A Day in the Life of an Admissions Counselor

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...

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!

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.

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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!

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!

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

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

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!