More on College Rankings

Yet another reliable source on why college rankings are not the most reliable data point.

http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/CollegeRankings/Pages/CollegeRankings.aspx

Published by: TSM

Is Harvard Admitting the Right Students?

For your reading pleasure...

A Harvard prforessor writes about serving on Harvard's admissions committee and whether Harvard is looking for the "right kind" of students. Enjoy!


http://harvardmagazine.com/2012/11/writers-and-artists-at-harvard

Published by: TSM

Meet a UGA Foundation Fellow!

University of Georgia: Honors Scholarship Program

Grace Siemietkowski, Class of 2011, is having an unparalleled college experience, she is a Foundation Fellow at the University of Georgia. Grace has shared her incredible experience as a Fellow with us at Visitation.

“Not only has the Fellowship paid for my education, but it has introduced me to some of my very best friends. Through the Fellowship program I get to participate in exclusive book discussions, movie screenings, and dinner seminars. In addition, I have been introduced to the world wide alumni network of UGA and traveled extensively with the program. This past May “the Fellows” studied for a month at Oxford University and this spring we will be studying "The Anthropology of Surfing" in Costa Rico, all through grants provided to students in the program. However, I love Athens, Georgia itself. Athens is an incredible town with an awesome music scene, beautiful weather, fun people, and enthusiastic professors, and of course an amazing football team!”

If you have any questions about UGA and the Fellowship Program contact Grace via Facebook.

College of the Holy Cross event TOMORROW!

Holy Cross is hosting a special event over at Georgetown University tomorrow morning. Their Director of Admissions has encouraged us to share this event will any of our students who are interested in Holy Cross. It's a good way to show interest and learn about the school.

Mrs. Walsh will also be attending!

Here is the information:

http://alumni.holycross.edu/s/1380/index2col.aspx?sid=1380&gid=1&pgid=779&cid=1700&ecid=1700&ciid=4486&crid=0

We hope some of you will be able to attend!

 

Published by: TSM

The Latest From Vanderbilt

If you are a senior who is applying to Vanderbilt University or a junior who is just embraking on the process, you might be interested in the following email Vanderbilt sent to school counselors today.

The email was titled "Vanderbilt: Census Day" and was filled with hot of the presses compilation of statistics regarding Vanderbilt's entering class for the Fall of 2012.

 The email encouraged us to "use the following data regarding our enrolled fall 2012 class in conversations with students and families as you help them learn more about Vanderbilt."

• 98% held the highest level of leadership or scholarship, or were engaged in national-level honor societies: for instance, student body president, class president, student senator, editor-in-chief of school newspaper or yearbook, Eagle Scout, and National Honor Society
• 14% were student government leaders
• 49% held a service-related leadership position
• 67% were academic leaders
• 35% were athletic leaders or champions
• 21% demonstrated leadership in the fine arts
• Undergraduates represent 49 states and 44 countries
• 5.9% of students graduated from an international high school
• 65% of freshmen received financial assistance
• 13% of freshmen received Pell grants
• Of those from high schools that report class rank, over 90% of first-year enrolled students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class
• Middle 50 percentile for SAT ……. 1400 – 1560
• Middle 50 percentile for ACT ……. 32– 34

There are several Visitation graduates enrolled at Vanderbilt; if you would like to contact any of them, check in with your college counselor.

Published by: TSM

Transcript Request Deadline TOMORROW!

This is a reminder that tomorrow, November 9th, is the transcript request deadline for any applications due during the month of December.

Examples of colleges with December deadlines include Clemson, University of South Carolina, and the University of Dayton - but there are lots of others as well!

We know you are all very busy with Gold White, but please try to remember this important deadline!

Published by TSM

It's November 1!

It's official. We have reached the first major deadline in the college process for the Class of 2013. In spite of the curveball Hurrican Sandy threw our way, we managed to get all of the credentials out with time to spare! It was nice of colleges to extend their deadlines but fortunately we did not need the extension.

Please remember that it can take days and even weeks for colleges to match your application with your credentials. You can always doublecheck the Naviance website to confirm that your credentials were sent by Visitatation. We submit credentials electronically so as soon as we hit the send button, they have arrived in the admissions offices.

On a final note, several colleges have rescheduled or cancelled their visits because of the storm. Please be sure to check the Family Connection website for the most curent list of colleges that will be visiting over the next two weeks. Congratulations on making it to the first big deadline!

Published by TSM

Freshman Quiz with Grace Rubinger '12!

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Grace Rubinger '12 was back on-campus from Elon on her first Fall break as a college student. We asked Grace to take our Freshmen Quiz to give us a sense of the adjustment to collegiate life.

Why did you choose to attend Elon?

Elon is the right size for me (6000 undergrad), I really liked the campus, and nothing about it seemed overwhelming. It was a perfect fit!

The best thing about college is...

The independence, being able to do what I want without asking my parents.

But what I miss most about Visi is...

Rolling out of bed and putting my uniform on. You need to look fairly presentable going to class. Remember there are boys there!

What courses are you taking?

Intermediate French II, College Writing, European History since 1500, Statistics, and Intro to Elon (a counseling class).

Which is your favorite?

Since I am a history major, it would be my European history class. My professor in that course is also very funny.

Which is the hardest?

Definitely my college writing class, although I am doing very well in that course. At Visi the teachers gave you a lot of structure and direction in your writing assignments, in this course it is more rhetorical analysis.

What is it like to be in class with boys?

At first I was nervous to say what was on my mind, I was more guarded but now I voice my opinion.

Are there fun things to do off campus?

Actually, the town of Burlington has a pretty big restaurant scene. So when my friends and I are tired of dining halls (one even remains open until 2:00am -- for late night tator tots) we treat ourselves to dinner out. 

What advice would you give to the Class of 2013?

Cherish the moments at Visi because it is all about to change. You will really miss your friends. But don't be nervous you will make new ones easily.

It was great visiting with Grace, she seems so happy.From all the stories she shared it is no wonder our Visitation students speak so highly of Elon.

Our (Chilly) Visit to UC Boulder!

While attending the annual NACAC conference in Denver a few weeks back (the Superbowl of the College Admissions and Counseling world) we took some time to rent a car and visit both the University of Colorado in Boulder and Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Our colleagues from the College Counseling Department at two other local independent schools joined us for our mini college roadtrip. You can see how chilly the October weather was in the mountains of Boulder in the picture above. It was hard to believe that we left 80 degree temperatures in Washington and there was snow on the ground out west!

Here is Ms. Carter's write up of our visit to UC Boulder:

What was there not to love? I did post a photo on my Face book page with the caption, “If I had to do it all over again!”

Right off the bat, “CU” as the students fondly refer to their beloved UC, Boulder is an easy 30 minute drive from the Denver airport. If the ease of getting there leaves you unimpressed, the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains will not. We visited the school on an odd overcast dreary day, but even so the campus sold itself. The Tuscany style buildings with the backdrop of the mountains left you wondering if this was a school or a resort (side note: a brand new outdoor pool over looking said mountain range being built). But make no mistake, this top rated university and its students take their academics seriously. The flagship university of Colorado, CU boasts loads of majors but is especially proud of its science departments. The university just received word that David Wineland, a professor in Physics just received the Nobel Prize (the 5^th time a CU professor has been named a Nobel winner); in addition, they have just received a 1.4 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to study climate change.

But when you need time away from the books, there is plenty to do on campus. The football stadium sits smack in the center. There is always a pep rally before games complete with a marching band and a mascot (any guesses about who the CU mascot is?)The campus has its own museum and its performing arts calendar is packed with student performances as well as big name entertainment coming to Boulder. And if all that is not enough, you can always take to the slopes or go for a hike.
Getting around campus is easy with a bus system, but most students we saw were walking, on bikes, or skateboards! After our tour, we spent some time in downtown Boulder and it was like walking around a Sundance catalog. There are loads of shops and restaurants and the preferred "uniform" seems to be jeans and boots. If you have any questions about UC Boulder (or would like to see more of our photographs), talk to your college counselor.
A report of our visit to Colorado College will be up later this week!

Published by: TSM and SKC

College Counseling Updates - Week of 10/15

Transcript Requests

 

For any college that has a November 2-November 30 deadline, you must get your transcript request form into the College Counseling Office by October 22^nd.

 

College Visits

To attend a college visit, please come get a pass from one of the college counselors. You will need to give the pass to your teacher at least one day before the visit in order to be excused. It is not enough to just sign up for the visit on Naviance- you must get a pass!

·         Monday, October 15^th

o   The College of Wooster- 9:00 a.m.

o   University of Hartford- 11:00 a.m.

o   Boston College- 11:30 a.m.

o   Loyola University New Orleans- 12:30 p.m.

o   University of Richmond- 1:30 p.m.

o   Wellesley College- 2:30 p.m.

 

·         Tuesday, October 16^th

o   Connecticut College- 10:30 a.m.

o   Siena College- 12:00 p.m.

o   James Madison University- 12:30 p.m.

o   Princeton University- 1:15 p.m.

o   University of St. Andrews (Scotland)- 2:00 p.m.

 

·         Wednesday, October 17^th

o   PSAT DAY- NO VISITS

 

·         Thursday, October 18^th

o   Wake Forest University- 8:30 a.m.

o   California Institute of Technology- 8:50 a.m.

o   Babson College- 9:30 a.m.

o   American University- 11:00 a.m.

o   Wagner College- 11:00 a.m.

o   Millsaps College- 11:00 a.m.

o   Polytechnic Institute at NYU- 1:20 p.m.

o   College of Charleston- 2:00 p.m.

 

·         Friday, October 19^th

o   Founders Day/Marshmallow Roast- NO VISITS

 

Naviance

Please check the Naviance/Family Connection website regularly. Sign in here: https://succeed.naviance.com/family-connection/auth/login/?hsid=visi

 Things you can do in Naviance

·  Review the college visit list (new colleges are added daily!)

·  Keep track of your  college list

·  Review scattergrams and the Visi admissions history at the schools on your list

·  Review scholarship data

Review all the information we have about local information sessions, open houses, and special campus visit programs

Standardized Testing Dates and Deadlines

·         December 1 SAT and Subject Tests- Registration Deadline is November 1

·         December 8 ACT- Registration Deadline is November 2

Remember to put down Visitation’s school code, 090080, when you register for the SAT and ACT

Scholarships

·         Junior Achievement of Greater Washington Essay Competition

o   Application Process- Students have to write a 1,000-1,500 word essay on the topic “How can the country readily and realistically tackle growing income disparity?” Students are able to apply online at www.myJA.org/students/essay/

o   Three winners from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia will each receive a $10,000 scholarship. In addition, one grand prize winner selected from the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia will receive a $20,000 scholarship.

o   Deadline is October 31, 2012

 

·         John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

o   Application Process- Students have to write an original and creative essay of 1,000 words or less that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage. Visit their website, www.jfklibrary.org to learn more about the Profile in Courage Essay Contest.

o   First place winner receives a $5,000 cash award and $5,000 to grow in a John Hancock Freedom 529 College Savings Plan. Second place winner receives a $1,000 cash award and up to five finalists each receive a $500 cash award.

 

College Information Sessions in the DC Area

 

·         Tulane is hosting an information session on Sunday, October 28th at 7:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 7400 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.  For more information visit tulaneinfo.org/events

·         Penn State is hosting an information session on Monday, October 15th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfax, 3950 Fair Ridge Drive in Fairfax, Virginia.  To register: admissions.psu/infoprograms. They will also be hosting an information session on Tuesday, October 16^th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Hilton Washington DC Rockville Hotel, 1750 Rockville Place in Rockville, Maryland.

Published by: LG

Clare Foley, Class of 2012, on life at Holy Cross!

The lovely Clare Foley came to visit her old stomping grounds today and tell us all about life at the College of the Holy Cross. Here are some highlights of my "interview" with her.

What is the best thing about college?
Not having to wake up early! Clare's earliest class (Chemistry) begins at 8:00 a.m. She sets her alarm for 7:20 to make it on time. That's a lot later than she got up for first period at Visi.

But I miss________________ about Visi.
The uniform! Apparently it is not fun to assemble an outfit for class everyday. She also spoke fondly of the wonderful Mrs. Elliott, who prepared her well for college Calculus. Clare mentioned that topics Mrs. Elliott spent an entire hour explaining are covered in about ten minutes in her college Calculus class. And nearly everyone who is her Calculus class took it in high school as well. And it's still very hard!

What do Holy Cross ladies wear to class?
It's a mixed bag. They wear everything from yoga pants and sweatshirts to dresses. It is clear that some people spend quite a bit of time on their appearance everday and Clare finds that "people usually look better by the later afternoon classes."

What classes are you taking this semester?
Chemistry and Calculus (both required courses since Clare is working on the pre-health curriculum) as well as Spanish and a required First Year Humanities Seminar.

Hardest Class?
Chemistry (and it's also her largest class, with 64 students enrolled).

Favorite Class?
Spanish

What are you involved in?
The Steering Committee for the annual Dance Marathon (an event that raises money for Pediatric AIDS research)
The Inter-House Council - Claire is the secretary for her dorm and works to plan residential life activities throughout the year.
Admissions - Clare is a greeter in the admissions office, where she meets with parents and students before the official admissions programming
Part-time job - Clare works in the dining hall
SPUD - Clare tutors elementary school students in a local school on a weekly basis.

What do Holy Cross students do on the weekends?
There's always a lot going on - football games and tons of events on campus as well as parties off campus and the occasional trip to Boston.

Advice for seniors?
Don't stress! Enjoy your friends - it's easy to take them for granted right now but you will miss them next year! Slow down and enjoy all the traditions and wonderful things about life at Visi.

Thanks to Clare for spending time with me today and agreeing to be profiled on Life After Visi. She would love to hear from any seniors who have questions or are interested in Holy Cross. Ask your college counselor for her contact information!

Published by: TSM

College Counseling Update - Week of October 1

Quick IMPORTANT Reminders:

IT IS ESSENTIAL that you complete the following tasks as we are unable to send any electronic credentials, transcripts, etc. until you have done so. Please complete the following procedures ASAP.

1) If you have not already done so, create a Common Application username account here: https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx

IMPORTANT TIP: Write down your username and password somewhere safe to eliminate confusion and frustration later on. In order for your school credentials to be matched with your application, you MUST enter your Common Application username and password correctly in Family Connection (step2 below).

2) Complete the following tasks in Family Connection.

·  Sign into Family Connection here: https://connection.naviance.com/family-connection/auth/login?hsid=visi

·  Go to Colleges

·  Select College I'm applying to

·  Complete the privacy waiver (if you have questions about which box to check, ASK us)

·  Enter your CommonApp.org username and password (be sure this information is correct!)

If you have forgotten your username and password for Family Connection, there is a link that you can access to reset your information. We are not able to access your password. If you have trouble, stop in next week and we can help you!

 

Transcript Requests

 

For any college that has a November 1 deadline, your transcript request form is due to the College Counseling Office by Friday, October 5.

 

 College Visits

To attend a college visit, please come get a pass from one of the college counselors. You will need to give the pass to your teacher at least one day before the visit in order to be excused. It is not enough to just sign up for the visit on Naviance- you must get a pass!

·         Monday, October 1^st  

o   Bowdoin College- 8:00 a.m.

o   Case Western Reserve University- 9:00 a.m.

o   At 11:00 a.m. we will be hosting the following colleges in the Nolan Center Lobby

§  Bentley College

§  Macalester College

§  St. Michael’s College

§  Bridgewater College

§  UMBC (at 11:30)

o   Syracuse University- 11:30 a.m.

 

·         Tuesday, October 2^nd

o   Villanova University- 8:30 a.m.

o   Sewanee (the University of the South)- 9:00 a.m.

o   Vanderbilt University- 11:00 a.m.

o   Northwestern University- 12:00 p.m.

o   St. John’s University- 1:00 p.m.

o   Amherst College- 2:15 pm.

 

·         Wednesday, October 3^rd  

 

·         Thursday, October 4^th  

o   Indiana University- 12:30 p.m.

 

·         Friday, October 5^th

o   Brown University- 8:30 a.m.

 

Naviance

Please check the Naviance/Family Connection website regularly. Sign in here: https://succeed.naviance.com/family-connection/auth/login/?hsid=visi

 Things you can do in Naviance

·  Review the college visit list (new colleges are added daily!)

·  Keep track of your  college list

·  Review scattergrams and the Visi admissions history at the schools on your list

·  Review scholarship data

Review all the information we have about local information sessions, open houses, and special campus visit programs

Standardized Testing Dates and Deadlines

·         November 3 SAT and Subject Tests- Registration Deadline is October 4

·         December 1 SAT and Subject Tests- Registration Deadline is November 1

·         December 8 ACT- Registration Deadline is November 2

Remember to put down Visitation’s school code, 090080, when you register for the SAT and ACT

Scholarships

·         AES Engineers Scholarship

o   Application Process- Students will submit an essay on one of the two topics that appear on the scholarship page of their website: http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm

o   They award $500 to the winner(s)

o   Deadline is October 5, 2012

·         Junior Achievement of Greater Washington Essay Competition

o   Application Process- Students have to write a 1,000-1,500 word essay on the topic “How can the country readily and realistically tackle growing income disparity?” Students are able to apply online at www.myJA.org/students/essay/

o   Three winners from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia will each receive a $10,000 scholarship. In addition, one grand prize winner selected from the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia will receive a $20,000 scholarship.

o   Deadline is October 31, 2012

·         Thomas Wolfe Scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

o   Application Process- Students must be applying Early Action to the university and further information including the application form can be found here: http://english.unc.edu/creative/tws

o   The award is full undergraduate support for student writers

o   Deadline is October 15, 2012

 

College Information Sessions in the DC Area

 

·         Washington University in St. Louis is hosting area information sessions.  The dates and locations are as follows:  Sunday, September 9 at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, One Bethesda Metro Center from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, September 30 at the Courtyard by Marriott Tysons Corner, 1960-A Chain Bridge Road in McLean from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 7th at the Hunt Valley Inn Baltimore, 245 Shawan Road in Hunt Valley, Maryland from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

·         The University of Notre Dame is hosting an information session  on Monday, October 1^st at 6:30 p.m. at Georgetown Prep in the Hanley Building, Multipurpose Room, 10900 Rockville Pike in North Bethesda, Maryland.

·         Brown University is hosting an information session on Monday, October 1st at 7:00 p.m. at Georgetown Day School, High School Forum, 4200 Davenport Street NW in Washington, D.C.  To register and for more information refer to www.brown.edu/brownnearyou

·         The University of Pennsylvania is hosting an information session on Thursday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, Maryland.  Please RSVP at www.admissions.upenn.edu/e/greaterwashingtondc

 

 

 

 

On UGA, Georgia Tech, and Bands From the 1990's

 

Has anyone from the Class of 2013 heard of this band?

 

On Tuesday, Mrs. Maglio and I attended a counselor breakfast with representatives from Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. We learned some fun and important facts about each school, and appreciated their Southern hospitality in treating us to a lovely breakfast!

Georgia Tech

·         Forty percent of their states hail from out of state.

·         They were recently rated the second “greenest” campus in the US.

·        They have six different colleges to which you can apply and 12,000 undergraduates in total. Note than two-thirds of their undergraduates are in the School of Engineering.

·         They graduate the most female engineers in the country!

·        The factors that they consider when reviewing your application are your GPA, standardized test scores, extracurriculars and essay (NOT RECOMMENDATIONS!)

·        Their mid range test scores are 1960-2160 and they will superscore both your SAT and ACT. Actually, they used the word "superduperscore" (a new word in college admissions) to highlight the fact that they will combine SAT and ACT subscores if that helps a student in the process.

·        Last year they received 14,731 applications and aditted 54.5% of the applicants. Deadlines: Early Action by October 15^th or Regular Decision by January 10th.

 

 University of Georgia

·         They have 17 undergraduate schools and 170 different majors.

·         In total, they have 35,000 students of which 26,000 are undergraduates.

·        Don't panic about the size because the average class size is 39 students and 80 percent of classes have 40 or fewer students

·         Athens is a huge music town- the bands REM and the B-52s (do high school students know who these bands are?) got their start in Athens and they approximate that 1 out of every 5 students at UGA is in a band!

·         They have a new program called First Year Odyssey where all first year students take a small seminar class.

·        Factors for the Early Action review process are your GPA, academic rigor and standardized test scores (recommendations, essays, and activities are not considered for Early Action but students should still fill out the activity section of the application carefully because it will be reviewed for scholarship and honors consideration later).

·         Last year UGA received 18, 954 applications and accepted 10, 454 students. Deadlines: Early Action is October 15^th or Regular Decision is January 15th.

Published by: LG