‘Vanderbilt Admissions’
Stupid Things Admissions People Say
Jan. 27, 2009—From time to time I'm asked to serve as a panelist for high schools hosting "junior nights." These are opportunities for students and their parents to come out and hear from college "experts." They're usually fun affairs for us, as we get to put down your employer's banner for a little bit, field questions and get a pulse for what's on people's minds. Not too long ago, I sat on one in Chicago and something happened there that has had me thinking for about a while now about the state of the whole admissions field and where our profession has gone wrong.
Admitted at ED?: advice for approaching the rest of your senior year
Jan. 16, 2009—All admitted students to Vanderbilt will be asked to submit a final transcript once it comes available and it never fails that we see a very small handful of students who packed up the intellectual circus a little early that last semester. At that point our office has a decision to make, and it is a no-one-size-fits-all determination. My general advice is succinct, if not completely predictable, don't risk it.
Of Prom Dates and "Demonstrated" Interest
Jan. 14, 2009—Don’t judge me but I love Family Guy. I’m not like overly zealous Simpsons-guy or anything like that, I mean I don’t own any of the DVD’s (although I do have all seasons of Entourage and Arrested Development). Peter Griffin has a short stint on the local news doing stand-in op-ed pieces called “What Really Grinds My Gears” which involved nonsensical rants about lindsay Lohan and Starwars. Demonstrated interest, in its current incantation in college admissons, is one of mine.
And Then There Were Files: ED I and Front Yard Football
Nov. 18, 2008—It was a moment a couple Sundays ago. On the couch, my 2.5 year old playing quietly on the floor in front of me, the Titans game on in front of him. Nothing too remarkable about the exact moment really when I realized this would be last weekend without file reading. The clicking of Matchbox...
The ED & Financial Aid Quandary
Oct. 16, 2008—We got a really good question about Early Decision & fin aid from Talha and I thought I would answer it here instead of replying over email. “Hey bloggers, I was wondering wheather (sic) applying early decision to Vander-awsome-bilt would affect at all the financial need of a student/family. I know that once you are accepted...
Expanded Aid program: make it plain
Oct. 7, 2008—Sometimes it’s hard to get your brain around financial aid. You may have seen this, but my friend Amy Wolf and the folks with the VUcast have really done a nice job with this video that puts this new aid program into simple terms. Go ‘Dores! 5-0 baby!
Get your nose out of a book?
Sep. 26, 2008—Not sure you if guys saw this week’s VUCast but it opens up a nice window into some of the cool things our professors are doing in classes at Vandy. The video chronicles an English class discussion on the history and culture of coal mining held at a professor’s house with music superstar Kathy Mattea in attendance. I find that...
Tenth Day Enrollment Update
Sep. 17, 2008— Recently, the annual “10th day” came and went here on Vanderbilt’s campus. Tenth day, uncreatively referring to the 10th day of the Fall semester when we line up all the students on alumni lawn and physically count them all. Well, not really, but we do take a final snapshot of the current state of...
The College Admissions Essay Part II: Beyond gimmicks and hooks
Sep. 12, 2008—We talked yesterday about the importance of voice in your college application essay. Today let’s discuss the second insight your college application gives our admission officers, specifically, how you put your thoughts together to convey a point. In college a buddy of mine introduced me to a friend of his at a party like this, “Hey...