The holidays are here...

As freezing temperatures approach us, I can’t help and get excited about the upcoming holidays and a new year! I yet continue to be hopeful for a little more snow. Just to inform you all, our office will be closed:

December 24-29th
&
January 1 and 2

We definitely realize that during this time, a lot questions may arise. Especially since our last deadline is coming up February 1, 2008. If during the time our office is closed you have any general questions, do not hesitate to “Ask Swoop,” who is our virtual advisor. You can type in a question, and he will assist in finding it online. He can be found on our admission website at:

http://www.miami.muohio.edu/admission/index.cfm

Or, if you are a first-year applicant inquiring about the status of your application, please use our application status check website at:

www.muohio.edu/appcheck

Early Action applicants who have received notice regarding their incomplete application may submit missing items through the postmark deadline of January 7. Instructions for completing your application can be found at:

www.muohio.edu/admission/apply/firstyear

Hopefully some of these links are able to assist you during the holidays. Have a safe and fantastic holiday season and we will definitely catch up in 2009!

Greek Life

Hi there!

It’s getting a little quieter each day on campus this week as our students are wrapping up the first semester of the year. It’s finals week, and as some students finish their last minute studying, others are already enjoying Winter Break! Some coffeehouses in town are even open 24 hours to help students stay caffeinated while they study!

After Winter Break, many first year women who are interested in joining a sorority will return a little earlier than others to begin Formal Recruitment. Have you thought about going Greek? It’s a great way to get to know different people around the university, get involved in the community, take part in philanthropic events, attend socials, and create lifelong friendships. Many Greeks enjoy some fun competition during Greek Week in the fall.

Many students find a place in the Greek system at Miami, while others get involved in one of the 300 student organizations on campus. No matter what you are interested in, I encourage you to get involved!

To learn more about Greek Life, visit http://www.units.muohio.edu/saf/GRA/

Counselor's Past Jobs

Hello All!!

For the last few months, and in some cases years, we have been getting to know some of you pretty well. For those who applied for Early Action, we are in the middle of reviewing your applications. This means we are getting to know you even more. However, I thought maybe some of you would like more information about some of us. Therefore, this blog posting is about a few of the counselors and the past jobs we once held. Enjoy!

Liz Baxter…
During one summer in high school she had a temporary job doing data entry at Rumpke Waste Management Truck Maintenance office. She was told in advance to wear shoes that she didn’t need to keep after the job was over. On her first day, she walked into the relatively nice office building (located in the landfill), presuming this is where she would work. Instead , she was told to go to another building out back, right next to where all the garbage trucks were parked. She couldn’t even begin to describe the smell…

Jen Herman…
She did field plot testing research for the development of herbicides…tyvek suit and everything.

Chandra Joos deKoven…
One of her work study jobs was as an event staff for the hockey games and she used to sit next to Howard Dean (he was Governor of VT at the time)!

Derek Dubose…
Disney Performer, Giant Eagle Cashier, Bag boy at Fishers Foods, Paper Boy, Tour Guide.

Jonika Moore Diggs…
Radio DJ/Board Operator – WMUB Radio
One time she was working the 12am-6am shift. Unfortunately, everyone had to work one per week. She never really thought people listened to radio that late/early. However, she was wrong because when she fell asleep during her shift she was jolted awake by the phone ringing. When she answered, a gentleman asked if she was ok because there was dead air. She informed him she was ok, thanked him for calling and showing support. She quickly hung up and announced the weather for the hour. Needless to say she NEVER fell asleep again while at work!

Ann Bader…
She was a College instructor at Columbia College (in Missouri) and at Miami’s regional campuses teaching European and American History. She also taught 4 summers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.

Chrissy Ormond…
While on summers home from college she ran a tennis camp for disadvantage youth in Aurora,IL. She hired 10 coaches and there were 150 kids that came each day!

Diana Burbante…
Her first job in high school was a party hostess at Check E. Cheese’s back in her hometown of Brownsville, TX. A part of this job meant she had to occasionally put on the Chuck E. Cheese costume! The funny thing about being in a costume is that people cannot see facial expressions but for whatever reason she kept catching herself smiling whenever she posed for pictures. After this experience, she went on to college where she worked in the Office of Admission as a campus tour guide for two years and a student tour guide coordinator for two more. You would think that ideally, this current career would have made sense, but she wanted to travel and see the world upon graduating with her undergraduate degree. So, when she was approached by a flight attendant recruiter to apply for a flight attendant position, she did just that. She flew domestically for two months (She got to visit almost every state!) and moved onto international flights for the rest of her tenure. She had the opportunity to visit Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland while living in New York City.

Brian Jicinsky…
My first “real” job was doing construction for my father’s construction company. Few highlights…falling two stories headfirst into a dumpster containing boards with nails sticking out and using the airnailer and punching my finger as a nail went though the board. After seven summers of building and remodeling houses, I started working with middle and high school students as a camp counselor. This was also during the time I was an undergraduate student. During the school year I was a tour guide, student ambassador, and employed by the Student Life Office planning programs. These are just a few of many past jobs!

Hope this helps you get to know us a little bit better. Happy Holidays!

The day is almost here!

Hello!

I’ve been hearing from some of our Early Decision applicants about how anxious they are to
get their admission decisions - it's almost time to stop biting your nails!

Well, we’ve almost wrapped up our early decision review of next fall’sapplications, and admission decision letters are scheduled to be mailedout tomorrow (Friday - 12/12)!

One quick note about your decision: if you’re an Early Decision applicant,and you don’t get your letter before the 15th, you can also get the decision on the application check website after 5:00 p.m. EST on 12/15.

Good luck, everybody!

Was I admitted?

The reason why I really enjoy birthdays and holidays is the surprise to see what’s inside the present box! I always get super anxious for this upcoming holiday, not only do I enjoy shopping for presents, but receiving them is just as enjoyable. This feeling was a bit similar to receiving the letter in the mail about my first choice for a University. For students who decided to apply for early decision, you don’t have to wait until the letter hits your mailbox this year!

So, what other way are you able to receive this, you ask? Well, remember the log in and password that was provided to you to check the status of your application? This will be the same one that you will need to check on whether or not you were admitted to Miami. Your decisions will be available at 5:00 p.m. EST Monday, December 15th! You should be receiving an e-mail today if you are a completed early decision applicant to let you know about this exciting information.

If you don’t receive this e-mail by Tuesday, please check your spam box (which is a very common place for our e-mails to be). If after checking your spam box, this information hasn't gotten to you, please do not hesitate to contact your admission counselor whose information you can find at:

www.muohio.edu/askacounselor.

I hope this information helps ease a bit of your worries about your letter not getting to you on time or getting lost in the mail. So, less worrying and more shopping time or time to do whatever you enjoy!

Go Global!

Dumela! (Hello!)

Anyone interested in service? Miami has tons of ways to get involved in the community—whether you tutor kids after school, build homes with Habitat for Humanity, walk and groom dogs at the Humane Society, or prepare and serve meals at the Cincinnati Drop Inn center, you are bound to make an impact on someone else’s life. To learn more about getting involved with Community Service opportunities, visit http://www.units.muohio.edu/saf/service/.

Miami students can’t seem to sit still! They actively seek out these types of service opportunities, and continue to do so even after they graduate. When I was a Miami student, I tutored children after school and also volunteered at a Senior Citizen’s center. Once I graduated, I knew I wanted to continue to love on other people. I recently returned from a trip to South Africa, where I joined 200 others to serve the town of Mamelodi by building homes, planting vegetable gardens, playing with kids, and visiting with AIDS patients. We also had the opportunity to learn more about Apartheid and even go on a safari!

Miami wants to prepare you to be a global citizen. You may choose to study abroad in China, Luxembourg, Italy or Australia, or even volunteer with Alternative Spring Break to El Salvador, Mexico or the Dominican Republic. My Miami education helped prepare me for my African experience and gave me tools and confidence to go global. I hope you will too!

Meredith

Cyber Monday & Honors Program

Happy Cyber Monday! “The term Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season in the United States between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. [1] Whereas Black Friday is associated with traditional brick-and-mortar stores, "Cyber Monday" symbolizes a busy day for online retailers. The premise was that consumers would return to their offices after the Black Friday weekend, making purchases online that they were not able to make in stores. Although that idea has not survived the test of time, Cyber Monday has evolved into a significant marketing event, sponsored by the National Retail Federation's Shop.org division, in which online retailers offer low prices and promotions.” –Wikipedia

In between your online search for the latest gadgets at the lowest prices, you may want to navigate to our honors webpage: http://www.honors.muohio.edu/ Why you may be asking? Well because it is a gift that you can’t put a price on. Some perks associated with the program include: Individualized Plan of Study, Personal Advising, Honors Seminars, Community Service and Leadership Opportunities, Priority Class Registration, Honors Residence Halls, Creative and Leadership Projects, and One Summer of Tuition-FREE Classes. Not to mention a great resume builder that any employer or graduate school would love to see.

Does any of the above interest you? If so, you are probably asking how do I become an honor student? It is as easy is 1-2-3.

1. Complete the Miami University Application:
http://www.miami.muohio.edu/admission/apply/
Your application to Miami University needs to be complete before the honors program will review your honors application. These are two separate applications! The link above will take you to our Admission website where you will learn about the requirements for our application and what we need to be submitted before your application is complete.

2. Submit the online Honors Application:
http://casnov1.cas.muohio.edu/honors/honors/admission.html

3. Submit the Honors Recommendation Form with letter of recommendation:
http://casnov1.cas.muohio.edu/honors/honors/HonorsApplicationRecommendationForm09.pdf
Make sure it is sent to Miami University, Honors Program, Oxford, OH 45056

I hope you find some great bargains as you shop this holiday season and don’t forget to check out the one of the greatest bargains available…an education from Miami University!

Brian