‘vanderbilt’
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.
The Campus Tour
Aug. 18, 2010—If you attended one of our Road Show events this past week you know we highly encourage a campus visit to follow. There’s simply no replacement for standing in the middle of Alumni Lawn, hearing music resonate from the sky, and knowing this is where you want to spend the next chapter of your life. ...
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...
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...