Travel planning & other mysteries of life

It's the start of the school year, which means in just a couple of weeks my colleagues and I will hit the road to bring Mudd to the masses at various high schools and college fairs across the country.  Even though this is my eighth (gulp) year working in college admissions, I find travel season daunting every single time.  It's not surprising, when you think about the logistics of planning, in my case, two days of college fairs, five blocks of interviews, and fifteen days of high school visits, for a grand total of twenty-four days on the road (which is actually light by HMC standards). 

Recently I was feeling incredibly productive and important when I managed to book about ten high school visits in a row.  I proudly recorded each confirmed appointment in my notes, highlighting the start time in bold Book Antiqua font.  And then deflated when I realized how many more schools I had to contact: fifty.  Eeesh.  So I'm taking it in stages, and trying not to panic that Oregon is so far a big blank space on my calendar.

So where am I off to this year?  Well, here are the regions that Assistant Director Smith will be gracing with her presence:

Logically, these territories probably don't make a lot of sense as a group, and maybe even less so when you learn that I decided to lump New Jersey and Michigan into the same excursion since, as you can see from the above map, they're so close and all.  But a variety is actually nice, especially since I'll ultimately read applications from these states.

And as for the individual schools that I'm visiting?  These are determined largely by data: travel notes from years past, the number of students on our mailing list from a particular high school, whether we've seen applications and/or matriculants from an institution.  Sometimes a counselor will contact me about a potential visit, or I'm lured by something intriguing, like a championship all-female Science Olympiad team (go St. Mary's!) or an up-and-coming IB program.  And, of course, we tend to cluster our visits in major metropolitan areas; even though we have some awesome Mudders from Ashland High School in Oregon, it simply doesn't make sense to drive five hours from Portland (each way!) to pay a call at a single school. 

Sometimes the decisions probably do seem a bit haphazard to an outsider.  For example, after visiting Minnesota for nearly a week four years straight, I'll be skipping the state entirely this year.  We simply haven't been yielding many students, so it's hard to justify the time and expense.  It helps, of course, that there is a team of talented and articulate alumni to conduct interviews and offer an HMC presence in the Twin Cities (thank you, 3M, for hiring our graduates).  And I'm replacing Minnesota with Michigan, because we've seen an increase in interest and applications from that state, and, you know, they both start with the same two letters, they're both located in the Midwest, and they both border Canada.  It makes perfect sense.  I'll miss the extraordinarily gracious and accommodating counselors at the Twin Cities high schools, though -- and my hotel Starbucks.  Please observe:

The proximity to Brit's Pub and other Minneapolis amenities didn't hurt either, but in my mind Minnesota will always be associated with pumpkin spice lattes.  Michigan, you've got a lot to live up to.

PS Not from Oregon, New Jersey, Michigan, the East Bay, or Orange County?  You can see a complete list of our staff travel territories here. 

Image credits: 1) USDA; 2) Googlemaps

Xanda's College Survival Tips

As you embark on the new school year -- whether it's your first year of college or your sophomore year of high school -- it seems like the perfect time to recap Xanda's complete list of school survival tips, including one of my personal favorites (and still mighty relevant to me, as a supposedly fully-functioning long-graduated adult):

14. Take the length of the paper you have to write, in pages. Multiply by the amount of time it takes you to write a page (in hours), on average, when you’re concentrating. Add 1 hour. Multiply by 2. That’s how long it’s going to take if you don’t CLOSE YOUR DAMN INTERNET WINDOWS. Your webcomics will be waiting for you when you’re done; but if you are the sort of person who can’t resist them, that’s how much time you should give yourself to write.

Read Xanda's complete list of 25 Life Lessons.  You won't regret it.

Scientific Progress Goes Thunk

There have been big happenings round these parts.  Thomas-Garrett is no more, and campus looks, well, decidedly different.  More on our newly partitioned and rerouted and darkened campus on another date, though, because I already have a dozen photos and even a video for your delectation.  I knew you'd want to see the destruction in action!  Here's a play by play of the month the walls came tumbling down:

Fencing installed, but otherwise TG looks just fine from a distance . . .

Up close you can see it's missing some key features like warts and window glass.

There are even still fliers and thumbtacks on the bulletin boards -- am I the only one who found this poignant?

The mayhem begins!

Tours continue despite demolition.  Katie is a champ.  If you look closely, you can see the construction guy is actually listening to Katie's closing Q&A.

Caution tape to keep out the rabble.

The water perplexed us at first, but we've since learned it's meant to tamp down the dust and prevent the equipment from overheating.

See the dust in the air?  This was a moment after the big boom of the central roof collapsing.

Half the building is missing . . .

Ah.  Here's where it went.

Dramatic, no?

More roof collapsing . . .

Just one isolated wing left.  TG looks so tiny now.

And broken.  It definitely looks broken.

See this flat expanse of nothing?  That used to be Thomas-Garrett.

And a bonus action video!  There is machinery!  It moves!

If you're still not satisfied with these images of doom & destruction, you can follow the construction's progress at the official Teaching-Learning Building webcam.  It's no panda cam, but there is a nice mountain view.

Meet Jamilla!

We're excited to welcome our new Admission Counselor, Jamilla Jamison!  Jamilla is a graduate of USC and most recently worked at an Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA.  Jamilla grew up in Diamond Bar (about 15 minutes from Claremont) so she's happy to be home in Southern California.  In addition to being photogenic, Jamilla is also a great match for our office thanks to her sense of humor and fondness for Thai food and all-you-can-eat sushi.  And she's even a baker!  Although we've been keeping her busy since her arrival with interviews (lots of interviews), HR orientations, and her very first solo information session (yay!), Jamilla was kind enough to answer all my nosy questions about her admission experience thus far.  

Why did you choose a career in college admission?
I started working in admissions as an intern while I was an undergraduate at USC. I found that I really enjoyed talking to students about my experiences in college and encouraging kids who had never dreamed that college was an option to at least consider it. I especially enjoy the cyclical aspect to the admissions office because generally when I start to become bored of traveling a lot in the fall, we transition to reading applications. As soon as I feel that my eyes can’t take reading another application, we transition to working with admitted students and soon enough it starts all over!

When you lived on the East Coast, what did you miss most about California?
I think most people would say the weather, but I actually missed the diversity of California. I enjoy trying different types of cuisines and it’s so easy to do that here (and relatively inexpensive) because we have such a diverse community.

How has it been working at HMC so far? Has there been anything about the college/admission office you didn’t expect?
It’s been fun so far. A bit overwhelming to have to learn all sorts of new terms and quirks that hopefully I’ll be able to correctly share with prospective families. I really feel a sense of school pride at Mudd that I don’t know that I really expected and/or that I’ve experienced at past institutions.

You’ve done a lot of interviews of prospective Mudders in the past couple of weeks. What do you think makes an interview successful?
Wow…this was a difficult one. I think the interviews I enjoy most is where I can just let the student talk about the things that interest them the most. It really shows the student’s passion for an activity or interest when I can just ask one question and the student’s eyes light up when talking about the subject.

Mudd just ranked #3 on a Princeton Review list of “least beautiful campuses.” Why do you think this is?
I don’t actually think it has anything to do with having ugly buildings or anything like that. I actually just think people generally picture college campuses as large, brick buildings with the ivy on them, so when they see something that’s a bit different, it can be somewhat surprising.

You’ve got a long list of travel territories – Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Sacramento, in addition to your local territories. Are any of these places you haven’t visited before? Where are you most excited to go?
I have actually never visited ANY of these territories before…..actually, that’s not true. I did go on a school trip to Sacramento when I was in 4th grade, but I don’t really count that because the only thing I can remember is stopping to eat at an Old Spaghetti Factory on our way home. I hate to say I’m more excited to visit one place over the other because I’m excited to meet students from all of these areas. However, I have heard that New Mexico is absolutely beautiful, so I’m excited to see for myself!

Any must-have travel items?
Definitely have to have the GPS…at all times!

Snacks/attire/music/etc you find conducive to file reading?
So, this is incredibly embarrassing, but I love to read applications at home on the couch in my pajamas with a cup of coffee or tea. It’s what I find to be the most comfortable and it makes the reading process more relaxing for me when I’m comfortable. I suppose my colleagues will soon learn that I have a Snuggie that I bought specifically for the long committee hours last year.

Favorite kind of birthday cake?
So, this is also a new admission to my colleagues, but I’m not actually a huge fan of desserts and cakes are especially too sweet for me. This is quite odd to most people because I LOVE to bake (in fact, I make a mean cheesecake), but I rarely eat the desserts that I bake.

Thanks Jamilla!

A long-overdue post with many photos

It's tough blogging without a camera battery, especially when you know there's a backlog of Discovery Days photographs just waiting for their internet debut.  Luckily, said battery charger has since been located under a pile of quilting scraps, British decorating magazines, and other Colleen-themed ephemera.  So now we can get back to the important business of Discovery Days! 

Katie already posted the glamorous microphone headsets she, Miranda, and Liana sported for Discovery Days (I wore one for my presentation with Kyle on research -- more on that in a minute -- but I'm pretty sure a ponytail is key to successfully rocking the look).  Here's what else you would have experienced if you were one of the 350 or so guests who attended our two Mudd Unveiled: Discovery Day programs. 

 The ever-cheerful Pat ready to greet our guests

The equally ebullient Katie distributing schedules
 

Katie -- who, by the way, is awesome -- hand-decorated each of the tour assignment cards

Falone, Jamilla, and Thyra standing at the ready (who is Jamilla, you ask?  Well, my friends, all shall be revealed next week)

A shady spot by the koi pond, perfect for relaxing
 

Thyra's opening greeting (can you see Peter's glasses at the far left?)
 

The scintillating powerpoint on research, featuring Kyle Chakos '13
 

In between sessions, Kyle gave me a quick explanation of Tropical Algebra and its applications to string theory.  Did I mention Mudd is an unusual place?

From our perspective, Discovery Days were a success -- we had attendees from across the country, we kept more or less to schedule, and nobody fainted from heatstroke.  And three of our five microphone headsets actually worked, which given the usual track record isn't a bad ratio. 

If you're drooling over the glory of Discovery Days, and wondering why you didn't cadge a free meal in the dining halls while you had the chance, let me reassure you on two points: 1) all prospective students get a free lunch pass to the dining hall, provided they visit when school is in session (family members have to pay); 2) there's another Discovery Day!  Come to campus on Columbus Day (October 10) and I can promise you many similar elements, with the added bonus of sitting in on Mudd classes.  Yes.  Life is fortunate.

PS Remember the back story behind the printed invitation?  If you attended the second Discovery Day, you might've even had the prankee in question (Lilian) as your tour guide!  Small campus, huh?

Does a wart harvest sound gross to you?

That was the phrase that caught my eye in the invitation to the Thomas-Garrett Commemoration Party.  Remember this photo I posted before my vacation?

Well, TG is still standing, albeit shrouded in plastic, surrounded by caution tape and neon orange cones, and stripped of anything even remotely reusable.  It's currently scheduled to go boom (or, more likely, kerplop) on August 1.  Although I don't know many folks who harbor nostalgic feelings for the building itself -- the only big regret is the Shakespeare performance space, although that was a major design consideration of the new building -- there is nonetheless a goodbye party scheduled on July 30, where, yes, you can harvest your own wart.  I kid you not.  To quote the invitation:

What about the warts?

This is perhaps the most-asked question with regard to the demolition of Thomas-Garrett. All the warts on the building will be harvested; many will be saved for use as replacement warts on other campus buildings. However, a limited quantity of 500 of these warts is available to our HMC community and friends.

Those who choose to make a gift to HMC on or before July 30, and who also attend the event above, will be able to remove their own wart from the building (hard hats, safety goggles and power tools will be provided). Those who do not attend the celebration event or who wish to make the gift after July 30 will receive their wart by mail.

Pick your own strawberries -- been there, done that (Emma, anyone?  Anyone?).  Pick your own wart?  With power tools?  Zowie!  Although, come to think of it, receiving a concrete block in the mail would also have its own level of awesomeness.  Does it come with a commemorative plaque?

The Colleen Smith Fund for the Acquisition of Warts is now accepting donations . . .

PS Mudd Loves You

Michael Edwards, campus life coordinator and ice cream peddler extraordinaire.

To appropriate the words of Ben Franklin, the ice cream bike is proof that Mudd loves you and wants you to be happy.  As heartwrenching as it is to see the coffee cart and the espresso machine closed for the summer, all resulting misery vanishes when I hear the jingling bell of the LAC ice cream bike.  For the miserly sum of twenty-five cents (basically, enough to break even) you can treat yourself to a popsicle or ice cream sandiwch -- or, for another twenty-five cents, really go to town with a fancy-dancy drumstick.   

 Notice anything unusual about Erin's attire?

 

Every Wednesday, through the end of July, the ice cream bike will be making its rounds through the academic and residential sides of campus.  And you'd better believe that I'll be ready with my quarter every single time.