Hello Everyone!
Thanks for reading the blogs! We've finally been able to unveil our new website (www.hmc.edu/admission) and have incorporated the blogs into that site.
We will still be blogging and keeping you all up to date about the goings-on of HMC just in a different location :)
You can access the new blogs here: http://newwww.hmc.edu/admission/connect/blog/ if you'd like to update your bookmarks..OR you can go to the main HMC Office of Admission website and click on the latest blog postings at the bottom!
Talk to you soon!
:)
Sep 20, 2012
Aug 20, 2012
New Digs....kinda
In early August, the Admissions staff had our final staff
retreat of the summer where we finalized assigning office duties and
travel/reading territories (among other things). As a special treat for the
conclusion of our retreat, Thyra arranged for our staff to get a special
hard-hat visit to our new digs.
For those who don’t know next summer Harvey Mudd College
will be unveiling its brand new Teaching and Learning Building. The 70,000
square-foot academic building will “provide flexible and technologically-advanced
classrooms, lecture halls, faculty offices and public spaces to support the
pedagogies and learning styles – for today and tomorrow.”
But what’s most exciting for my colleagues is that the TLB (I
don’t know if that’s what we’re supposed to call it, but I’m going with it)
will house our new digs!!!! The most exciting part for me, of course, is that the TLB will
house a brand new café which will make it much easier to get my morning coffee fix.
It was fun to walk through all of the different sections of
the building, and though there aren’t many walls up yet, it was much easier to
visualize the space that will be the Office of Admission by this time next
year. Raissa and I were able to “duke-it-out” over who will claim which office
space and at this point I think we’ve pretty much come to an agreement.
However, I suspect divvying up office space will be a subject revisited at
least once more before we make the big move across the courtyard :)
Special Thanks to Asst VP for Planning and Construction David Dower for our guided tour of the TLB! Aug 2, 2012
Heeeellllooo World!!!!
Well, as I’m sure many of you know, our beloved Colleen Smith has left Harvey Mudd College in pursuit of other opportunities and though we wish her well, we will also miss her greatly. She was one of our two resident office bakers (the other is Thyra), she provided comforting snacks and tea for long committee days, and of course she oversaw management of the admissions blog (among other things).
In case you were wondering, we did send Colleen off with a semi-bang. For her last day, Thyra baked a magnificently moist Carrot Cake complete with a decorative frosting pattern and I hope Thyra knows that for future celebrations we will all be expecting similar effort put into our cakes :)
I say we celebrated with “semi-bang” because Peter, Raissa, and Falone were all of out of the office for much-needed vacations on Tuesday and were unable to celebrate with us. Therefore, we have promised Colleen a BIG BANG celebration later in August!
As Colleen mentioned in her final blog, another change for our office this year is that we will soon be unveiling a new, exciting, completely overhauled Office of Admission website! As part of this new website, the entire admissions staff will take a much more active role in blogging so that you get to hear from and learn about all of us! In the meantime, I will be attempting to live up to Colleen’s blogging legacy by keeping you all updated on the happenings of the HMC Office of Admission.
For anyone who might not know me, my name is Jamilla and I’ve been working in the Office of Admission for just over a year now. I won’t go into all the boring details about myself, but if you’re interested in learning more about me, Colleen did a great intro blog all about yours truly last summer so feel free to check it out!
As the summer comes to a close, we are all wrapping up summer vacations and preparing to begin a new academic year. Next week, we’ll have our final Staff Retreat of the summer (as you’ll recall, Colleen posted about our previous Staff Retreat in June) during which we’ll finalize our plans for the coming year. Yes, we have so much to talk about we actually have two separate 2-day staff retreats…yikes! After that, we’ll all be planning and heading off on our Fall Travel and before you know it, applications will begin streaming in!
We’re all very excited for the new year coming up and particularly getting to know all of our blog followers a little better!
 |
| Colleen's Going Away Carrot Cake baked by Thyra |
I say we celebrated with “semi-bang” because Peter, Raissa, and Falone were all of out of the office for much-needed vacations on Tuesday and were unable to celebrate with us. Therefore, we have promised Colleen a BIG BANG celebration later in August!
 |
| Aileen, Gilma and Colleen on her last day! |
For anyone who might not know me, my name is Jamilla and I’ve been working in the Office of Admission for just over a year now. I won’t go into all the boring details about myself, but if you’re interested in learning more about me, Colleen did a great intro blog all about yours truly last summer so feel free to check it out!
As the summer comes to a close, we are all wrapping up summer vacations and preparing to begin a new academic year. Next week, we’ll have our final Staff Retreat of the summer (as you’ll recall, Colleen posted about our previous Staff Retreat in June) during which we’ll finalize our plans for the coming year. Yes, we have so much to talk about we actually have two separate 2-day staff retreats…yikes! After that, we’ll all be planning and heading off on our Fall Travel and before you know it, applications will begin streaming in!
We’re all very excited for the new year coming up and particularly getting to know all of our blog followers a little better!
Jul 31, 2012
Goodbye and Good Luck
Over the past two days I've conducted interviews, answered phone calls, even gave an information session. Business as usual. But behind the scenes, well -- business is not as usual. Today is my very last day at Harvey Mudd College.
I'm excited for the next chapter in my life, of course, but it's still heartrending leaving my Mudd family. It's been a good five years. Below are a few of my favorite memories.
Admission Edition will shortly be moved into the brand-spanking-new admission website (due to be rolled out sometime in August). My hope is that all the archived posts will move to the new location, so classics like the controversy over the age of our admission readers will be preserved for posterity. At that point the entire admission staff intends to blog, so you have much joy to anticipate.
For the past two years, this blog has been a wonderful way for me to connect with prospective students and families. I'll miss all of you. Carry on and do great things.
I'm excited for the next chapter in my life, of course, but it's still heartrending leaving my Mudd family. It's been a good five years. Below are a few of my favorite memories.
DDR with Jamilla. She's better. Good thing I rock at Skeeball.
This is what happens when you leave the admission staff alone for a late-night data entry party.
Peter enjoys the admitted student chats so much. And we enjoy Peter so much.
The tour guides!!!! Triple heart this group of Mudders.
All set up and ready to go for our biggest event of the year, the Admitted Students Program.
Thyra's birthday, celebrated oh so classily.
This year's senior interviewers. The Class of 2012 was "my" class -- the first I admitted at Mudd, and the only cohort I'll have seen through their entire four years at the school. Hence they were (and are!) very special to me.
Just a typical committee. Well, usually we have more food than this. Must have been a light day.
Risa and Katie staying cool this summer. Katie's last day was Friday -- now she's mentoring for Summer Institute. It is a noble purpose but we miss her already.
The Class of 2016 Admit Packets prepared for mailing!
Admission Edition will shortly be moved into the brand-spanking-new admission website (due to be rolled out sometime in August). My hope is that all the archived posts will move to the new location, so classics like the controversy over the age of our admission readers will be preserved for posterity. At that point the entire admission staff intends to blog, so you have much joy to anticipate.
For the past two years, this blog has been a wonderful way for me to connect with prospective students and families. I'll miss all of you. Carry on and do great things.
Jul 15, 2012
Interviews and other items
Summer at Mudd continues to truck along. The new building has a second story, the ice cream bike is making its rounds, and our visitors are being treated to that dire heat I mentioned in my last post. It's toasty. Good thing I have vacation coming up.
Before I head off to Moose Lake, Minnesota, I wanted to jump in with a few tidbits about interviews. With Mudd's increasing popularity, we've had more interviews than ever this summer -- which means that if you want an interview on a particular day at a specific time, you should plan to book an appointment early (especially for August, I'd urge three weeks in advance if possible). And please, be punctual!
I've written about interviews before, but there are a few things that bear repeating.
PS If you're coming on a Thursday, bring change for the ice cream bike!
Before I head off to Moose Lake, Minnesota, I wanted to jump in with a few tidbits about interviews. With Mudd's increasing popularity, we've had more interviews than ever this summer -- which means that if you want an interview on a particular day at a specific time, you should plan to book an appointment early (especially for August, I'd urge three weeks in advance if possible). And please, be punctual!
I've written about interviews before, but there are a few things that bear repeating.
- Dress comfortably. Unless wearing a suit feels like second nature, you'll be much happier (and much less fidgety) in everyday clothes.
- Don't feel compelled to bring a resume. Some students do, and that's fine, but don't be offended if it doesn't inform much of our conversation. I'm more interested in delving into the why than the what.
- Rest assured that we will see resume material later in the application process. Rather than trying to find a subtle way to work your awesome SAT scores into conversation, use these twenty minutes to talk about what we won't learn about you from statistics.
- Be prepared to discuss something that was difficult for you. I know you want to show yourself in the best possible light, and I promise you that I'll try to keep 95% of our conversation positive in tone. But since nobody glides through college without having a single challenging moment, I want to know how you react when things get tough.
- Spend some time reflecting on the kind of college you're seeking. You don't need to have your college list finalized, but if you're still considering forty or fifty schools, you may not be ready to interview just yet.
- Come prepared with a question or two. This will show me that you've done some research into Mudd and/or have considered what kind of college will make you happy (point #5).
- Relax (if you can). My goal is for you to leave the interview feeling like it was a friendly chat, not an interrogation.
- It's okay to be a normal human being. You don't have to spend all your free time saving the world and reading improving literature. Like to hang out with your friends and read Harry Potter? Guess what -- we do too!
PS If you're coming on a Thursday, bring change for the ice cream bike!
Jun 28, 2012
SoCal Summer
"What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance."
- Jane Austen
(courtesy weather.com)
It could be worse -- and no doubt will be soon. August in SoCal is not for the fainthearted. But we're coping well, as you can see.
Risa and Katie rigged up a sunshade for the check-in desk.
Louie got a summer clip (and a Cone of Shame).
And today, Dean Chris and Mike Edwards brought joy and delight to the entire campus, in the triumphant return of the ice cream bike.
This week we'll have about 450 visitors; next week we're expecting more than 300. Things are busy. And toasty. But everything is better with ice cream.
Jun 22, 2012
Be Our Guest
Okay, here's a quiz for all of you who didn't grow up in the golden age of Disney musicals: did you immediately hear the voices of Lumiere and Mrs. Potts the moment you read that title? No? Just me?
Anyway, I just wanted to alert you to the myriad summer programs here at Mudd; you may have already received several e-mail advertisements, but in case not, here's a list of the upcoming fun.
First up, this Sunday: a Claremont Colleges reception for SoCal students and their families. As of right now we have 1279 signups and will be using two overflow auditoriums. So if you haven't already registered, perhaps you wish to visit another day. Like, say, next week.
Next week, as you may already know, is Greater Los Angeles Science and Technology Week, which we've coordinated with Caltech for the third or fourth year in a row. While it's always been possible to visit Mudd and Caltech on the same day, this is the week we make sure it's foolproof.
Coming up in July, we have two dates for Mudd Unveiled: Discovery Days (notice the acronym?). I was disappointed that we redesigned the invitation this year, as the old one had particular nostalgia. And because I can't resist, here was the old interior:
And to give you a better sense of the delights that await you on campus, please observe:
Yup. A flying port-a-potty! While I can't guarantee you will get such a treat, it certainly enlivened our day. Small joys.
Anyway, I just wanted to alert you to the myriad summer programs here at Mudd; you may have already received several e-mail advertisements, but in case not, here's a list of the upcoming fun.
First up, this Sunday: a Claremont Colleges reception for SoCal students and their families. As of right now we have 1279 signups and will be using two overflow auditoriums. So if you haven't already registered, perhaps you wish to visit another day. Like, say, next week.
Next week, as you may already know, is Greater Los Angeles Science and Technology Week, which we've coordinated with Caltech for the third or fourth year in a row. While it's always been possible to visit Mudd and Caltech on the same day, this is the week we make sure it's foolproof.
Coming up in July, we have two dates for Mudd Unveiled: Discovery Days (notice the acronym?). I was disappointed that we redesigned the invitation this year, as the old one had particular nostalgia. And because I can't resist, here was the old interior:
There’s a scientific formula for everything else in the world; why not for your college search?Fiela Gutierrez '07 and I got such a kick out of writing that copy. Oh well. Point is, there are endless opportunities to visit Mudd this summer, and if you think it's hot out now, just wait till August. June is positively civilized.
Σ(α + β – γ + δ + ε + ξ) = Harvey Mudd College
α = top-notch majors in math, science, and engineering
β = classes in humanities, social sciences, and the arts
γ = pesky graduate students
δ = 81 professors/730 students --> enviable faculty-to-student ratio
ε = 4 neighboring undergraduate colleges
ξ = extensive research opportunities
Does this equation correlate with your idea of the perfect college? If so, we invite you to come join us to meet the faces behind the formula. During our On-Campus Day program you’ll have the opportunity to interact with students and professors, learn more about admission and financial aid, and hear about Mudd’s academic and extracurricular offerings.
And to give you a better sense of the delights that await you on campus, please observe:
Yup. A flying port-a-potty! While I can't guarantee you will get such a treat, it certainly enlivened our day. Small joys.
Jun 11, 2012
Retreat! Retreat!
Totally unrelated photo. I just happened to think this was cool. Can you spot the unicycle and the rhino?
In addition to the meta questions, there are also the Big Plans for next year. Some will come to fruition, some won't. The elaborate Communication Flow painstakingly crafted by Falone and Raissa? Amazing if we can pull it off. A second Fall FAST? Maybe we can find the funding this year, maybe it won't kick off until 2013. The entire staff blogging on a regular basis? I'll believe it when I see it. :-P
By far my favorite moment of Staff Retreat Part I was the Travel 2012 Draft. There haven't been significant changes to our travel and reading territories for five years, and so it was time for a complete all-cards-on-the-table overhaul. Wow. Intense. And fun! Most of us are keeping at least one or two former territories, but there were plenty of shakeups. There were also plenty of impromptu geography lessons as various valleys were explained to the non-Californians (San Gabriel, San Fernando . . .) and those who had not been to Texas learned that Dallas is closer to Oklahoma City than to Houston. It was also China's first time being an official draft pick geomarket, so go China! (And yes, China is bigger than Texas. I checked.)
Now we're back to our regularly scheduled admission lives, with plans for Staff Retreat Part II in the works (August, maybe?) and maybe even an Iron Chef Staff Social (#1 draft pick: Falone). Good thing we have some leftover retreat snacks to power us through the upcoming busy-ness of two big summer programs and a soon-to-be-packed roster of interviews. Dibs on the pita chips!
*A meeting room in the Pomona College alumni building and the Dean of Faculty's conference room at Mudd. Not really "exotic," but the Dean of Faculty conference room is pretty swank in a sixties mod sort of way.
Jun 1, 2012
Wesleyan University Drops Full Need-Blind Admission
Read the article from Inside Higher Ed here. What's surprising to me is how little public push back the school seems to be getting so far.
It certainly makes me appreciate how lucky I've been to spend my whole career in the rarefied world of need-blind admission. I take it for granted, but it's not the norm; a 2010 article I found cites only 46 need-blind schools (and many, including Mudd, are not need-blind for international students).
This ties in well to the current NPR series on the American Dream. Personally, my American Dream is for all qualified students to have the opportunity to go to an accredited, nonprofit college, and for our public education system to become a priority so that schools produce nothing but qualified students capable of tackling college coursework.
And if you think that all public schools are just fine and dandy -- well, you haven't read college applications for eight years. One of our incoming first-years hails from a California school where six percent go on to four-year college. SIX PERCENT, people. In one New Jersey suburb, that same figure is ninety-six percent.
Okay. Off the soapbox. Moving on to more neutral topics, here is a photo of a Western Fence Lizard (not the lizard in residence in Kingston, who is the Roadrunner of reptiles, and cannot be caught):
It certainly makes me appreciate how lucky I've been to spend my whole career in the rarefied world of need-blind admission. I take it for granted, but it's not the norm; a 2010 article I found cites only 46 need-blind schools (and many, including Mudd, are not need-blind for international students).
This ties in well to the current NPR series on the American Dream. Personally, my American Dream is for all qualified students to have the opportunity to go to an accredited, nonprofit college, and for our public education system to become a priority so that schools produce nothing but qualified students capable of tackling college coursework.
And if you think that all public schools are just fine and dandy -- well, you haven't read college applications for eight years. One of our incoming first-years hails from a California school where six percent go on to four-year college. SIX PERCENT, people. In one New Jersey suburb, that same figure is ninety-six percent.
Okay. Off the soapbox. Moving on to more neutral topics, here is a photo of a Western Fence Lizard (not the lizard in residence in Kingston, who is the Roadrunner of reptiles, and cannot be caught):
And another one of the construction:
It looks more and more like a real building every day. And even with one floor it already beats the square footage of Thomas-Garrett by a significant margin.
May 29, 2012
Tuesday in a Nutshell
Failed attempts to catch a lizard in our office: 3
Number of people involved: 5
Number of days Pat speculates the lizard has been in residence: 30
Odds that the lizard is currently hunkered behind the water cooler: excellent
Number of people involved: 5
Number of days Pat speculates the lizard has been in residence: 30
Odds that the lizard is currently hunkered behind the water cooler: excellent
Peter Osgood, Poet
Our Director of Admission just got back from his little jaunt to China. After giving about a gazillion successive presentations about Mudd, he found himself getting a tad bored (bored with the content of his presentations, at any rate -- he could have done with a little more boredom on the traffic/car accident front). So naturally he decided to rewrite his talk about Mudd in rhyming couplets. Awesomeness.
So today, we bring you the essentials of Mudd, distilled into poetic format by Mr. Peter Osgood.
Harvey Mudd College - what's that? I don't know!
A response you'll receive wherever you go.
But tell them you want a science PhD
And most will concur -- think of HMC.
Harvey Mudd is a college where science is fun
We work very hard, and then play in the sun.
STEM subjects are king, but not simply bounded
30% in humanities so you'll come out well rounded.
For those who like teamwork, we may be the best
With an Honor Code working, you have take home tests.
We meet and join clubs with our neighborhood schools,
Take classes together, swim in their pools.
Mudd is so small you'll know all your peers.
Your arrival on campus will draw many cheers.
Our teachers use Facebook -- for them it's a game
To memorize faces and call you by name.
Our term for community "n+1" really means
You grow as a person; your work's done in teams.
In labs and the workshops, you'll learn and get dirty
We're a great place for girls and boys who are nerdy.
Our research and projects, others try to mimic
But no one can quite do what we do in Clinic.
Big companies like Google pay money each term
Then four of our students team up for each firm.
The students solve problems, do original work
Then the firms make job offers -- it is quite a perq.
We apply then for patents, 8-10 is the yield.
You leave college having already practiced your field.
Grad schools will pay you to come to their school.
Employers will hunt you -- they'll think you're cool.
It's fun, and hard work -- you can't be a dud.
There's no place on earth quite like Harvey Mudd.
Innovators and leaders in science we raise;
Harvey Mudd College -- the name should be praised.
So today, we bring you the essentials of Mudd, distilled into poetic format by Mr. Peter Osgood.
Harvey Mudd College - what's that? I don't know!
A response you'll receive wherever you go.
But tell them you want a science PhD
And most will concur -- think of HMC.
Harvey Mudd is a college where science is fun
We work very hard, and then play in the sun.
STEM subjects are king, but not simply bounded
30% in humanities so you'll come out well rounded.
For those who like teamwork, we may be the best
With an Honor Code working, you have take home tests.
We meet and join clubs with our neighborhood schools,
Take classes together, swim in their pools.
Mudd is so small you'll know all your peers.
Your arrival on campus will draw many cheers.
Our teachers use Facebook -- for them it's a game
To memorize faces and call you by name.
Our term for community "n+1" really means
You grow as a person; your work's done in teams.
In labs and the workshops, you'll learn and get dirty
We're a great place for girls and boys who are nerdy.
Our research and projects, others try to mimic
But no one can quite do what we do in Clinic.
Big companies like Google pay money each term
Then four of our students team up for each firm.
The students solve problems, do original work
Then the firms make job offers -- it is quite a perq.
We apply then for patents, 8-10 is the yield.
You leave college having already practiced your field.
Grad schools will pay you to come to their school.
Employers will hunt you -- they'll think you're cool.
It's fun, and hard work -- you can't be a dud.
There's no place on earth quite like Harvey Mudd.
Innovators and leaders in science we raise;
Harvey Mudd College -- the name should be praised.
May 22, 2012
Progress!
The Teaching & Learning Building is coming along quite nicely. Today I parked behind two trucks delivering more plastic balls for the BubbleDeck. The other recent development is the height of the building; there is now clearly a first story looming over the top of the construction fence. It's finally starting to hit me just how big the Teaching & Learning Building is going to be. I mean, the first floor seems tall already, and there are still two more to go! It also creeps a lot further south than I was expecting, so campus will be less linear when the new building is complete. There used to be two parallel sidewalks running almost the entire length of campus, which was perhaps not the most interesting of landscaping, but it did make our minuscule campus feel quite spacious.
If you want to see the contrast, flash back to less than a year ago, when Thomas-Garrett was mid-demolition. Wow. This really is progress. (And heavens, doesn't Thomas-Garrett look tiny.)
Here's the Teaching & Learning Building today:
If you want to see the contrast, flash back to less than a year ago, when Thomas-Garrett was mid-demolition. Wow. This really is progress. (And heavens, doesn't Thomas-Garrett look tiny.)
Here's the Teaching & Learning Building today:
As always you can see updated construction photos here.
May 17, 2012
Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer
Summer may not officially start until June 20, but with the academic year complete and the thermometer pushing ninety, I think it's okay to ignore the almanac. The coffee cart and espresso machine are closed for the season (booooo), the workday now ends at 4:30 pm instead of 5 (yayyyy!), and "Summer Math" for rising sophomores is in full swing. Sounds like summer to me!
Other hints that it might be summer? Full-time student workers! Big hooray!
Other hints that it might be summer? Full-time student workers! Big hooray!
Our intrepid Katie and Risa. (Yes, we now have a Risa and a Raissa. It's confusing.) They have been extremely patient with "other duties as assigned" until tours get zanier.
We've also been able to hire a full-time Admission Intern! If you interview on campus this summer, there's a very good chance it will be with Brianna Blanchard '12.
But there's one little thing that this summer really needs to get started.
Please, Michael Edwards, revive the ice cream bike soon! Your eager fans await.
May 11, 2012
May 8, 2012
Trucking along
-For two glorious days, our entire staff has been in the office at the same time! This companionable interlude ends tomorrow when Peter jets off to China. The next occasion won't be until our staff retreat in early June. Sheesh.
-Today was admission committee for transfer students. We still have to get faculty approval for our selected candidates, but we should be on track to mail decisions on time, hurree hurrah.
-We have not taken any action on the alternate list yet. Please stay patient; we hope to give all students on the alternate list an update by the end of the week.
-Graduation is on Sunday. I may make an appearance this year, if there's enough seating. I'm still sad about missing David Rolfe's speech last year, but hopefully Bill Nye will provide some small compensation.
-If graduation is coming up, that means it's finals week! Campus is eerily quiet, but that might be because I'm long gone by Noisy Minutes, featuring these exciting events:
Yes, tonight's program includes puppies and pillow fights. Oh my goodness.
-Today was admission committee for transfer students. We still have to get faculty approval for our selected candidates, but we should be on track to mail decisions on time, hurree hurrah.
-We have not taken any action on the alternate list yet. Please stay patient; we hope to give all students on the alternate list an update by the end of the week.
-Graduation is on Sunday. I may make an appearance this year, if there's enough seating. I'm still sad about missing David Rolfe's speech last year, but hopefully Bill Nye will provide some small compensation.
-If graduation is coming up, that means it's finals week! Campus is eerily quiet, but that might be because I'm long gone by Noisy Minutes, featuring these exciting events:
Yes, tonight's program includes puppies and pillow fights. Oh my goodness.
May 3, 2012
What Juniors Need to Know
Okay, juniors. Senior year is nearly upon you, and it's time to get serious about the college process (if you're not in the midst of a full-fledged panic attack already). After spending ten days with juniors and their parents, here's what I want you to know:
1. Maximize your time at college fairs. They can be a great chance to connect with schools and get a better sense of what you want (and get on college mailing lists without that pesky process of hopping from website to website). Read this post for what to do and what to avoid at a college fair.
2. Take a college tour (even if it's not at your dream school). Until floo powder is more widely available, it's unlikely you'll be able to make an appearance at every college you're considering. But even if the object of your affection is a thousand miles away, it's possible that a similar type of school is nearby, so you can get a sense of how you'll react to a tiny college/huge university/women's college/rural location/etc.
3. Plan your senior schedule with great care. It matters even more than you realize. If you're aiming for a highly selective school, you should generally plan on taking at least five academic solids next year. Academic solids are narrowly defined as English, History/Social Science, Math, Science, and Foreign Language. Many selective colleges don't consider courses like journalism or intro computing to be academic solids. It's great if you're committed to an activity like band or student government, but try to make sure non-academic classes aren't eating all of your available class periods. As far as rigor, if you're aiming for a highly selective school, then you should be planning on advanced classes even in areas that aren't your field of greatest interest. Even if you intend to be a computer science major, take a rigorous course in English or History. Even if you plan to be a biology major, take Physics. And if you're applying to a school like Mudd, take the most advanced class your school offers in math.
Do note I'm writing about the senior schedule from the sole standpoint of "getting in." There's also an argument for making the choices that are right for you, and then finding a college that will support those decisions (for example, it might be fine to fill three class periods with musical ensembles if you're considering a conservatory). Just be aware of the potential trade off and shape your college list accordingly.
4. Communicate with your family. Don't make your parents stalk you on FaceBook to find out where you're applying to college. In most cases parents are making a substantial financial contribution to your college education. Treat them with patience and respect. Don't be embarrassed (like I was) when they ask questions in information sessions or during tours. Don't assume (like I did) that just because they attended college back in some distant age before personal computers, they don't have helpful advice. Remember, this is a big deal for them too.
5. Learn to cook at least one thing -- because dorms have kitchens, and there may come a time when you want to have something other than the dining hall for dinner. And if your friends are serving shrimp etouffee, you may not want to reciprocate with Spaghetti-O's.
1. Maximize your time at college fairs. They can be a great chance to connect with schools and get a better sense of what you want (and get on college mailing lists without that pesky process of hopping from website to website). Read this post for what to do and what to avoid at a college fair.
2. Take a college tour (even if it's not at your dream school). Until floo powder is more widely available, it's unlikely you'll be able to make an appearance at every college you're considering. But even if the object of your affection is a thousand miles away, it's possible that a similar type of school is nearby, so you can get a sense of how you'll react to a tiny college/huge university/women's college/rural location/etc.
3. Plan your senior schedule with great care. It matters even more than you realize. If you're aiming for a highly selective school, you should generally plan on taking at least five academic solids next year. Academic solids are narrowly defined as English, History/Social Science, Math, Science, and Foreign Language. Many selective colleges don't consider courses like journalism or intro computing to be academic solids. It's great if you're committed to an activity like band or student government, but try to make sure non-academic classes aren't eating all of your available class periods. As far as rigor, if you're aiming for a highly selective school, then you should be planning on advanced classes even in areas that aren't your field of greatest interest. Even if you intend to be a computer science major, take a rigorous course in English or History. Even if you plan to be a biology major, take Physics. And if you're applying to a school like Mudd, take the most advanced class your school offers in math.
Do note I'm writing about the senior schedule from the sole standpoint of "getting in." There's also an argument for making the choices that are right for you, and then finding a college that will support those decisions (for example, it might be fine to fill three class periods with musical ensembles if you're considering a conservatory). Just be aware of the potential trade off and shape your college list accordingly.
4. Communicate with your family. Don't make your parents stalk you on FaceBook to find out where you're applying to college. In most cases parents are making a substantial financial contribution to your college education. Treat them with patience and respect. Don't be embarrassed (like I was) when they ask questions in information sessions or during tours. Don't assume (like I did) that just because they attended college back in some distant age before personal computers, they don't have helpful advice. Remember, this is a big deal for them too.
5. Learn to cook at least one thing -- because dorms have kitchens, and there may come a time when you want to have something other than the dining hall for dinner. And if your friends are serving shrimp etouffee, you may not want to reciprocate with Spaghetti-O's.
Apr 27, 2012
What's Happening Now
- The "Final Questions" chat with the admitted students and current students Christian, Jennifer, Sagar, and Tasha. Fun times (and good pizza).
- Our entire professional staff has been scattered for programs across the country. I got back this morning from six days in the Bay Area, doing college fairs and case studies (sample applications) with juniors (juniors!) and their parents. I leave again on Sunday for more of the same in SoCal.
- Waiting and watching for the enrollment decision forms from admitted students. That was the first thing I did upon returning today - even before switching on my computer - was head straight for the mail. Four more days until the deadline! Eep!
- President Maria Klawe in the news! CNN and PBS in one week! (As if the NYT article wasn't cool enough.)
- This is alumni weekend. The annual Foster's Run for strawberry donuts (on unicycles) is taking place tomorrow morning.
- Someone went by my window earlier in a motorized children's wagon. At Mudd, nobody even asks why.
- Classes are winding down and Presentations and Projects Days are next week. If you want to see Mudders spiffed up and fabulous, these are the events for you.
- We just hired the next crop of senior interviewers - and a full-time summer interviewer too!
- This is also bad because it means this year's senior interviewers are graduating.
- A comprehensive and unbiased poll of four Mudders (see the list in point 1) has just concluded that Clinic is the coolest thing on campus.
- Women's Ultimate is going to nationals!
- Our entire professional staff has been scattered for programs across the country. I got back this morning from six days in the Bay Area, doing college fairs and case studies (sample applications) with juniors (juniors!) and their parents. I leave again on Sunday for more of the same in SoCal.
- Waiting and watching for the enrollment decision forms from admitted students. That was the first thing I did upon returning today - even before switching on my computer - was head straight for the mail. Four more days until the deadline! Eep!
- President Maria Klawe in the news! CNN and PBS in one week! (As if the NYT article wasn't cool enough.)
- This is alumni weekend. The annual Foster's Run for strawberry donuts (on unicycles) is taking place tomorrow morning.
- Someone went by my window earlier in a motorized children's wagon. At Mudd, nobody even asks why.
- Classes are winding down and Presentations and Projects Days are next week. If you want to see Mudders spiffed up and fabulous, these are the events for you.
- We just hired the next crop of senior interviewers - and a full-time summer interviewer too!
- This is also bad because it means this year's senior interviewers are graduating.
- A comprehensive and unbiased poll of four Mudders (see the list in point 1) has just concluded that Clinic is the coolest thing on campus.
- Women's Ultimate is going to nationals!
Apr 19, 2012
ASP in pictures (or not)
I'm dying to show you all the photos I took at the admitted student program this weekend. Here they are:
this one:
and this one:
and this one:
and lastly my favorite:
Nope, your computer isn't having any loading issues. You just saw the entirety of the photos I managed to snap of the Admitted Student Program. Well, except for this one, of my beloved tour guides, looking dapper as ever:
But seriously, that's it. Pathetic. I committed the classic rookie error of arriving at work before consuming any caffeine, which rather restricted my ability to operate a simple point-and-shoot camera and alphabetize nametags (Hayden has been sworn to secrecy on the latter incident. I'd like to keep my diploma in English lit). So I'll just have to tell you about the event. If I don't have pictures, then I guess I owe you a thousand words.
Saturday. PSP Event. After Falone convinced the finalists that they were about to embark on a Jeopardy-meets-Hunger-Games deathmatch, the selection interviews with faculty probably seemed pretty tame. As a staff we mostly tried to stay out of the way and let our current PSP scholars interact with the finalists; they're much better advertisements for the scholarship and the school than we could ever hope to be. Personally I'd enroll at Mudd tomorrow if I thought it would turn me into Sarah Ferraro. And finally we treated our guests to the finest cuisine available in Southern California . . . sushi, three-foot-long burritos, pear and gorgonzola pizza, and In-N-Out Burger. We're nothing if not fancy.
Sunday. Admitted Student Program, Day 1. Goal: get our guests so disgustingly sick of Galileo Hall that they are desperate to see construction on the new building accelerated, and are seized by a sudden desire to donate twenty million dollars to the college to facilitate this. Okay, that wasn't exactly the scheme, but there are definite downsides to holding a large program at an institution with a grand total of one capacious lecture hall. Fortunately our visitors were patient, and hopefully the students and faculty were lively enough to make up for the blandness of the physical space. Mathemagics would be mind-blowing in pretty much any location, I think. Here's a behind-the-scenes item of note: guess how many bag lunches were left over? One. And that was after Raissa increased the order a few days ahead of time. Whew.
Monday. Admitted Student Program, Day 2. Overall, more low-key than Sunday, but families are starting to ask tough and important questions as they evaluate whether Mudd is the right place for their students. Students sit in on classes and eat in the dining halls and try to imagine themselves in this setting for four years. Day 2 may be lower intensity, but it's no less emotional.
Tuesday. The guests have gone home, but our work isn't over. Tuesday is PSP Selection -- a three hour process. It's admission committee all over again, complete with strongly voiced opinions and agonizing choices.
And now it's a waiting game. The power is in your hands, admitted students. We made you sit (im)patiently for four months; now it's your turn to make us run to intercept the daily mail (Judy and Aileen have been known to chase off overeager staff with letter openers) and lose sleep contemplating all that could go wrong with yield. We've put our most positive-yet-honest foot forward; now it's your turn to decide whether this is what you want for the next four years. Whatever you decide, we wish you the best. (But really, you should pick Mudd.)
this one:
and this one:
and this one:
and lastly my favorite:
Nope, your computer isn't having any loading issues. You just saw the entirety of the photos I managed to snap of the Admitted Student Program. Well, except for this one, of my beloved tour guides, looking dapper as ever:
But seriously, that's it. Pathetic. I committed the classic rookie error of arriving at work before consuming any caffeine, which rather restricted my ability to operate a simple point-and-shoot camera and alphabetize nametags (Hayden has been sworn to secrecy on the latter incident. I'd like to keep my diploma in English lit). So I'll just have to tell you about the event. If I don't have pictures, then I guess I owe you a thousand words.
Saturday. PSP Event. After Falone convinced the finalists that they were about to embark on a Jeopardy-meets-Hunger-Games deathmatch, the selection interviews with faculty probably seemed pretty tame. As a staff we mostly tried to stay out of the way and let our current PSP scholars interact with the finalists; they're much better advertisements for the scholarship and the school than we could ever hope to be. Personally I'd enroll at Mudd tomorrow if I thought it would turn me into Sarah Ferraro. And finally we treated our guests to the finest cuisine available in Southern California . . . sushi, three-foot-long burritos, pear and gorgonzola pizza, and In-N-Out Burger. We're nothing if not fancy.
Sunday. Admitted Student Program, Day 1. Goal: get our guests so disgustingly sick of Galileo Hall that they are desperate to see construction on the new building accelerated, and are seized by a sudden desire to donate twenty million dollars to the college to facilitate this. Okay, that wasn't exactly the scheme, but there are definite downsides to holding a large program at an institution with a grand total of one capacious lecture hall. Fortunately our visitors were patient, and hopefully the students and faculty were lively enough to make up for the blandness of the physical space. Mathemagics would be mind-blowing in pretty much any location, I think. Here's a behind-the-scenes item of note: guess how many bag lunches were left over? One. And that was after Raissa increased the order a few days ahead of time. Whew.
Monday. Admitted Student Program, Day 2. Overall, more low-key than Sunday, but families are starting to ask tough and important questions as they evaluate whether Mudd is the right place for their students. Students sit in on classes and eat in the dining halls and try to imagine themselves in this setting for four years. Day 2 may be lower intensity, but it's no less emotional.
Tuesday. The guests have gone home, but our work isn't over. Tuesday is PSP Selection -- a three hour process. It's admission committee all over again, complete with strongly voiced opinions and agonizing choices.
And now it's a waiting game. The power is in your hands, admitted students. We made you sit (im)patiently for four months; now it's your turn to make us run to intercept the daily mail (Judy and Aileen have been known to chase off overeager staff with letter openers) and lose sleep contemplating all that could go wrong with yield. We've put our most positive-yet-honest foot forward; now it's your turn to decide whether this is what you want for the next four years. Whatever you decide, we wish you the best. (But really, you should pick Mudd.)
Apr 13, 2012
Admitted Students Program!
If you got this
then you might be coming to this
And it might be extremely awesome.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
(ASP photos from last year's event)
Apr 10, 2012
What admission counselors do in April
1. Check the RSVPs for our Admitted Student Program several times daily -- or, in my case, several times hourly. I always have a short list of favorite admits I'm hoping will choose Mudd, and ASP tends to be the first clue as to whether the students in question are considering HMC as a serious option. So far this year it looks like I'm 50/50 for disappointment and elation. Must try to keep enthusiasm in check at ASP. I don't want to scare the prefrosh.
2. Gear up for ASP. All of us are involved in some way, but Raissa takes on the lion's share of the work. I invited her to guest post the long, long list of things she does to prepare for the arrival of the prospective students, but she didn't think that sounded like a fun motivational tool. So I'll just mention that she's been working overtime every night since we mailed decisions (as opposed to the rest of us who are sometimes able to clock out at the decadent hour of five). Thank you, Raissa.
3. Prepare for spring travel. Apparently there are juniors planning to apply to college next year. Shocking but true. Every single person on our staff will be traveling at the end of April, doing programs and college fairs in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles . . . truthfully, just thinking about having to travel again makes me feel a bit ill. It's not taxing work -- in my case, the college fairs and case studies are just a few hours each night -- but still. Travel. Ten days. Ugh.
4. Meet with admitted students (and some students on the alternate list too). This I like. I'm not ready for the juniors quite yet -- my head is far too full of the Class of 2016 -- but I enjoy following up with the seniors. Last week we hosted an online chat for the admitted students, and there's another one tonight. If you follow the HMC After 5 Twitter account then you'll already have seen Lowell's photo, but here are a few I snapped of the event.
5. Stress over yield. This is mostly Thyra's domain. Personally, I'm greedy; I want every student for whom I fought so hard to enroll at Mudd and have four happy successful years here. Fortunately or unfortunately, this does not happen. (See point #1.) Students applying to Mudd have amazing options; we tend to overlap with Olin, Ivies, UCs, and a couple of tech schools in Pasadena and Cambridge that shall remain nameless. So for every student who chooses Mudd, there's another who decides a competitor school is a better fit. Someone asked what would happen if every student we admitted decided to enroll. This simply doesn't occur at any college or university. There is literally no mainstream institution with 100% yield (the highest is Harvard at 75.5%). When Thyra has nightmares about over enrollment, her worst fantasy is ending up at some exorbitant number like 210 (a whopping fifteen over our target). At a school as small as Mudd, that would be a huge headache, and the faculty would not be pleased -- but, like the current junior class which came in at 207, we could ultimately handle it. Without resorting to the Rodeway Inn.
2. Gear up for ASP. All of us are involved in some way, but Raissa takes on the lion's share of the work. I invited her to guest post the long, long list of things she does to prepare for the arrival of the prospective students, but she didn't think that sounded like a fun motivational tool. So I'll just mention that she's been working overtime every night since we mailed decisions (as opposed to the rest of us who are sometimes able to clock out at the decadent hour of five). Thank you, Raissa.
3. Prepare for spring travel. Apparently there are juniors planning to apply to college next year. Shocking but true. Every single person on our staff will be traveling at the end of April, doing programs and college fairs in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles . . . truthfully, just thinking about having to travel again makes me feel a bit ill. It's not taxing work -- in my case, the college fairs and case studies are just a few hours each night -- but still. Travel. Ten days. Ugh.
4. Meet with admitted students (and some students on the alternate list too). This I like. I'm not ready for the juniors quite yet -- my head is far too full of the Class of 2016 -- but I enjoy following up with the seniors. Last week we hosted an online chat for the admitted students, and there's another one tonight. If you follow the HMC After 5 Twitter account then you'll already have seen Lowell's photo, but here are a few I snapped of the event.
Lowell and Roxie, senior interviewers
Tito, first-year class president and PSP scholar
Lowell again with Katie, tour guide extraordinaire
Okay. Back to ASP prep. Any ideas for ways to artistically serve delivery pizza?
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