‘admissions blog’
Writing a Personal Statement
Sep. 13, 2010—Last year I was responsible for approximately 1,000 applications. Numerically, far too many of my students look identical. It’s the intangible pieces: essay, letters of recommendation, and extracurriculars that set one student apart from another. The essay is my personal favorite. I love a good story. I know, though, that this can be a stressful...
Meet Andrew Moe
Sep. 10, 2010—My hometown is Janesville, Wisconsin. I am the admissions counselor responsible for Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Central America, and South America.
Theme Words
Sep. 9, 2010—I hear about colleges all day long. It’s (obviously) what I do for a living. I know from my own college search experiences and my day-to-day job that many institutions begin to blend together and sound exactly alike. Students and families seek to understand what’s different about Vanderbilt. How does Vanderbilt set itself apart from...
When in Rome?
Sep. 7, 2010—OUA counselors and student tour guides are frequently responding to myths about going to college in the South. Perhaps most often we’re asked, “Is it true that girls wear dresses and guys wear button-ups to football games?!” I find myself, fellow counselors, and student guides falling over ourselves trying to explain the tradition. Sometimes our...
Inside Dores
Sep. 3, 2010—We’re currently working on developing a new landing page for our Black and Gold Bloggers. In the mean time, don’t forget to check out our student blog, Inside ‘Dores! We’ve got some great new material posted this week.
Meet Maria Ornelas
Sep. 3, 2010—My hometown is Denver, CO. I am the admissions counselor responsible for Eastern and Middle Tennessee (except Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, and Montgomery Counties) and Ohio (except Cincinnati/Dayton).
Arts & Science Update
Sep. 1, 2010—I intended to write about the Commons today. I’ll talk plenty about the first-year living experience throughout this blog. However, today I want to relay information from Dr. McIntyre, an Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Science. Admissions counselors sit through hours of update meetings from various departments across campus at the...
College Rankings: Everybody is an Expert
Aug. 30, 2010—Last night I thought it would be a rather clever time for me to write my Monday blog about college rankings. Today I woke up and everybody is writing their Monday blog about college rankings! My Twitter feed is overwhelmed with opinions on the topic and all the major newspapers have an angle on the...
Meet Dustin Lynn
Aug. 27, 2010—My hometown is Waynesboro, Tennessee (named, appropriately enough, after “Mad” Anthony Wayne, a US Army general known for his fiery personality) . I am the counselor responsible for the areas of West Texas, Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio.
First Day of School
Aug. 25, 2010—School is now in session! Today marks the first day of classes for Vanderbilt student. Campus was quiet and pastoral all summer; it’s wonderful to have this infusion of energy in town. Throughout the summer I told visiting families to come back for a visit this fall. So sign up for visit programs now! They...
On the Road
Aug. 16, 2010—This week marks my first official recruitment trip of the Fall 2011 admissions cycle! Thom and I are Road Show buddies for the week and we will be visiting Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis. What exactly is the Road Show about? Essentially, it’s us bringing Vanderbilt to you. At these events we host an information...
Vanderbilt Merit Awards
Aug. 11, 2010—In the past year I stumbled across a news story which reported that many American high school students expected scholarships to cover part or most of their college costs. As a counselor, I find this mentality alarming! While some students will receive smaller denomination scholarships from individual institutions and/or community organizations, only a fraction of...