New Counselor in the Office!

Hello Everyone! My name is Lauren and I am the newest counselor in the office. I am very excited to be back at Miami, I graduated in May 2010, and I cannot wait to help you with your college search process. I am the designated counselor for Minnesota, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. I love my territory because I have a connection to all of those states, except Tennessee (I cannot wait to visit so I can change that). My mother’s family is from South Carolina, my father’s family is from North Carolina, I have an uncle that currently lives in Kentucky, and my best friend from college is from Minnesota.

Currently the office is very busy because we are in the middle of our application deadlines for the entering fall of 2011 class. Our next deadline is December 1st, which is designated “Early Action”. This is a non-binding deadline and the great part about it is that you will find out your decision on February 1st. The majority of our applicants every year choose this deadline because of the earlier notification date, but please note that we also have a regular decision deadline of February 1st which is ideal for students who are taking standardized tests for the first time in December or are waiting for an updated transcript. When I applied to Miami, I applied during the Early Action deadline. I loved knowing where I was going to school at the beginning of February, versus my friends who were still waiting for decisions.

If you have any questions feel free to call the office or contact the counselor designated for your area. All of our contact information can be found at www.muohio.edu/askacounselor.

Happy Application Season!

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.

The Miami Community--It lasts a lifetime

Happy Halloween! I love this time of year at Miami because it provides that sense of community that is on campus. Whether it is an English class full of students dressed up as Robin Williams from Dead Poets Society or a Finance class coming to the Farmer School of Business dressed as doctors, football players, and animals, you get that feeling of everyone just loves being at Miami right now, and it is a very powerful thing.

It is funny to think about the strength of the Miami community. While I was out on the road throughout the month, the campus kept pulling me back to Oxford. I was able to finish my travel season in time for Homecoming. To see all the alumni coming back from places like Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Denver, in addition to Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, really put into perspective how special this place is to those who have attended the university. Whether it was seeing the masses of people uptown after the football game, or the rowdy crowd cheering on our hockey team to two wins with a combined score of 13-1, or the people watching the parade floats drive by with the new generation of Miami students waiving to us alumni, the sense of the Miami Community was palpable.

When we talk about that sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself when you attend Miami, this is what we’re talking about. We’re talking about being able to go up to a complete stranger wearing Miami gear and becoming instant friends, simply because you both lived in Emerson Hall. Even if it was twenty years apart. It’s being able to talk to alumni who remember Miami having a struggling hockey program that played its games in a much smaller venue but still knowing that his passion for the RedHawks is as strong as your passion for the National Championship contender you see every year. It’s standing in line for bagel and deli, reliving a memory from sophomore year and hearing the Miami ’98 grad talk about the time he was waiting in line his sophomore year. It’s knowing that Miami is place that sticks with its alumni forever, and they just keep coming back every year.

I hope that as you enjoy your trips to Oxford and that you feel this sense of community as you visit campus. Because as an alum who just spent homecoming with thousands of others Miami family members, that feeling never goes away.

Admissions Note:
Today is the deadline for Early Decision. As long as your materials are POSTMARKED by November 1, they will be accepted for Early Decision. As a result, if have sent them through the mailed and we have them with a Nov. 1 date or earlier, they may be processed after the Nov. 1 deadline, but they will certainly be accepted.

The Staff Keeps Growing!

My name is Raegan and I’m a new Admission Counselor here at Miami University. I moved to Oxford after living out my dream of going to Alaska. After four exciting years in the Last Frontier, it was time to return home. I’m originally from Ohio and have always had great respect for Miami. I have a background in both college admissions and television news. This job is a natural fit for many reasons, but namely because my college search process was so positive. It was a process that inundated my family for more than a year. Weekends & vacations were spent visiting colleges, taking tours and meeting with academic department heads. I was also fortunate enough to do several overnight visits. It’s a daunting process, but also a fun process if you allow it to be. Here at Miami, I am the territory manager for Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. I look forward to meeting students from those regions during my upcoming travel.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit us here in Oxford, rest assured that this is a great, vibrant community where something is always going on. I’ve lived in Oxford for a month now and it already feels like home! When I’m not at work, you’ll most likely find me taking pictures, running or hiking with my golden retriever Ezra on one of the many trails around campus. There are miles and miles of nature trails surrounding the campus—Four Mile Creek is a personal favorite, especially at sunset. I’m also a big fan of both our Farmer’s Markets here in town—the vendors are some of the nicest people on the planet. Seriously.

Please know that you can always contact me if you have questions about admissions or you just need some advice about finding a college that’s a good fit (raegan.butler@muohio.edu) . You hear counselors say that all the time, but it really does matter. The best college in the world can also be the worst if it’s not where you are suppose to be. Have a little faith. Ask questions. Learn to enjoy life’s process as well as its rewards.

Dalai Lama at Miami

Yesterday, Miami University was graced with the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. While he interacted with students, faculty, staff, and trustees in various settings, his lecture on "Ethics in the Modern World" was delivered to a sold out crowd in Miami's Millett Hall and sold out remote viewing locations, totaling close to 12,000 viewers.

His messages were powerful, to say the least. But what I was most anxious to share with you was his reflection on the 20th Century, and his hope for the 21st Century. He indicated that the former was a century that will be remembered by bloodshed, concentrating on the violent "solutions" to human differences that were employed in this time. But he looked forward, too. He charged us, the younger generation, to ensure that the next century is one of dialogue. He stressed that we have ninety more years to make this century into what it will be remembered for. Dialogue, he stressed, is how we can take difference of opinion, policy, religious affiliations, and come to a productive understanding that is mutually beneficial.

As he sat with his shoes off and his legs curled under him, he talked about the root of happiness and internal peace. Genuine affection, both showing and receiving, can allow us to flourish as humans. He called on the audience to remember how we feel when we are treated with affection and love, and how we feel when we are treated with mistrust and fear. Without ever using the term "karma," he was clear in his message that we receive what we put out in the universe.

Miami has made a commitment to provide a global education, primarily achieved through opportunities like Study Abroad. His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit to Miami is indicative of the ways in which the Miami education provides a global experience right here in Oxford, Ohio. To learn more about the Dalai Lama's visit and the many opportunities for students to interact with him, visit www.muohio.edu/dalai-lama.

News Flash for Business Students!

Attention potential Miami Farmer School of Business students!!! The Farmer School of Business just announced that they will be admitting some applicants directly into the program. Normally, we require all incoming business students to complete seven pre-major courses. So, if you fall into either one of these categories:

• Admitted to Miami and selected Business as the academic division
• ACT of 29 or higher or an SAT (CR + M) of 1290 or higher AND
  GPA of 3.70 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) OR top 10% of their class

OR

• Admitted to Miami and selected Business as the academic division
• Admitted to Miami’s honors program

You will be admitted directly into Miami's nationally recognized Farmer School of Business! To learn more about being a business student at Miami, go to www.muohio.edu/fsb. And as always, you can direct any questions to your admission counselor at www.muohio.edu/askacounselor.