We know that most of you are putting the finishing touches on your November 1 applications and we are doing the same for OUR part of your applications. We are also still meeting and greeting colleges, reading your essays, short answers, and quick email questions, and generally feeling very stressed about the amount of work that needs to be done.
If you find that you are so full of angst about what has to be done that nothing is actually getting done, I recommend a very brief and energizing distraction. Here are some of my favorites from the past few nights:
1) "Test out" the Halloween candy that is in the pantry for trick or treaters.
2) Contemplate your Halloween costume.
3) Organize your email inbox.
4) Think about what you will be Thankful For once Thanksgiving finally rolls around (hint: that your Early Applications are in).
5) Fold some laundry. At least you will feel that sense of accomplishment that seems elusive with so much to do!
6) Revel in your Marshmallow Roast victory.
Okay - your time is up. Back to work for both of us!
Published by TSM
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Five Minutes with Radford
Radford University is located in the heart of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Trail in Virginia. With Virginia Tech only about 15 minutes away, there are a ton of college students in the area. Students are allowed to bring their car as early as freshman year – so you can make the 4 ½ hour drive from DC with ease or head to the mall and restaurants only 10 minutes away. Radford has about 9000 students, Greek life, and D1 sports - and their popular majors include Nursing, Education, Criminal Justice and Psychology. Most importantly, Radford has one of our recent alums, Danie Curtis-Williams, Class of 2010, in their current freshman class!Faye Holliday, a Radford Admissions Officer, spent a few minutes filling us in about life on campus when she visited our school...
If Radford had its own IPOD playlist, what would be on it?
Radford has a nice mix of students from Northern Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey and Southwestern Virginia – so the more urban vibe of hip hop gels with the country music scene.
Dress up for class or wear sweatpants? Radford is a relaxed campus. Freshman start off dressing up for class – but quickly learn that the uniform is jeans and a Radford hoodie.
Closest starbucks or local coffeehouse? There is a Starbucks on campus in the Student Center – along with a bowling alley, pool tables, and the newest movies offered for only $1 in the auditorium.
Students can name the quarterback vs. we have a football team?: Radford doesn’t have a football team – but Division I Basketball is big! Former Radford Center, Art Parakhouski, was just drafted to the NBA.
Popular local hangouts: Radford has a lot of local restaurants and bars – Sharkey’s and BT’s are two of the more popular, close to campus hangouts.
Thanks to Ms. Holliday for taking the time to answer our questions. If you would like to be in touch with her, just contact your College Counselor.
Published by KMH
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
An Essay that Worked! Alex Campanelli-Jones '10
Alex Campanelli-Jones, one of our best from the Class of 2010, just stopped in my office to say hello while she is home for the weekend from Christopher Newport University. It was great to see her and it sounds like life at CNU is treating her well! I asked her if we could post a copy of her essay to provide an example of how you really can write about any topic and produce an excellent personal statement. Her essay received accolades from Admissions Officers last year - so hopefully it will inspire you as you work towards November 1st. If you want to hear more about CNU, just contact your college counselor for Alex's email.
Swoosh. The automatic doors slide open as I step through the entrance. I stride forward over the welcome mat, feeling my pulse quicken. The bright overhead lights shine brilliantly down upon fourteen aisles of utopia. My eyes widen at the various new displays, and my fingers begin to twitch with anticipation as my mother strolls up alongside me, pushing our cherry-red shopping cart; I know it will be filled in minutes. “Alrighty—let’s get what we need and get out”, she mutters, beginning to follow me as I head for aisle one. I don’t respond because she and I both know that’s not how I operate—when I’m in Staples, I’m in heaven. I take my sweet time.
My obsession with office supplies began the year I entered high school. I’ve always been organized; I can’t stand chaos or messiness. As I entered my pre-teens, my desire to have everything in its right place grew stronger, most likely in direct correspondence to other facets of my life I could not control, such as my parents’ impending divorce and my younger brother’s diagnosis with autism—two events which profoundly affected my youth. They caused me to mature faster, and realize that in order to do so I needed to have my act together. My freshman year of high school, I again learned quickly that I would never stay afloat for the next four years if I didn’t create an orderly system to act as my life vest. My jaw dropped as I watched several of my peers present crinkled pieces of paper as homework, claim they had lost a handout, or blatantly forget to do an assignment. How could they stand it?
It started harmlessly enough: I asked my dad to borrow a pack of Post-Its so I could stick a to-do list in my assignment notebook. The Post-Its, which he willingly supplied, were the items that began my fixation. Soon enough, I was begging my mom to take me to Staples to get more. There were so many different kinds to choose from! Orange, yellow, blue, green, pink, small, long, circle, square…Yes, I bought them all. In addition, I bought several legal pads to quench my list-making thirst, new dividers for my binders, and several white-out pens. I soon found list-making had become a passion of mine as I went through Post-Its and legal pads like water, the fate of the world’s rainforests not even registering in my mind. I clung to my life vest, needing to maintain control and order over my world.
For the past four years I have rejoiced the day when I get to go school-supply shopping. I have become a Very Important Customer at both Staples and Office Depot. I looked forward to going to my summer job working as an office assistant at my church, though I’m sure you can imagine why. Limitless access to any office supply of my choosing? Sign me up! The happiest day of my summer, however, came at senior registration, where I jubilantly purchased a new assignment planner, which had been “upgraded” from last year’s to include calendars, a bell schedule, page protectors, and dividers.
This obsession may seem nonsensical to some; maybe others can understand it completely. To me, it’s a matter of personality. I cherish and hold on to office supplies because that is how I can convey my dedication and organization to others. Whether it be as class president, as a student, or as a friend, I take pride in the fact that people see me as “the organized and dependable one”; it is one of the best parts of me that I can offer.
High school is supposedly about finding oneself and being happy—this cliché, universal odyssey on which teenagers embark on the path to self- discovery and self-actualization. The one thing I’m confident I’ve learned so far is that life comes in many shades of grey, no matter how much I long for it to stay black and white, clean-cut and simple. I will continue discovering, continue learning, and continue on my own odyssey into this new grey world that college presents me with. My Post-its and my to-do lists will come with me, but they will not define me—that is what’s most gratifying. Well, except the feeling of crossing “finish college essay” off my to-do list.
Published by KMH
Swoosh. The automatic doors slide open as I step through the entrance. I stride forward over the welcome mat, feeling my pulse quicken. The bright overhead lights shine brilliantly down upon fourteen aisles of utopia. My eyes widen at the various new displays, and my fingers begin to twitch with anticipation as my mother strolls up alongside me, pushing our cherry-red shopping cart; I know it will be filled in minutes. “Alrighty—let’s get what we need and get out”, she mutters, beginning to follow me as I head for aisle one. I don’t respond because she and I both know that’s not how I operate—when I’m in Staples, I’m in heaven. I take my sweet time.
My obsession with office supplies began the year I entered high school. I’ve always been organized; I can’t stand chaos or messiness. As I entered my pre-teens, my desire to have everything in its right place grew stronger, most likely in direct correspondence to other facets of my life I could not control, such as my parents’ impending divorce and my younger brother’s diagnosis with autism—two events which profoundly affected my youth. They caused me to mature faster, and realize that in order to do so I needed to have my act together. My freshman year of high school, I again learned quickly that I would never stay afloat for the next four years if I didn’t create an orderly system to act as my life vest. My jaw dropped as I watched several of my peers present crinkled pieces of paper as homework, claim they had lost a handout, or blatantly forget to do an assignment. How could they stand it?
It started harmlessly enough: I asked my dad to borrow a pack of Post-Its so I could stick a to-do list in my assignment notebook. The Post-Its, which he willingly supplied, were the items that began my fixation. Soon enough, I was begging my mom to take me to Staples to get more. There were so many different kinds to choose from! Orange, yellow, blue, green, pink, small, long, circle, square…Yes, I bought them all. In addition, I bought several legal pads to quench my list-making thirst, new dividers for my binders, and several white-out pens. I soon found list-making had become a passion of mine as I went through Post-Its and legal pads like water, the fate of the world’s rainforests not even registering in my mind. I clung to my life vest, needing to maintain control and order over my world.
For the past four years I have rejoiced the day when I get to go school-supply shopping. I have become a Very Important Customer at both Staples and Office Depot. I looked forward to going to my summer job working as an office assistant at my church, though I’m sure you can imagine why. Limitless access to any office supply of my choosing? Sign me up! The happiest day of my summer, however, came at senior registration, where I jubilantly purchased a new assignment planner, which had been “upgraded” from last year’s to include calendars, a bell schedule, page protectors, and dividers.
This obsession may seem nonsensical to some; maybe others can understand it completely. To me, it’s a matter of personality. I cherish and hold on to office supplies because that is how I can convey my dedication and organization to others. Whether it be as class president, as a student, or as a friend, I take pride in the fact that people see me as “the organized and dependable one”; it is one of the best parts of me that I can offer.
High school is supposedly about finding oneself and being happy—this cliché, universal odyssey on which teenagers embark on the path to self- discovery and self-actualization. The one thing I’m confident I’ve learned so far is that life comes in many shades of grey, no matter how much I long for it to stay black and white, clean-cut and simple. I will continue discovering, continue learning, and continue on my own odyssey into this new grey world that college presents me with. My Post-its and my to-do lists will come with me, but they will not define me—that is what’s most gratifying. Well, except the feeling of crossing “finish college essay” off my to-do list.
Published by KMH
Monday, October 18, 2010
Cami Thompson's Take on Holy Cross
Cami Thompson is a graduate from the Class of 2008. As a student-athlete, she learned to balance her time well at Visitation and has continued to find that same success in college! Here's what she has to say about classes and lacrosse at College of the Holy Cross...Why I chose Holy Cross:
Academically I was looking for a school that had some of my favorite aspects of Visitation: a close-knit community, dedicated teachers, and small class sizes. It was also perfect for me because I wanted to play lacrosse in college and Holy Cross had the great combination of a
Division I athletic program and small liberal arts college. I fell in love with the campus when I visited and saw that everyone worked very hard, but was still having a fun college experience.
What I like about Holy Cross:
One of the best parts are the people because they are genuinely happy to be at Holy Cross and like being involved in different aspects of the community. There aren’t any teaching assistants and every professor knows you by name and is happy to meet with you outside of class. I am able to reap the advantages of attending a small school (just under 3000 students) whether walking around campus where I constantly see familiar faces or in class when everyone can be involved in discussions, but there are enough people that it doesn't become boring. While I have heard great stories about Greek life from my friends at other colleges, I like that we don’t have sororities or fraternities at Holy Cross. Even without frathouses there are always plenty of house parties walking distance from the dorms. A lot revolves around sports teams that have parties at their houses orother seniors that open their houses to most underclassmen.
College is better than high school because:
You get to live with you best friends and you are around people your age 24/7. There is an added dimension to relationships because your friends become your family too. The dorms also allow you to meet and befriend people with different interests.
But I miss... the camaraderie and school spirit from Visi. We had a shared experience that we could commiserate or celebrate together, but everyone in college is taking a different path.
Classes I am taking next semester:
I am spending a year abroad at Oxford University in a Politics, Philosphy, and Economics program so the classes will be a bit different. They have trimesters based on one on one meetings with professors or“tutors” and lots of independent reading/research. I will be taking
a Microeconomics course and Ethics tutorial for the first trimester. It will bequite a change but I am looking forward to focusing on just 2 classes at a time.
Favorite place on campus:
Besides the dorms probably Kimball dining hall. It is a great place to run into people and unlike the library or walks to class you can actually take the time to talk and catch up. It's great for a quick bite, last minute studying, or other times my friends and I will realize that we justspent 2 hours at a weekend brunch reliving the previous night's events.
Stuff to do off campus
There is the Auburn mall and BlackstoneValley which have all of the restaurants, movie theaters, and shops you would need. The Salvation Army and Forever 21 also come in handy for themed parties. I have always found plenty to do at Holy Cross, but on weekends the school offers free transportation to Boston and Providence which are both less than an hour away. Corner Grill is a great pizza place, 111 Chop House has amazing steak, and Takara is a fun Japanese restaurant to go to with a group of friends. The Salty Dog Saloon is fun for going out on weeknights and there are lot of places in Worcester that let students 18+ in so there are many off campus options even for freshmen.
What do you wear to class?
There are definitely days that I miss the Visitation uniform, but luckily with lacrosse I have an excuse to wear sweats when I haveto go straight from class to practice. Otherwise I attempt to wear jeans and a casual top. On the few days it warms up it’s fun to pull out the dresses.
Best and worst thing about having boys around:
Boys add a different perspective and sometimes look at a topic in a way that I never imagined. I also like studying with them because they don’t seem to let the stress affect them as much and just get the workdone as efficiently as possible so they have time to have fun. Girls do act differently in class when boys are around.
Thanks to Cami for taking the time to answer our questions!
Published by KMH
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Filling Out Applications, Round Two
Filling out applications is really fun, isn't it?!! Today you asked:
Do I have to/Should I report all of my SAT/ACT/AP scores on my applications? If you are filling out the Common App, the answer for most of you will be "no." Many of you are at least considering the possibility of applying to an test optional school or using the score choice option to only send your best or best combo of your SAT or ACT. And you are still waiting for your new scores! So it's fine to leave some or all of the test information section blank. But! There are a handful of colleges out there that require applicants to submit ALL of your SAT/ACT/Subject test scores. So please be sure you are reading all of the instructions regarding test requirements for the schools to which you are applying.
Did you get the email from UMD asking for my recommendation? Yes, I did. But that email only pertains to schools that do not send their documents and recommendations electronically. Even though you there a lot of forms coming your way that say Give This To Your Teacher/Counselor, you really do not need to do so. We are very fancy here and do it all online!
What about this ED agreement form? Okay, you got us. That's the one form you do actually need to print out from the Common Application (or the school's own website if they are not a Common Application school) and bring to us to sign. You are then responsible for mailing it the old fashioned way. Apparently this form is going to be available for online submission sometime soon but we haven't been able to access it yet, so let's follow this protocal for now.
Published by TSM
Do I have to/Should I report all of my SAT/ACT/AP scores on my applications? If you are filling out the Common App, the answer for most of you will be "no." Many of you are at least considering the possibility of applying to an test optional school or using the score choice option to only send your best or best combo of your SAT or ACT. And you are still waiting for your new scores! So it's fine to leave some or all of the test information section blank. But! There are a handful of colleges out there that require applicants to submit ALL of your SAT/ACT/Subject test scores. So please be sure you are reading all of the instructions regarding test requirements for the schools to which you are applying.
Did you get the email from UMD asking for my recommendation? Yes, I did. But that email only pertains to schools that do not send their documents and recommendations electronically. Even though you there a lot of forms coming your way that say Give This To Your Teacher/Counselor, you really do not need to do so. We are very fancy here and do it all online!
What about this ED agreement form? Okay, you got us. That's the one form you do actually need to print out from the Common Application (or the school's own website if they are not a Common Application school) and bring to us to sign. You are then responsible for mailing it the old fashioned way. Apparently this form is going to be available for online submission sometime soon but we haven't been able to access it yet, so let's follow this protocal for now.
Published by TSM
Monday, October 11, 2010
Are You Filling Out The Common App RIGHT NOW?
From the emails coming in this weekend it seems like a many of you have spent some quality time with the Common Application website this weekend! I have been chained to my laptop as well - writing recommendation letters, filling out forms, and answering many of the same questions about filling out the Common Application over and over again. Hopefully you will have more time to work on applications, essays, and homework this Wednesday while the juniors are taking the PSAT (aren't you glad to have THAT behind you?!). In the meantime, here is a summary of some of the FAQ's from the weekend.
How many seniors are in the Class of 2011? 120
Is my GPA weighted? Yes! Is there an unweighted GPA to report? No! Really? Really.
What is my class rank? GVPS does not rank.
But if I have been given an award that recognizes the top 20% of my class, can't I just list my class rank as Top 20%? GVPS does not rank - you should list awards in the section of the application that asks about Honors and Awards.
What is Visitation's school code? 090080
What is your title/phone extension/fax? It's listed under my signature in any email I have ever sent you.
Should I attach my resume to the end of the application? Maybe. There are differing opinions about this but I usually recommend not uploading a resume if it's mostly a repeat of what you've listed on the Common App activities grid. For example, if you've already listed your four year commitment to field hockey, lacrosse, and club ice hockey, there's really no need to tell them again on your resume. However, if there are activities that didn't quite "fit" the template provided for activities (service projects, Gold/White leadership, research at NIH, leading a session during Diversity Week would be good examples of activities that are difficult to format into the grid) it might be useful to use the extra space for that purpose.
My four year old asked me this weekend why I have been so grumpy. All I can say is...it's October. Hopefully you have been nicer to your family than I have!
Published by TSM
How many seniors are in the Class of 2011? 120
Is my GPA weighted? Yes! Is there an unweighted GPA to report? No! Really? Really.
What is my class rank? GVPS does not rank.
But if I have been given an award that recognizes the top 20% of my class, can't I just list my class rank as Top 20%? GVPS does not rank - you should list awards in the section of the application that asks about Honors and Awards.
What is Visitation's school code? 090080
What is your title/phone extension/fax? It's listed under my signature in any email I have ever sent you.
Should I attach my resume to the end of the application? Maybe. There are differing opinions about this but I usually recommend not uploading a resume if it's mostly a repeat of what you've listed on the Common App activities grid. For example, if you've already listed your four year commitment to field hockey, lacrosse, and club ice hockey, there's really no need to tell them again on your resume. However, if there are activities that didn't quite "fit" the template provided for activities (service projects, Gold/White leadership, research at NIH, leading a session during Diversity Week would be good examples of activities that are difficult to format into the grid) it might be useful to use the extra space for that purpose.
My four year old asked me this weekend why I have been so grumpy. All I can say is...it's October. Hopefully you have been nicer to your family than I have!
Published by TSM
Monday, October 4, 2010
Five Minutes With Washington and Jefferson College
How great is this viewbook cover? Bethany Simmons, Assistant Director of Admissions at Washington and Jefferson College, visited our school recently and agreed to be profiled on the blog. We thought she would be a particularly reliable source regarding campus life since she just graduated from W&J last May!If Washington and Jefferson had its own ipod playlist, what would be on it? The Wichi Coax (which she described as an "almost fight song"), Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
I wish that everyone knew ________ about W&J.
I wish that everyone know how strong our pre-law and pre-health programs are. W&J has a 90+% acceptance rate to law, medicine, and health related graduate programs!
How many applications will you read this fall? Probably around 1,500.
How long will you spend reading each one? About 20 minutes.
Popular guest speakers/entertainers on your campus in the last year or so? Cobra Starship performed at the annual spring concert last year.
This or That about your school...
Dining Hall or Eat Off Campus? Definitely the dining hall! The food is really good and there are tons of choices including 15-16 main courses and a wood burning pizza oven.
Dress Up For Class or Wear Sweatpants? This one is a 50/50 split. People do both; it depends on what time they have class!
Nearest Starbucks? About a mile from campus. Ali's cafe is a popular place for coffee that is right across the street from campus.
Students can name the quarterback or "we have a football team?" Students can definitely name the quarterback! The stadium is right off campus and games draw a big crowd. Team name: The Presidents!
If you have questions for Bethany, ask your counselor for her contact information.
Published by TSM
Friday, October 1, 2010
Team Fennessey in St. Louis
The blog has been quiet this week because Team Fennessey is in St. Louis. We are here for NACAC - a national conference for college admissions officers and counselors. We have been attending sessions and meeting and greeting college reps from all over the country. It's also great to hear what other high schools are doing. Best of all, we squeezed in two college tours during our stay! While the DC area has been drenched in rain, it's been 70 degrees and sunny here and we are loving the friendliness and laid back feel of the the schools we visited -Washington University and St. Louis University. Both of these schools could be a fantastic fit for Visitation girls.
Highlights from our SLU tour:
1) Vampire Weekend is performing on campus this weekend!
2) There is a gorgeous state of the art fitness center and a beautiful outdoor pool with a beach volleyball court and palm trees. Who knew?
3) SLU is like Visitation - it is a beautiful, self contained, green campus in the middle of the city. So many Visi girls want a campus like this. If you are looking at schools like St. Joe's, Loyola-Chicago, Fordham, Loyola-Maryland, or John Carroll, than you should be checking out SLU!
4) We learned about their unusual school mascot, the Billiken, and other fun traditions on campus. Walking around, it was clear that this is a school with a lot of character and spirit. And it's really beautiful. Here's one more picture!
Highlights from our Wash U visit:
1) When we were in college, we felt lucky to have Burger King and Taco Bell available to us in the Student Union. At Wash U, you seem to pass another amazing dining opportunity every five minutes - including the chance to enjoy a three course, sit down, dining extravaganza. And you are not eating in a standard cafeteria with a plastic tray - you could be seated in an outdoor pavilion or an oak paneled lounge with flat screen TVs on the wall.
2) We had gotten turned around on campus as we were looking for the fitness center and a very friendly student stopped to help us out. She pointed out not one, but two, athletic facilities - and then sent us on our way to the South Forty which resembled Main Street in Disney World. While Wash U is a little further away from downtown St. Louis than SLU, they have made sure all the modern conv
eniences of living in the city are just a few steps from your dorm. You can drop off your laundry to be washed and folded, get in your work out and get your hair and nails done at the salon with ease!
3) These students are smart, smart, smart! The library was full, students were on their laptops in the quad and they did not seem to be facebooking. This is not to say that campus was quiet, there was a buzz of activity, discussions, and intellectual energy all around.
It's been a busy week! We are excited to board the plane back to DC with bags full of college brochures and business cards - as well as some new SLU hoodies!
Published by TSM and KMH
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