Greetings from Connecticut, the Constitution State!
This is recruitment trip #4 for me so far this fall, and I’m having a blast meeting so many great students. It may surprise you to know that Vanderbilt is very popular in New England, as many students find the warm weather and friendly atmosphere of Vanderbilt appealing. At one of my high school visits today I was pleased to find that every student I met there had visited campus and already knew so much about us! For those who are less familiar with VU or Nashville, I often begin my talks about Nashville and explain that we are a thriving midsized city with much more to offer than country music, such as a major health care industry and professional sports (but I have found that a Keith & Nicole sighting impresses even those who claim to have no interest in country music!).
While I have been busy driving to 5 high schools during the days, I have enjoyed catching up with some fellow VU alumni at night. On Monday night I had dinner with an alumnus whose daughter is now considering applying to Vanderbilt. He graduated over 20 years ago, but it was clear that he remembers his time at Vanderbilt with pride and fondness. He will be visiting campus this weekend, and also again next month for Homecoming to attend our football games and other alumni events. He helps my office recruit students from CT by attending college fairs that I can’t get to, and also by interviewing applicants for us. He and I agreed that VU’s applicants are beyond impressive; he joked that if he didn’t already have an amazing child that he would want to adopt some of them! Last night I met up with Charles, an ’03 graduate, and a former colleague. Charles was a fellow Vanderbilt Admissions Counselor for 3 years, and currently attends business school in New Haven. He enjoyed his time in admissions so much that he is considering somehow combining his interest in business and education upon graduation this spring. Tonight I checked into another new hotel room, and was very excited to learn there is a California Pizza Kitchen across the street (when traveling for work, the small things make a big difference!). So, I am content to get a yummy dinner on my own, catch up on email and watch some TV. I plan to go to bed early- I need to rest up to be ready for another busy day meeting lots of students! :)