I am not a parent.

I am not a parent. But, my younger brother is a 17-year-old high school junior who is just starting his college search. Let’s call him “Adam.” Adam has the distinct benefit of entering the college search process with an older sister who is a college admission counselor. But, finding the right fit is a process that is even hard for me to guide him through.

Even though I have a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education and work with students and families as they apply for admission at Miami, I can’t help but admit that I feel like a fish out of water when we start looking at the list of thousands and thousands of undergraduate institutions where he might spend his collegiate years. He has a few criteria: Division III football, a pre-Physical Therapy program, and not New Hampshire, where he is in school now.

My instinct as an Admission Counselor and a college graduate is to say that these criteria are stupid. Many schools, for example: Miami, have great club football teams that are comparable to Division III football, but he hasn’t really considered that as an option. In addition to that, Adam has only played football for two years; not so long that he should be making a major life choice that centers on it. I can certainly understand that Adam is an athlete and wants to continue playing sports at the highest competitive level that’s possible for him, but there are so many opportunities in college to do that outside of varsity sports!

While it’s great to look at academic programs when making your decision where to attend, I know that the average college student will change majors 2 or 3 times. Even more compelling is the statistic that college graduates will make 5 career changes in their lifetimes! But, my real hang-up with this one is that pre-Physical Therapy programs serve one function: to get students to take the right classes for admission into DPT programs. Any student with a computer can find the requirements for pre-PT and take those classes in college. So, Adam could really go anywhere and be pre-PT!

The last bit of information that we have to work with is that Adam doesn’t want to be in New Hampshire. I am trying to pinpoint why this is a criterion. Is it because he doesn’t like the state? Probably not. More likely, he doesn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere or covered in snow for 6 months. But right now, all I can get is “not New Hampshire.” Well, that crosses a few schools off the list.

One of the hardest things for me to do as a sister is allow Adam to make his own choices. We are lucky to have the resources to visit many different colleges, so Adam can get a feeling about a lot of different schools and narrow his focus that way. In the end, it’s his collegiate career, his future, and his experience to have. I owe it to him to let him work through all of these decisions and arrive at a conclusion about where he will attend. As long as he does it by May 1st, 2012!

New Year, New Office

Hello, Readers! You may have recently seen a caption on Miami's visit website indicating that our office is under some serious construction! If you were to walk into our office today, you'd be greeted by a huge scaffolding... we like to call it "The Tunnel:"Don't worry, The Tunnel will be gone soon! In fact, check out the progress that's been made inside in just a few short weeks! Can you believe this is the same corner of the office?Check out the new home for our Visit Coordinator, Katie! Old hallway... new hallway!
As our construction draws to a close, we hope you get a chance to come visit Miami University to see what poet Robert Frost called "The most beautiful campus that ever there was." And maybe to sit in our fun new chairs!

Winter at Miami

Hey everyone. I hope you are enjoying the beginning of your holiday season. There has been a lot going on at Miami. Students are currently gearing up for finals as they get set to go home for a few weeks. But if there is anything I learned in my time as a student, and certainly as a working member of the university, it is that while it is fun to go home and see family in friends, after a few days you are ready to be back at Miami.

A question I always get asked when prospective students and parents learn that I am an alum is, “Was Oxford the type of place that you missed when you went home?” The answer is always the same. “Absolutely!”

Every winter I would go home after finals, take a two day nap that would be frequently interrupted by chores, see my friends and celebrate the new year. Then it would be January 2, 200_ and I would wonder why I was still at home in Chicago. Don’t get me wrong. The most important things to me are friends and family. But Oxford has that magical quality to it. It always calls you back. So much so, that I would volunteer at Winter Orientation not only to help new students, but to get back to what more and more became my home.

I love Oxford in the winter. Growing up, it isn’t winter if there isn’t snow, and while we don’t get nearly as much snow in Ohio as I did when I lived in Illinois, the beauty of a snowy Miami campus is breathtaking. Some of my best Oxford memories occurred in the winter—moments that will be with me forever. Here are two of my favorites.

In the winter of my sophomore year, Oxford had a rare blizzard. I was with six of my friends in a residence hall room and we were watching the weather as we debated the odds of classes being cancelled (they weren’t). We were hungry, and apparently blizzards are the only conditions in which establishments do not deliver food (pizza has been delivered during a tornado warning). So we called Bagel and Deli, who said that even though they wouldn’t deliver, if we came in they would make us bagels. So we put on our snow gear, tracked through campus in the blizzard and made our way Uptown. When we got to Bagel and Deli, my friends knew the person working there, so we talked to him for awhile as he couldn’t believe we had decided to leave the hall for bagels. As we thanked him and made our way back outside, he handed us a bag of popcorn and told us to take it. We earned it for making the trek uptown.

The second moment happened in the winter of my senior year. The university has an emergency text message system. When classes are cancelled or there is inclement weather, students who have signed up for the service receive a text message. As I sat in class, I could hear the vibration of everyone’s phone go off. Afternoon classes had been cancelled. I called my friends. We took everything we could find. Trays, garbage bags and sleds were taking to the giant sledding hill. There, the five of us joined, and I kid you not, at least 75-100 other students who found whatever they had and taking it sledding. We raced, took turns going off jumps, and had contests to see who could go the farthest down the hill. It was an absolute blast.

These are just two of many Oxford memories in the winter. I can guarantee that if you spend your next few winters in Oxford, you will be filled of winter memories that will be pulling you back to Miami as you drink hot chocolate on your couch at home wondering what your college friends are up to. I’ll give you a hint, they’re wondering what you are up to as well. And they’re already making plans for what to do when you get back to campus.

Bridges

It’s November! That means it’s time for my absolute favorite program of the year at Miami. This year, we are hosting roughly 450 high school seniors from around the country for a program called Bridges. We conduct three two-day sessions in November (all lasting from Sunday to Monday) with 150 students each. This program allows students to experience Miami University firsthand through an all-expense-paid overnight visit where participants stay on campus with current students.

Bridges is different than all of our other programs at Miami because it is designed specifically for underrepresented student populations, and is a way that we as an Admission office can level the playing field for students with fewer resources and people that can help get them to college. That’s why in addition to our campus tour, academic classes, and campus exploration that any Miami visitor can do, our admission representatives conduct an “Application 101” session. In this session, we talk about the ins and outs of the application, the financial aid process, and how to monitor the status of the application after it’s been submitted. We also showcase some of our student support staff members from Financial Aid, the Miami Access Initiative, MADE@Miami, Academic Advising, and other offices.

The best part? Participants in the Bridges program, if they choose to enroll at Miami’s Oxford campus as full-time first year students, receive a $2,500 scholarship that is renewable for four years. And, they get an application fee waiver! To all you high school juniors out there who are interested in applying to Miami: that’s 10,050 reasons to apply to the Bridges program next year! You can find more information and the application for the program at www.muohio.edu/bridges, which will be updated in the spring with next year’s information.

Confessions of a New Admission Counselor

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is off to a good start this year! We’ve been excited to begin visiting your schools and thrilled that you have been visiting us here at Miami. As I started my job as an admission counselor at the beginning of this month, I began to ask myself many of the questions you may be asking yourself when you talk to a counselor.

1. Does my admission counselor really love Miami this much?

The answer, quite simply, is YES! While some of us, such as myself, spent our undergraduate careers studying here in Oxford, others have come to Miami from different experiences because they feel a very strong connection to the university and its mission.

2. Is my college counselor giving me the same speech he/she gives every student?

The answer is a resounding NO. We understand the individuality of each student as well as the diversity of questions in the minds of prospective students. As a result, we answer these questions personally and as they pertain to the individual.

3. Is my college counselor looking for a type of student?

Actually, yes. ALL OF THEM. Miami is looking for all students that are hoping to excel in college and contribute to the university and society. We do not look for a “typical student.” Our students come from all walks of life, all over the nation and all over the world. We want students that are looking to make the most out of their education.

4. Can I really contact my college counselor at anytime?

Absolutely! You can always call the office of admission or our direct phone lines to get in touch with us. We are more than happy to answer your questions. In addition, you can send us an email at anytime, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

5. Why does my admissions counselor keep mentioning they wish me luck with my college decision?

We understand that choosing a college is a big life choice. We have been there ourselves. Myself, more than once. After initially going through the college decision process, I found that I was in a different place after I started college than I was when I began my college search. As a result, I went through the college process more carefully when I decided to transfer schools, looking at institutions that met my needs. That search brought me to Miami. Ultimately, we want you to do what is best for you because this is your education and your life.

I hope these have helped answer some general questions you may have about your college counselors. Please contact us if you have any questions about Miami. You can visit www.muohio.edu/askacounselor to ask your counselor a question. And sincerely, we wish you the best of luck on your college search.

Fall already?!

Alright. It’s not even okay that it’s September. Where did summer go?! For many of you, this fall is the beginning of the end: your last year of high school! It’s also a time when you start deciding where to send in your college applications… which means that it’s an important time for us in college admission as well. As you start classes this fall, you may notice your guidance office advertising visits from colleges around the country who come to talk about their school and the application process. In the admission world, we call this “travel season,” where we visit high schools during the school day and attend college fairs in the evening. Many of us are on the road for over a month!

Traveling is my favorite part of being an admission counselor. Don’t get me wrong… I also love reading applications, giving presentations on campus, meeting with families and planning our on-campus programs, but there is something special about the thrill of going from school to school, seeing new faces, and talking about Miami to students who may not have the opportunity to visit our campus. I also love hotels (free cable, pool, and gym? Yes, please!) and exploring new cities. This year I have the amazing opportunity to travel to Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, and Cleveland, where I will hopefully meet many future Miami students! This is Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, OH... one of my favorite schools to visit!
You can see where Miami is hosting programs at www.muohio.edu/inmytown. Be sure you’re getting emails from Miami by filling out a request form at www.muohio.edu/requestinfo, and we will email you if we will be coming to your high school or to a college fair in your area! You can also visit www.muohio.edu/askacounselor to email your counselor and find out if he or she will be at your school.

Summertime Visit to Miami!
Last night we hosted over 100 visitors for an evening tour which gave our visitors a chance to join the Oxford Summer Music Festival Concert Series free concert in Uptown Oxford. These events are great entertainment for our summer students and Oxford community members who come together to enjoy local musicians! My brother plays string bass in one of the local bands that performs each year and everyone in the band is a member of the Oxford community. They all work full time in different careers, some who are owners of Uptown businesses and they come together to share their passion for music.
Schedule your visit www.muohio.edu/visit
Oxford Summer Music Festival Concert Series in the Uptown Parks Thursday Evenings in July & Augusthttp://www.enjoyoxford.org/2010_Music_Festival.pdf

Proud moments

Last Friday night I celebrated my son’s high school graduation. Yesterday, I attended the First Year Orientation with him here at Miami University. I was impressed with the advising staff who took time with each new student and family to provide information and share available resources to help start their journey into college. Today, I am so proud of my son’s success and proud to welcome him to the Miami Family! Check out our Miami advising and majors below to begin your future plans.

Links with information about advising and majors at Miami University: http://www.miami.muohio.edu/academics/advising/index.html http://www.miami.muohio.edu/academics/majors-minors/index.html

Yummy

Once again Miami University’s housing and dinning services won gold, silver and bronze awards at the Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards which is sponsored by the National Association of College and University Food Services. Miami actually received the most honors in the competition and we will compete for the grand prize during the national conference this July!

So, if you are visiting us this summer or fall, please feel free to stop by one of our award winning dining facilities on campus for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you would like information on what is being served at the dining facilities and the calorie content as well, please visit http://www.hdg.muohio.edu/EatingAtMiami/.

Hey Juniors!

It’s never too early to start your college search! This year, Miami is sending current students back to their high schools during spring break to talk to you about their Miami experience and why you may want to become a RedHawk, too! Look for Miami students in high schools across the United States, including: Reno, NV, Naperville, IL; Cleveland, OH and many more!

Miami’s not coming to your high school? We may be in your area soon! Miami will be represented at national college fairs across the United States throughout the spring. Find us in Louisville (2/27), Detroit (4/15), San Francisco (4/17), Nashville (4/25), Boston (4/27), New Jersey (4/28), and Cleveland (5/2). If you can, we encourage you to come to campus for the best view of your future college experience. You can find all of the information about setting up your visit to Miami at www.muohio.edu/visit.

Time to Plan a visit to Miami!

Time to Plan a visit to Miami!
College search often begins with a visit to the campus. I invite you to schedule the visit that is best for you and to take time to really get a feel for student life. Visit Oxford to see why Miami students thrive in this great college town setting.
Schedule a campus tour and learn more about Miami. Our tour guides will share their experiences while you get a taste for student live on campus. If you have time to attend a class you may contact the faculty directly using our open class list http://www.miami.muohio.edu/admission/visit/pdfs/Class_Visits_Spring_10.pdf
Meet with our faculty who share your passion for a specific area of study to learn more about programs and research opportunities available to undergraduate students. Send your request to meet with faculty to facultyappt@muohio.edu.
Schedule a campus tour at www.muohio.edu/visit to see all your options.
Accepted students are invited to attend a full day special event. Look in your acceptance packet for details about how to register online to attend events.
We look forward to seeing you on a campus visit at Miami University!

Happy New Year from Miami!

Happy New Year from Miami University! It’s that time of year when people reflect on the previous year and wait in anticipation of what’s to come. 2009 was especially exciting for Miami as we celebrated our 200th birthday last February. We also saw our Bicentennial Class of 2009 graduate last spring! Several months later, we welcomed 3,327 first year students for the class of 2013, all eager to begin their time at Miami. The university has some important dates to take note of coming up in 2010. Spring orientation will be going on January 7 & 8 for those students beginning their first year or for those who have transferred to Miami. Early Action applicants will receive their application decision notification on February 1, and those applying regular decision have a submission deadline of February 1 with their notification date on March 15. Also, beginning in February, be sure to look into accepted students open house events called “Make it Miami,” which are occurring throughout the spring. These daylong events are designed to help undecided students explore all the great ways Miami University can make a great college experience. Information for these and all other accepted student details will be found on our accepted student web site: http://www.miami.muohio.edu/admission/acceptedstudents/

We wish you a great New Year’s Day, and make 2010 very memorable!

There's still time!

As many of you are preparing for the holidays by stopping by the mall after school, you also may be shopping for colleges as well. We want to encourage students to come to Miami for a visit to learn more about our academics, professors, see our beautiful campus, and explore an overall college experience that is second to none. The semester is quickly coming to a close, but there’s still time to schedule a campus information session and tour before you begin your winter break from school. Visit our website to browse our availability before finals week. We still have 10:00am sessions December 7-11, and we will resume our visit opportunities January 11 when our student tour guides return from winter break. Safe travels!

Miami may be in your area

Fall is a busy and exciting time around the Office of Admission because we welcome many visitors to campus and are also traveling to visit you. Each admission counselor serves as a representative for a specific area. Go to muohio.edu/askacounselor to find out who your contact person is. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us about any questions you have during your search for the right college for you.

October is especially busy for travel as many of us are traveling to high schools, college fairs, evening receptions, and guidance counselor breakfasts. We keep in touch with prospective students by emailing them ahead of time when we’re about to pay a visit to your area. We hope you’re all learning a lot about what Miami has to offer as we’re traveling and spreading the good news of Miami.

Want to get to Miami in January?

Our deadline for transferring to Miami for the upcoming Spring semester is rapidly approaching! For those of you who are interesting in coming to Miami in January, your deadline to apply is November 1st. This deadline applies to both transfer students (those of you who have taken college classes after high school graduation), and first year students (who have not taken any college level courses after high school graduation). This deadline is a little bit different than our deadlines for first-year admission because it is “rolling.” Rolling admission means that the sooner you apply, the quicker you will hear from Miami about your decision! You can apply by visiting www.muohio.edu/apply. Again, the sooner you submit your application, the sooner we will get back to you, so start your application today!

We're coming your way!

Want to get a glimpse of Miami University without having to travel to Oxford? We know that it's a busy time of year, so we invite you to come visit with us this fall in a city near you. We'll be able to answer all your questions about Miami, the application process, our Honors program, financial assistance and much more! Bring your family and see what the Miami Experience is all about! Find out more at www.muohio.edu/inmytown

Then come visit us in Oxford! Schedule your visit online at www.muohio.edu/visit

The Farmer School of Business Building

Yesterday, some Office of Admission Staff had the opportunity to take a tour of our brand-new Farmer School of Business Building here on Miami's campus. This building opened a few weeks ago, just in time for classes that started this fall! I had heard about the beauty and quality of this building, and after getting the official tour, I'm even more impressed with the facilities we have on campus available to all Miami students! Let's start at the beginning:

Here I am with some other Admission staffers, standing in front of the gates to the building. If you can't read it, that placard says "Knowledge is Power."

Next, we went into the main lobby of the building, were students can sit in plush, comfy chairs and study between classes. Or, this space can be reserved for student organizations to meet. Here you can see some Admission staff gathering in the lobby:

Next, we went around to various rooms in the building. We were extremely impressed with the center staircase, complete with gold railings!

One of the rooms in the building is designed for finance students to be able to practice stock trading. This room is equipped with a ticker that scrolls stock information from the New York Stock Exchange. Here I am under it!

This building also has a 400-seat auditorium, breakout rooms, almost 200 faculty offices, a Center for Business Excellence for all student services, a grab-and-go cafe, and of course, CLASSROOMS!!!

This building is hoping to be one of the first buildings in Ohio and definitely the first on our campus to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification. For more information on this building and the entire Farmer School of Business, visit www.muohio.edu/fsb.

Thanks for reading!

Visit: Part 2

In my previous blog I wrote about doing your homework and thinking about your future when coming for a college visit. Once again, I would like to take a spin off of The Enquirer’s article “Maximize your Visit,” but this time focus on talking to current students and snooping around on your own.

Talk to current students.
When you come to visit Miami University, utilize the greatest resource you have access to…students! Talk to as many students as you can when you are on campus to find out more information about the University. This could help you visualize yourself here at Miami and see if Miami is a good fit for you. During the school year, we have students greeting and speaking to families before our information session begins. These students are all part of our Miami University Student Ambassador organization. They have a love for Miami and enjoy sharing their experience and expertise with you. So don’t just smile and say hello to them, ask them questions. Go beyond asking what they are majoring in; ask them why they chose Miami. Ask them what their average day looks like. Likewise, utilize the student tour guide. Of course they will take you throughout the University showing you the grounds, but there are plenty of opportunities to ask them questions and to find out their stories. Finally, something you can do to learn more about Miami’s students even before you attend a visit is to read up on the Summer Student blog: http://miamiublogdaysofsummer.blogspot.com.


Snoop around on your own.
Am I really suggesting that you snoop around on your own when you visit Miami? Yes, I am! However, I suggest having a plan of action before you go off and start exploring. For starters, know what you want to see and what is going to help you make the decision of which school is right for you. For instance; if you love sports and plan on working out or playing on a club sports team or on an intramural league, then check out the athletic and recreational facilities. I know that sounds like common sense, but we have limited time on a campus tour and can’t possibly show you everything. Therefore, it is important for you to make the most of your visit; if you didn’t see something that you were hoping or expecting to see then ask and we will be happy to point you in the right direction and provide you additional information. I also recommend paying close attention on your tour or as you walk around Miami’s campus. As you walk by classrooms or offices, pay attention to signs, literature, and other brochures. Read what’s posted on the doors of professors’ offices to see what type of work or research they’re doing. Pick up a copy of The Miami Student, Miami’s student newspaper, to see what the issues are on campus. Pay attention to the posters and advertisements for events happening on campus. Grab a meal or a snack while you’re on campus. Find a class in session and stand in the hallway and listen for a few minutes to how the professors and students are interacting. All of these things will give you an even closer feel for what it’s like to be a Miami student.

I hope these ideas help maximize your time. I also encourage you to check out our visit website: www.muohio.edu/visit to learn more about scheduling a visit at Miami.

Until next time,
Brian