Financial Aid- on the way!

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!

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

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

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!

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HEY JUNIORS- we haven't forgotten about you!

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

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!

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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