Essays, Essays Everywhere!

I’m on an application reading high!  After my eyes FINALLY adjusted after the eye dr. appointment yesterday (bad news bears, kids–I couldn’t read apps, I could even read my computer screen.  Totally blurry), I delved into apps for the good part of the afternoon, and I just wrapped up reading some incredible ones today.  Here are some of the highlights!

• An essay that shared how life and baking chocolate chip cookies can be related.  ”When the doughing gets tough, the tough get doughing!”
• A future English Teacher who also builds robots and lead her high school robotics team to victory for the first time in its 15 year history.
• A fab essay about getting lost in a foreign country and the power of language
• Fargo–the horse that helped JT become the woman she is today
• A student who chopped down her own Charlie Brown Christmas tree to inspire a family Christmas this year
• And a student from “far” up north who has involved herself so much in her community–I’m not sure she even realizes how much her presence will be missed next fall

Awesome, awesome girls over the past 24 hours!  And they will be WELCOMED members of our Class of 2014.

PS You too can have your totally awesome app read by me too if you get it in by the February 1st deadline!

In the Know

I’m the last to know everything.  Whether it’s news, or a juicy tid-bit, or family info, life’s information pipeline trickles a little more slowly in my direction.

Which is why I’m terribly excited to share that to help YOU stay in the know, my colleague has started a monthly newsletter, The Monthly Vixen, to help inform you all of important dates, information, and fun facts about us and the college.  It will be hitting post office boxes and inboxes of seniors soon, but wanted to make sure that you all got a first sneak peek.

Happy Friday!

Do I qualify?

With the New Year also comes the frantic rush to get the FAFSA filled out.  What is the FAFSA, you might ask?  It’s the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  You can access it from the link above, and the FAFSA essentially  figures out a family’s demonstrated need and how much they contribute to their student’s college education.  After the Department of Education processes the form and comes up with a family’s EFC (estimated family contribution), they send those numbers to the colleges a student has indicated she’ll be applying to.

Many times, though, families think they won’t qualify for what is then called “Need Based Aid” because of a myriad of reasons, such as the following:

1. I make too much money to qualify
2. I just won the lottery
3. We have a good amount invested in…(land, Hershey Kisses, stocks, cars, etc) which means we have too much money in assets
4. Gramma got run over by a reindeer and the insurance money just kicked in–don’t you like our new cabana?
5. I don’t want everyone knowing my family’s financial business, thankyouverymuch, so we’ve decided not to file.

I just wanted to take this moment to clarify a few points, and then share some super exciting news on our financial aid end of things.  First of all, everyone,  no matter what your financial situation, should fill out the FAFSA.  You never know what you might qualify for until you fill it out.  Also, in the case that your situation changes, we have everything right on file to make that change QUICKLY.  Also, whether it’s your test scores, your personal story that you decided to share in your essay, or your financial information, we and our financial aid office are held to a strict code of ethics that includes confidentiality.  Your financial business is strictly used for creating that aid packet, and is kept very confidential.

“But seriously, we are not going to qualify for any money, GAL!”

Be that as it may, we’re super excited to offer a new scholarship for all of our families who fill out the FAFSA.  Regardless of if you qualify for need based aid or not, you will automatically be awarded our new FAFSA Grant just for filling out the FAFSA.  That’s right folks, if you just won the lottery and still fill out the FAFSA, we’ll give you $1,000.  If you are going to qualify for need based and fill out the FAFSA, you’ll still get $1.000.  AND the FAFSA grant is renewable all four years as long as you fill out the FAFSA every year.

Sweet Deal if you ask me

As we chug along with this semester, questions about financial aid are bound to pop up.  When you tackle these issues with your family, just let me know–I’m going to be more than happy to help when I can, and direct you to Bobbi and Wanda when I can’t

Sweet Briar Day, O Sweet Briar Day!

Sweet Briar Day is a tradition that was first instituted by the Alumnae Association in 1922. This day, which is unique among colleges, is set aside each year for extended members of the Sweet Briar family to gather and become acquainted, renew old friendships, and hear the latest news from campus. The occasions can be casual or formal, and the events vary from morning coffees and luncheons, to teas, wine tastings, and cocktail receptions, and can sometimes feature a staff or faculty representative from the College.

Sweet Briar Days are upon us, folks! Whether you live near or far, north or south, east or west, SB Days are an incredible way to reconnect, network, and meet alumnae, current students, and other prospective students.  Next best thing to getting on campus, I think, is to have a face-to-face with our alumnae and students.  They’re amazing women, and have such incredible stories to tell about where they’ve been, where they’re going, and how Sweet Briar has been with them every step of the way.

I’m sadly not going to be joining my fellow Sweet Briar Sisters at the events in my territories (New England, New York, and New Jersey), but I do hope that if you can make it to one, you’ll do it!  It will change your entire perspective, I promise!  Check out this link to see if there’s an event near you.

Swing of things

I spent the last two weeks flying up and down the coast, baking more than one probably should in a two week time span, cleaning and managing dog hair, and we capped of my two weeks sans SBC celebrating JGL’s Nanny’s 90th Birthday in WV.  It was a whirlwind, but a much needed time to recharge my batteries and reconnect with my beautiful family.

And today’s the first day back in the office, behind my desk and ready to delve into some work.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I did miss you over break, but coming back to the office, especially when our students are still home, takes a day or two to get back into it.  When I’m home I’m constantly up and moving around, and the transition to back behind a desk is always a challenge.

BUT (and there is a big but here) there are lots of things to get excited about for this month, and lots of things I need to plan and prepare for.

• Application Deadline! Traditional first year applications are due by February 1st.  If you’re a senior and either haven’t submitted your application yet or still need to send us more credentials, you still have time (a whole month, even!).  But do take heed–February 1 will be here before we all know it–don’t procrastinate!
• Visits–come see campus for yourself, and there is no time like the present!  We will start to see a huge influx of visitors in the coming months, and I really and truly hope that you’re one of them.  Whether it’s for one of our Open Houses, or for an individual visit, we want to see you and show you what it’s like to be a SBC student for a day.
• Winter break ends soon, and our students will be back (woohoo!).  We as a college are excited to welcome them back with open arms, and there is lots in store this semester to keep you all busy and engaged.  I’m also super excited to welcome back our campus bloggers and see what incredible tales they will have to tell this semester.

Until next time, Dear Friends, Happy Monday!

*Quick Addition!*

I’m working on getting our calendar of events on a Google Calendar so you all can see what is going on around campus.  I’m having slight technological deficiencies in posting it around, but I hope you’re able to check it out here! Feedback, as always, is welcome

Music to my ears

There is no better sound to an admissions counselor than when you go to hang up the phone after you’ve told  a student she’s accepted, and you hear this “YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE–*click*!” as the student runs off to tell her family.

Pure music to my ears!

They’ve got…Personality!

Our students rock.  Plain and simple, they rock the den–the Vixen Den  Whether it’s crafting and unbelievable application essay, or coming to the call of duty to help serve our community, our girls are at the call, ready to spring to action, both on our campus and even before you get here.  How lucky are we that we get to work with you all?!

Application reading, as I’ve shared earlier, has been awesome thus far.  Future Class of 2014, you are putting that bar high for yourselves, and I for one LOVE IT!  What I’ve gathered about  you so far (and feel free to let me know if my assumptions are correct!) is as follows:

1. You’re high achieving.  You want to do your best, and you’re willing to put the extra mile(s) in to be your best
2. As such, you’re looking for the best.  The best fit that is–more of you are concerned with finding that right “fit” with your college, and I see that as a wonderful thing to look for!
3. Along with fit, you’re very community minded–from community service, to finding the community that you feel at “home” at, to making a meaningful impact in the community in which you live, this is so important to you.
4. Part of why community is so important is because that’s where you, your family and your friends call home.  Family and friends, being loyal and faithful to them, and making those significant bonds are important to you.  ”Place where I feel like I’m home” has been a common theme on what you’re looking for.
5. You are DOERS.  My gosh, you girls are into EVERYTHING.  I have figure skaters, missionaries, writers, musicians, kids who I have no doubt will find the cure for cancer, girls who will design the next great invention, and and young women who will educate our future children.   You are all over the map in what you do, but no matter what you’re doing, you love to do it.
6. You’re excited about your future, and so are we

As we move forward, I’ll try to keep adding to this list.  Every class that comes into SB has a feel and personality of their own, and I love that we can already start to see it even in November.

 

 

“If I stole your iPod and hit play…”

“…what would be the first three songs I heard?”

This is one of my interview questions that I will ask you if you come to campus for a conversation. I’m just throwing that out there  But in light of my other posts, I realized today I hadn’t really answered that question for myself, so here is my best attempt at that.

1. “Everything,” Michael Buble
2. “Signal Fire,” Snow Patrol
3. “In my Life,” Beatles

I’m obsessed with MB–I saw him for the first time in Roanoke, and I truly believe his concert changed my life.  Didn’t hurt that I had second row seats with my good friend and colleague SD.  She and I have made an informal/nonverbal pact that if he’s within an hour from us, we’re going to find a way to  go see him, and we’re going to get as close to the front as possible.  I know that she feels the same way about this because when we heard he was releasing his new album there was a chorus of instantaneous  ”BUBLE!!” on the first floor of our office.

Music is a big deal in my house, and when JGL proposed he sent me to work with the lyrics to “Signal Fire” in my Valentines Day card.  Later that evening he made a beautiful mixed CD, with this song on it, and took me dancing in our living room.  He actually proposed during a Nick Drake song, but this is the one that stands out in my mind when I think about that day.

My father loves the Beatles.  One of the first albums I can recall is Seargeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, and I would play it over and over again on Dad’s record player (once I passed his “your old enough not to mess my records up test.”).  One Christmas he gave me their album, Rubber Soul, and I instantly fell in love with the very trite but fabulous “In My Life.”  When I’m having a bad day, I whip that one out.

What does all this have to do with how or why you’ll get into SB?  Honestly?  It doesn’t–I just think it’s a fun question, and one that makes you think.  Plus it bodes well for wonderful talking points later on down the road.  Music, regardless of what you like, who you like, and if you can create it, really spans generations and helps keep us connected.

As Alex G. would say, “GAL, you’re getting old!”.  I know, I know, I am–but I can still relate when it comes to what you’re listening to