‘Vanderbilt University Admissions’
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.
Early Decision Quiz
Aug. 23, 2010—I am frequently asked by students whether or not they should apply Early Decision. Below are some basic questions to ask before making that decision.
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...
Need-Based Financial Aid at Vanderbilt
Aug. 9, 2010—Talking about need-based financial aid is one of my least favorite tasks as an admissions counselor. My students and their families hear the sticker price and absorb little of the discussion that follows. But stay with me through this conversation. Those who tune me out are often those who would benefit the most from Vanderbilt’s...
Meet Mary Beth Hettinger
Aug. 6, 2010—This year we’ll be profiling each of our admissions counselors here in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Through these profiles you’ll see that we’re from all over the world, we specialize in different tasks, and we really love the city of Nashville! This week I’d like to introduce you to Mary Beth Hettinger… My hometown...
Connecting with Your VU Admissions Counselor
Aug. 4, 2010—I just finished a book titled “Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer” where the advice was average at best, but the humor was timely. Many of my students want me to have a face to put with their name, but in the quest to become real to me, a few students exhibit unreal behavior. Examples include...
What College Admissions Officers REALLY Want You to Know
Aug. 2, 2010—Standing in the reference aisle of Border’s yesterday I found myself both overwhelmed and amused with the plethora of admissions advice displayed on the shelves. One book, in particular, jumped out at me, the subtitle was “What College Admissions Officers Don’t Want You to Know”. As I flipped through the chapters I found absolutely nothing...
Summertime at OUA
Jun. 29, 2010—People I meet throughout life often believe my job is on a 10-month contract with summers off work. Contrary to belief, however, there is a great deal of behind-the-scenes work to be done in the summer months and I am here at OUA year-round. So what exactly do admission counselors do when they’re not traveling...
Music in Music City
Jun. 9, 2010—Summer came to Nashville quickly! It’s been in the 90s all week and despite the hot days and muggy nights, the city is flourishing with activity! This week and weekend is particularly exciting because Nashville will play host to two amazing music festivals: the CMA Festival and Bonaroo. The four day CMA Festival this year...
Waitlist Admit Offers Start Today
May. 5, 2010—For much of the day yesterday, my colleagues and I reviewed the status of our deposits and the good news is that we are right where we wanted to be at this point. As I've mentioned before, it was always our intention to go to our waitlist at some point and I can now tell you that we will start contacting students as early as this morning.