicator of success in college

Sure if you take SAT scores together with results in high school, you do get some increased validity...But tell that to the student who can't afford to take the test 4 times to improve their score or can't pay for that expensive test prep program which promises to (and in most cases can) raise their score at least 100 points.

We can do just as good a job admitting quality students without the test.

Don't take my word for it. Ask Bates. They have been test-optional for over 20 years and they found that the average difference in freshman year GPA's between submitters and non-submitters of the SAT was .01! This was not a small sampling over a few years, rather this sample was made up of every single student that attended Bates over the span of 20 years! 20! and the differences were non-existent. The found the same results when looking at graduation rates too!

We can't ignore how the SAT tends to adversely effect underrepresented populations like first-generation students and students of color

As family income levels rise, so do the average SAT results of the students who are taking them. SAT average scores are lower across the board for the very populations who need the most assistance in the admissions process; namely historically underrepresented populations, including first-generation students and students of color. I believe that an indicator so intertwined with socio-economic status should not be a requirement in the admission process.

That is why I am glad that Stonehill made this decision, and why I think many others (Wake Forest being the most recent) will continue to do the same.

Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, a student's admission into college shouldn't be torn down in a single SATurday...

New Science Center-first look!

2008-09-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Exterior of the new Science Center

So exciting! You are literally getting one of the first looks of Stonehill's brand new Science Center! I had the opportunity to attend a 'behind the scenes' tour with a few other folks on campus to see how the new project was coming along.

Admissions Counselors Shamika Walters and Andrew Leahy showing off their hard hats.

Andrew reminds us all what's really important

View from the main entrance

View of Donahue Hall from the second floor

Features of the new Science Center:
-Will house the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Neuroscience and Psychology
-Animal labs (including small mammals) for testing and observation
- Psychology observation rooms equiped with recording devices
-"Clabs" aka classrooms + labs in the same room.
-Atrium for events, speakers, student lounge area and cafe. Seats 500+ people
-Additional faculty offices, classrooms, labs and storage spaces for equipment

The "clabs" seem to be what the Science Faculty seem really excited about. This will enable a faculty member to lecture on a subject and immediately move the students over to their lab area to apply what they're learning to an experiment. In the current science center, students have class on one day and have to wait a few days to use this knowledge in a lab setting. Now there will be a direct connection between the two!

Below are two videos I took of the building project. The first video is a new Microbiology classroom as described by Professor Curtin who teaches Chemistry at Stonehill. The second video is a second story view of the atrium.

'

Want to see more? Here's the renderings of how the building will look next fall. http://www.stonehill.edu/x13009.xml

High School of the Week!

2008-09-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is a shout out to a wonderful school in New Hampshire...Bishop Guertin, a.k.a, BG. Now BG is a great school. There are many wonderful activities students can choose from, they have an excellent curriculum which most of their students take full advantage of, and these kids are involved....really involved! Whether it's sports, clubs, or community service, BG students are very busy! We have been lucky over the years to matriculate dozens of these fine students, and most of them continue to make an impact and a lasting impression on our campus.

I am highlighted BG because I always feel so welcome at their college fair! I was at their fair early this week and, as usual, I wasn't disappointed. First of all, the counseling staff is very friendly. They even hand you their School Profile which is attached to a piece of chocolate! I don't know about you, but if anything is attached to candy I am more apt to pay attention!

I am glad that this fair is always scheduled early on in my travel season, because this is usually the kick start I need to head out on the road.

Yet, what truly makes this fair great is not just the chocolate, the attentive staff or the fact that I see many students, it's the fact that the students come to the table armed with excellent questions. Instead of just asking "how's your Psychology program", they ask "I'm interested in studying Child Developmental Psychology, what can Stonehill offer me in terms of curriculum and internship opportunities?"

Now that's what I call a quality question! I am always looking forward to a spirited game of "Stump the Admissions Counselor", because it challenges me to be aware of the latest and greatest that Stonehill has to offer and to be able to relay that info back to the prospective student...BG students never disappoint when it comes to this!

Now here is what my table at the fair looked like at 1:29, right before the fair started...

And this was my view at 1:31pm!

So thanks BG for reminding me why I like my job so much. I look forward to reviewing your applications soon!

Now I am off to Up-State NY next week. Will catch up with you soon!

Travel has Begun!

2008-09-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yes faithful readers...our Office is out on the road in full force!

Let's see...last week, Liz was in Kansas, Megan was in St. Louis, Linda was in Florida, and Sam was in Atlanta, GA. If you are interested, you can see where we will all be this Fall, by visiting the "On the Road" section of our website!

Travel is an exciting time in Admissions...It is a chance to reconnect with colleagues and friends that have the same territory as you. Like seeing an old friend from childhood, an Admissions Counselor can go for a year without seeing a fellow Counselor, and yet, can reconnect instantly without missing a beat. It's funny how much the alphabet plays a role in who you know best on the road. For the most part, Colleges are in alphabetical order at college fairs. Therefore I know very well the Counselors from Suffolk, Sterling, and Stevens, but it took a while to move down the alphabet and introduce myself To Josh at Lesley and Cathy at Curry! My friend Meghan who used to work here and now is at Endicott mentioend that it will be hard getting used to "another part of the alphabet" at college fairs!

Travel is also a time to reconnect with hundreds of school counselor office's in High Schools all over the country! Between the 11 of us in the office we will visit thousands of High Schools and meet with some wonderful school counselors and their interested students.

I began my travel this past Friday in New Hampshire. I was visiting schools in the Portsmouth area. Portsmouth High School happened to be my first visit of the season. Portsmouth is a great school with a wonderful College Counselor named Mr. Modern. I always remind him about my first year at Stonehill when I visited him at Portsmouth and found myself in the middle of a fire drill. Without missing a beat, Mr. Modern brought over the students that were interested in Stonehill and we all met outside to talk. He has always been very nice to me over the years and it is clear that he knows his students well. I met with 6 wonderful students and they asked some great questions.

Quick tip to all you students out there: If you are interested in a College that is visiting your school, come prepared with a few questions to ask the Admissions Counselor at the visit. We all meet hundreds of students a year, but we are more apt to remember the ones that have clearly done their "homework" and ask some insightful questions during the High School visit!

Next up is Nashua, New Hampshire. I'll be sure to post an update soon!

Greg Mortenson comes to Stonehill

2008-09-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

This Friday Stonehill hosted Greg Mortenson, author of the New York Times bestselling Three Cups of Tea. This event was open to the entire Stonehill community and the public, but most specifically geared towards the First-Year Class. Three Cups of Tea was assigned to the class of 2012 as their summer writing requirement. These students were encouraged to discuss the book with their Peer Mentors and orientation groups and to attend Mr. Mortenson's speech as a group. The Admissions Office also invited area high schools to attend and over 200 students and faculty members attended.

Packed house!

Greg Mortenson's speech

Standing ovation for Greg Mortenson

During his speech, Mortenson highlighted the main points of his book by taking the audience through his journey from a failed ascent to the peak of K2, to building schools in the most remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He stressed the importance of educating girls in these societies since they have such an impact in these communities, especially in regards to combating terrorism by influencing their sons. At the end of his speech, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions directly to Mr. Mortenson for approximately a half hour. For a detailed account of Greg Mortenson's speech, check out this article. http://www.stonehill.edu/x13967.xml

Into the Streets Day

2008-09-11T07:17:00.001-07:00

In earlier post I had mentioned that I would be participating in Into the Streets Day. Into the Streets is the community service organization at Stonehill that also happens to be the largest student organization on campus. On Monday, August 25th, I joined the entire First Year Class, the Peer Mentors and other members of the Stonehill Community by participating in a community service project in the Easton area. My group's assignment was the Children's Museum of Easton. Our guide showed us around the museum and even let us play before getting to work! Our project was to prepare around 5,000 letters to be sent out to the community to make them aware of all the fun events the museum is holding this fall. Here's some pictures from our day.

College students like to play too! Climbing the tree fort at the Children's Museum

Our group waiting for the bus at the end of the day. Exhausted!

Afterwards the entire group headed back to the Sports Complex to reflect on our community service project. We all agreed that while it wasn't the most exciting or glamorous job, we all had a good time and felt we really helped out the Children's Museum. A mailing of this size would have taken their small staff all day! We were all glad that we could help out their staff and I look forward to staying involved with Into the Streets.

Interested in learning more about community service at Stonehill? Click here!

A Historic Week in Politics

2008-08-28T05:43:00.001-07:00

I admit it...

I have been a political "junkie" for a long time. I majored in Political Science as a student here at Stonehill, and while there, I couldn't imagine a more interesting time to be studying politics. I was able to get a unique look into the workings of both the House and Senate as the impeachment hearings of President Clinton were laid out before all of us on TV. If that wasn't enough, during the fall of 2000 I had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. to participate in a full-time internship with the Education Trust, a non-profit educational advocacy organization. I worked on K street which was a mile from the White House.

While there I was able to witness how the electoral college system can create some intense drama. I stayed up late election night and tried frantically to explain to my roommate who was from Mexico, why the winner of the contest switched 3 times! As we all remember it ultimately wouldn't be decided for over a month. I traveled with friends to the Supreme Court to wait for the Bush V. Gore decision and while I was disappointed in the outcome I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

Fast forward 8 years later and a tremendous week of politics that may rival 8 years ago in terms of significance has just ended.

First, a woman in this country has never come as close to the Presidency as Hillary has. On August 26th, 1920, the 19th amendment of the constitution passed that gave women the right to vote. 88 years later to the day, Hillary Clinton gave a wonderful speech at the Democratic National Convention where she reminded us of this historic event and put it into prospective as she explained that her mother was born before women could vote and now she was able to vote for her daughter for president. I talked to my own Grandmother, who is 90, about Hillary's speech and she said with immense pride that she was proud of what Hillary had accomplished.

At the same time we have the first African American to be nominated by a major political party as their candidate for President of the United States. Senator Obama accepted that nomination on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech. Near the end of Obama's speech he said,

"It is the American promise that brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream. The men and women whogathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord.They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred. But what the people heard instead -- people of every creed and color, from every walk of life -- is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one."

Finally McCain ended the week by announcing his pick for VP, Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin. Palin is only the second woman, to be nominated as Vice President. Regardless of the outcome of this election in November, history will be made as someone other than a White, Male will occupy the Presidency or the Vice Presidency of the United States.

So maybe the exciting political times that shaped my time at Stonehill will be outdone by the present political climate. Regardless, it adds up to a historic time to be a student of politics...no matter what school you attend!

Is Summer Really Over???

2008-08-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yes...summer's almost over. The first sign of its conclusion is the return of students to campus. Tomorrow Stonehill College welcomes 637 new First Year students to campus and we could not be more excited! I wish them all the best of luck. This Sunday should be really fun since the ENTIRE class of 2012 will head into Boston for the day. It's a great way for the students to get acquainted with their new surrounds and to really see what the city has to offer. Monday is Into the Streets Day- a community service day for the entire First-Year Class. Students are split into small groups with an upperclassmen student leader and a staff/faculty leader and assigned a local community service project to complete for the day. For the first time I'll be volunteering to help the program and I couldn't be more excited! I will have to remember to take some pictures for the blog :)

On a personal note, I was able to take the last of my vacation days last week. I packed up the car and spent a few days in Newport, RI with some friends from college. Here's a couple pictures from the week.

Brenton Point State Park, Newport, RI

Michele and I

No beach day would be right without a PB&J with your initial on it

Good luck to everyone with the upcoming school year!

Housekeeping note: For those interested in a Senior Class Visit Day, we have officially posted the dates. Stonehill will be hosting students from Monday, September 15th-Friday, November 14th. We will not be hosting students on Monday, October 13th or Tuesday, October 14th since there are no classes in session due to Columbus Day. Scheduling will officially begin in a few weeks once we have the class schedules of our student hosts.

Cape Cod Roadtrip

2008-08-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

ROADTRIIPPP! Well...kinda. Liz Stender and Professor Ubertaccio (the Pre-Law Advisor and Director of the Martin Institute for Law and Society) have been busy planning a Send-Off Reception for students from the Cape Cod Area. Since Professor Ubertaccio lives in the area, he so graciously offered up his home for a location. The reception was a great way for students from the Cape to meet others that live close by and make some friends before starting classes this fall. Perhaps some carpool buddies in the making! Below is a step-by-step account of our journey.

Liz Stender: Admissions Counselor Extraordinaire. Clearly excited that she gets to meet all the students from Cape Cod that she spent all winter accepting.

The spread: Stonehill College does NOT skimp when it comes to food.

Is that what I think it is? OH SNAP! A Watermelon whale. I really wish I could take credit for it, but Liz's fiance spent 2 hours making this on Tuesday night....I just sprinkled on some blueberries.

Our guests are arriving! Professor Ubertaccio greets Coral Azarian (class of 2008) and her mother.

I hope that everyone who came had a great time! I was so busy I forgot to take pictures of our attendees but I hope the pre-party pictures did the job. Less than 2 more weeks until the Class of 2012 arrives on campus! Best of luck and enjoy what little is left of your summers!

A day at the lake...

2008-08-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

Summertime in the Office of Admissions involves many things...Reflecting and evaluating this years programs, planning for the upcoming year in terms of travel and events, hosting thousands of visitors to our campus, and of course....using vacation time!

Well last week was I was enjoying option 4, although I would call it more of a "Staycation" as we didn't venture far from home. I have to admit I liked our staycation! Kelly (my wife) and I were able to tackle a few house projects that we (ok...actually I) had been putting off. One of the highlights of the week was going out to my father-in-law's lake house that he has in Spencer, MA. I was excited to bring our beagle Griffin to the lake to test out his interest (if any) in swimming!

By the way this is the beagle in question:

Now for Griffin, this was a day of many "firsts".

First day in Spencer, MA
First day spent at a lake
First time on a boat
First time trying to swim (not successful) but he earned a treat anyway

Griffin really enjoyed the boat part...

Griffin enjoying the view!

Kel and I also enjoyed having Griffin around!

Now, I thought it was a bit cold to swim...

This is my brother-in-law, Jeff, trying to decide if he was going to jump in...

His own kids and niece finally convinced him...
(It looks like his son, Matt, needed some additional convincing!)

It was a great day and I hope there is time for some more days like this before Summer ends!

Welcome!!!

2008-07-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers!

As Katie mentioned in her last post, we will be blogging throughout this admissions cycle bringing you the highs and lows, the ups and Downs of working in the office of admissions. It is our goal to “demystify” the admissions process. What really happens after you send off your application? We will talk openly about what it is like spending over 6 weeks on the road visiting several hundred high schools in the fall, reading thousands of applications in the winter, and coordinating dozens of programs for accepted students in the spring.

Also this blog is meant to be a forum where you can have your questions answered and comments responded to. Stonehill related, admissions related, or anything in between, we will use this blog to respond to the most frequently asked questions.

Although the admission process can be very numbers and data-driven, we hope to show the human process — that we are real people making real decisions who care about each individual applicant.

So happy reading and enjoy!

A New Academic Year, A Whole New Blog

2008-07-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome to our BRAND NEW blog! Eric and I are so excited to have a fresh new start along with Stonehill College’s new website!

My name is Katie Stango and I will be one of two counselor Bloggers (blogette?) for the 2008-2009 year. I’m originally from Westminster, MA and attended Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburnham, MA from 1999-2003. After Oakmont, I enrolled at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA and graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. My first job was here at Stonehill College where I started last summer as an Admissions Counselor. I’ve officially made it through my rookie year and am so excited to start fall travel with some good experience under my belt! This fall I’ll be traveling to Worcester, Hampden and Hampshire counties in Massachusetts, Hartford, Tolland and Litchfield Counties in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Ohio. In addition to my travel territories, I review applications from schools in North and South Carolina, West Virginia and Michigan.

Two of the most popular questions I’m asked by students and parents is how do I start the college search process and how do I know if a school is right for me? Easy answer - GO VISIT! It’s absolutely the best way to figure out if a school is right for you. Most of you will know the moment you step on campus whether or not it’s a place you could see yourself attending. That being said, Stonehill has numerous opportunities for prospective students to get to know us a little better. A good place to start is a Group Information Session, or in super cool admissions lingo-GIS, in which an Admissions Counselor goes over the ins-and-outs of life at Stonehill and the Admissions process. During the summer work week, at least one GIS is held per day. The GIS is also followed by a Student Lead Tour with two of our Student Ambassadors (fancy word for tour guides). Tours last approximately an hour in which you visit two residence halls, the library, an academic building, the dining commons and various other spots on campus. In the case that you’re pressed for time, there are select days where tours run without a GIS. Please call 508-565-1373 to schedule a GIS and/or tour in advance.

So you’ve visited campus, liked what you saw but don’t know the next step, right? For high school seniors, Stonehill has Senior Class Visit Days in which prospective students get to live the life of a Stonehill College student for the day! You will attend a class, go to lunch with your host, meet their friends and get a one-on-one tour of campus. This is a great way to see what a typical day as a Stonehill student is like.

We’ll also be hitting the road! Each Admissions Counselor visits dozens of high schools throughout the year. Check in with your Guidance/College Counseling office to see if we’re headed your way! Here’s a link to the college fairs we’ll be attending this fall.

I hope that at least one of these opportunities to learn more about Stonehill College peaks your interest. We look forward to meeting you this summer and fall!