Go Vote!!

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?

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!

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

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!