Fall Travel Superlatives

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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!!!

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!