What Makes Miami Different?

As you continue to visit college campuses throughout the fall and winter most begin to run together in your mind. You begin to wonder what makes one school different from the another campus you visited. What is the difference?

At Miami we pride ourselves on being different, the unique experiences our students have are second to none and our campus is one of the most beautiful places you will see. While we have the rankings and student testimonials to show these points it's always better to see videos of what happens on our campus.

This fall the Miami faculty was ranked the #1 public faculty in the country for their dedication to undergraduate teaching (#3 overall - Princeton & Dartmouth tied for 1st). While this ranking is amazing, it may give the impression that our faculty is all studies and not very much fun. Well that is completely false, the Miami University faculty love their jobs and every once in a while put on a show for their students. I invite all of you to check out this link to see our faculty performing a flash mob in King Library on campus during a regular Thursday afternoon. It is a great video and shows an idea of what makes Miami different. ENJOY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJi8qbcTAnU&feature=share

Fall is here!

Fall has officially arrived in Oxford, Ohio and Miami's campus is a beautiful canvas of orange, red and yellow! Fall is my favorite season--the time of year for all things pumpkin flavored (bread, coffee, ice cream, cookies, muffins), and going to pumpkin patches, hay rides, haunted house, and Halloween parties.

This is my 6th year working in Admisison, so Fall also means travel season! I spend about 4 weeks on the road visiting high schools and attending college fairs. Have you seen the posters around your school announcing our visit? There will probably be a lot of schools visiting, and we encourage you to take advantage of these! This is a time to get some face time with an admission counselor who can answer all your questions about their school. Not sure what to talk to an admission counselor about? Here are some helpful questions:

1. Are there opportunites for research and working with faculty?
2. What do you look for academically in the application?
3. What kinds of scholarships and financial aid do you offer?
4. Are students required to live on campus?
5. What do students do for fun?
6. Tell me about study abroad options.
7. What do you like best about your school?
8. How's the food? (come on, you know you want to know! :) )

Fall is also a great time to visit college campuses and if you haven't already done so, start your college applications! You can schedule your visit at www.muohio.edu/visit and apply online at www.muohio.edu/apply.

Tours and _________!

As summer winds down and the class of 2012 finally begins to come to the realization that senior year is upon them, campus visits become a crucial deciding factor in where you will spend the best 4 years of your life. We recognize that campus life and student activities are critical factors when making your college decision so we have altered our fall visit schedule to offer Saturday visits that coincide with some amazing events happening on campus.

TOURS & PIGSKIN

Beginning in late September and continuing through October we have shifted the information session and tour time on select Saturdays to 10am so that our visiting families can have the opportunity to see our RedHawk football team in action. The football team is defending Mid-American Conference and GoDaddy.com bowl Champions (see my blogs from December and January if you want to relive the magic) and multiple players have been named to national award watch lists, wide receiver Nick Harwell and Defensive Lineman Austin Brown. Nick is on the Bilentnikoff List for best wide receiver in the country and Austin is on the Rotary Lombardi List for the nation’s best lineman. We hope that you will be able to come see our campus and help us cheer on our football team. The dates for these special visits are:

9/24 vs. Bowling Green State University (Family Weekend; Conference Opener)
10/1 vs. University of Cincinnati (The Battle of the Victory Bell, one of the oldest rivalries in the country)
10/8 vs. The United States Military Academy – Army
10/29 vs. The University of Buffalo (Homecoming)

Prior to every home football game the athletics department also hosts tailgate town with performers and other attractions for your enjoyment before kick-off, one year there was even a mechanical bull! Tickets for any of the games can be purchased through our athletic ticket office by phone at (513) 529-HAWK or 1-866-MUHAWKS.

Above: Austin Brown (90) leading the Redhawks onto the field

Right: Nick Harwell (8) shedding a defender during the GoDaddy.com bowl

TOURS & CULTURE

If you are interested in seeing a performance that showcases various cultures our annual Global Rhythms presentation is the event for you. This year’s theme is GLAM UP! with 400 artists of varying backgrounds taking the stage between Friday and Saturday nights performances. The events will be held on September 23 and 24 at 8pm in Hall Auditorium, giving you the option to see the show before or after your tour. Fashion will also be a large focus at this year’s program and if you purchase tickets in advance for the Saturday show you will be able to sample food from Northern India! More information on performers and the event overall can be found here: http://www.cawc.muohio.edu/special-events/global-rhythms

TOURS & LAUGHS

On the Friday evening Family Weekend Miami will host a show by Comedian Jeff Dunham titles “Identity Crisis.” Dunham will be performing this all new show on Friday, September 23 at 8:30pm in Millett Hall. If your family is coming into town early this is something you may want to check out! Time Magazine has even said Jeff Dunham is the most popular comedian in the United States. Tickets for the show and more information can be found here: http://www.miami.muohio.edu/familyweekend/index.html

TOURS & THEATER

The Miami University Department of Theater will have two shows on weekends that coincide with our campus tours. On the weekend of October 7-9 there will be performances of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” at 8pm (Friday and Saturday) in the Gates-Abegglen Theater. On the weekend of October 28-30 the department will present George F. Walker’s “Better Living” at 8pm (Friday and Saturday) in the Studio 88 Theater. Tickets for these shows can be purchased through the university box office at www.muohio.edu/boxoffice or 513-529-3200.

TOURS & TUNES (Reloaded)

Our summer “Tunes & Tours” are very popular events, but for those of you who were unable to attend we have more musical presentations available. Miami University is home to many dynamic musical groups and we would love for you to be in the audience. On the evening of October 8 many of our a capella groups will be performing in concert at 8pm in Hall Auditorium. Performers will include the Cheezies (all-male), Misfitz (all-female), Mergers, and Remnants. These groups are favorites across campus and their shows are always enjoyable. If you will be joining us on homecoming weekend, our Miami University Steel Band will be performing in concert at Hall Auditorium at 8pm. Our steel band is spectacular and they even have recordings that can be purchased on iTunes, this could definitely be an opportunity for you to experience something different. Tickets for these shows can be purchased through the university box office at www.muohio.edu/boxoffice or 513-529-3200.

If you are interested in signing up for a tour please visit www.muohio.edu/visit. If you plan to attend any of the events listed above I will suggest you sign up for the campus tour prior to buying tickets as our Saturday visits tend to get full very quickly.

Love & Honor!

It's almost Application Time!

Hey Everyone! I hope you are enjoying the summer. It’s hard to believe the semester is just around the corner. Signs are already on campus for football games and campus entertainment, the university is preparing for the students to return and current students are itching to return to Oxford. Here in admission, we’re already getting calls and emails from students ready to apply to the university!

The number one question I have been getting from students is where should I be at this point in the application process? The answer, not everyone is at the same pace, but the fact that you are thinking about the process means you are where you need to be.

Some students will be ready to apply when the Miami University application is available on August 1 (www.muohio.edu/apply). Others are still shortening their long list of schools to a short list. Keep in mind that you once August hits you can submit your application as soon as you’re ready, but you can always take the time you need to ensure you have filled out the application to your satisfaction as long as we have it by our decision deadlines.

As you begin to take a look at applying, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Do not rush your application just to have it done. This process allows you to let the college know the student they are admitting. Take your time to really allow the institution to get to know you as a person.

2. Map out the timing of filling out the application. Chances are you about to get extremely busy when the school year starts, so keeping yourself on a schedule will keep you on track.

3. Ask questions. This is a big decision you are making and you want all the information. Call us at 513-529-2531 or email us at admission@muohio.edu. We are always more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Best of luck to you as you begin application season!

Early Decision: Great Option, Strong Message

Spend some time on our Admission website, and you might notice a significant change. For the first time in the University’s history, we have a site set up specifically for Early Decision admission: www.muohio.edu/earlydecision. Naturally, the question becomes is this a good option for you? Before you answer that question, let’s focus on the word ‘option.’

Indeed, it is just that. There is no pressure per say to apply Early, but we’re essentially being as transparent as we can. Yes, we like it when students really like us. There’s no stronger message you send to a college than to say, “This is a great school and yes, if I’m admitted I will be coming.” It’s kind of like an allegiance you have to a name brand (Starbucks comes to mind) or a particular channel (for me it’s National Geographic). That allegiance will always come first, no matter the other options on the table. Early Decision—for the most part—works that way. It’s not to say you haven’t considered other colleges, but there is one shining brighter than the rest. If you feel that warmth when you take a tour or attend an information session, go with it. Embrace it. Apply early and tell us you love us. Your application will be due sooner rather than later, but you will also have the college search process wrapped up early into your senior year. Do you know how AllState offers the peace of mind guarantee with auto insurance? That’s what we’re offering too---less stress senior year, and more time to assimilate into the Miami Family before you actually arrive on campus.

So why is Miami emphasizing the Early Decision option now? Why now seems to be the core of the chatter both on and off campus. To get that answer, just reverse the question. Why not now? In a world where students are bombarded with so many options/incentives, we initially didn’t want to appear pushy or pressure students more than they are already pressured. We wanted to outline three specific dates and adhere to them. It’s not so much that we have changed, but the world has changed. Students have gotten smarter and they are starting their college search process earlier and earlier. For thousands, this also means that come November, there aren’t a ton of colleges left on the list. The ones that remain are serious contenders and more often than not, students just seem to “know” their top choice. Act on that and be bold. My advice is if you can complete the following sentence in less than a minute, apply early: “I truly love Miami University and I am applying Early because…..”

Here’s the real pearl in all this discourse—your chances of getting in are better. There’s just no way around it. The applicant pool (which historically has been less than a 1,000 students) is a lot smaller than the Early Action and Regular Decision pools. It’s still going to be competitive because we are a selective school, but it’s not alarming numerical odds.

Finally, whatever option you choose, make sure it’s the right one for you. Pledging your allegiance to Miami is “in”, it is popular and more and more students are doing it. We hope that after careful consideration, you’ll declare Early Decision too.

A Few Questions with a New RedHawk

Hello Everyone! Summer is moving quickly and it’s almost time for rising high school seniors, class of 2012, to begin their college application journey. I thought now would be a good time to get some insight from a new RedHawk on the application process and what he likes about Miami. Enjoy!

Meet Kendall, an incoming first-year student-athlete from Columbus, OH. Kendall will be playing baseball at Miami. Here’s what he had to say:


1) Why did you choose Miami?

I chose Miami because I felt very comfortable as I came on my visits. Being a baseball player, that had some say in my decision as well. The major factor was how I felt when I arrived on campus; it felt like somewhere I wanted to be.


2) What are you most looking forward to?

I am most looking forward to meeting new friends during my first year. I'm curious to see how well I'll make the transition from high school to college as well.


3) What are you most nervous about?

I am most nervous about time management. I have heard from others how it is the key to success in college and I hope can learn to manage my time well.


4) What was the hardest part of the college application process?

Personally, the hardest part of the college application process was making sure I had all the requirements (recommendations, SAT/ ACT scores, etc.) all in order and all present to ship out to each college.


5) Do you have any advice for students that are preparing to apply to college this fall?

Don't let anyone tell you there's somewhere you can't go. If you want to get away, do it. Take the time to go visit and apply to the school. If you don’t get in, so what. At least you made them say no whereas you never know what would happen if you didn’t even apply. Also, don't stress!