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