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Fall Update from a Student

 

It’s partly cloudy and 62 degrees in Worcester, but as I sit in a Starbucks and frantically respond to emails in between high school visits it is 82 degrees and sunny in Los Angeles!  One of our social media interns (a junior) sent me an update on what she is doing back at the College, so I thought I would share her thoughts here:

“I’m extremely excited to write about how my classes are going for the Fall of 2015.  As an upperclassman, I feel lucky to be selecting classes more specific to my interests now that I have completed most of my requirements.  My friends and I have all noticed that we’re all now taking varied and ranging classes based on our own academic programs compared to the more common 101 classes we’ve had in the past.

For me specifically I’m excited about my upper level Economics and Education classes.  As an Economics major I’m now taking electives; this Fall specifically I’m enrolled in Professor Congdon-Hohman’s Labor Economics.  I’m happy to now be finally applying all the knowledge I gained my principles classes over the past two years to a real life scenario and concepts such as those in the labor market.

Additionally, I’m taking two electives classes for my Education minor.  Both are very fun, and both are very different.  One is Professor Schneider’s “Jobs: Teaching as a Case Study,” which is a small seminar of about 9 people.  This class we’re focusing on what does a job mean and specifically what goes into the profession or a teacher.  This class is based in a lot of reading and discussion and so far I’m enjoying it!  My other education class is Professor Fisher’s “Schools: Surviving and Achieving” class.  This course looks into the roles of school counselors.  For five class periods we actually will be going into a Worcester public school and working directly with children.

Finally, I’m completing my Language requirement with American Sign Language!  I must say this class is more challenging than I had expected.  There’s so much I never knew about ASL, and much more I have to learn.  Besides class time we also have a practicum that meets for this class with a new group of students.

I’m excited to see what my four classes bring me this semester, and excited to experience a new four in the Spring!”

 

Please stay tuned for more updates, both from campus and from the road.  Happy fall, everyone!

 
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Time to Hit the Old Dusty Trail

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Happy Fall!  Classes have resumed, Labor Day Weekend has come and gone, and tomorrow I head out on my first recruitment trip for the Class of 2020.  While some of my colleagues have already begun their travels, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk a little more about what we in Holy Cross Admissions do while we’re out on the road.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my colleagues and I will be travelling all over the country to share information with prospective students and their families about what makes Holy Cross special.  We try to visit at least four high schools a day as well as attend college fairs and host alumni interview programs in order to meet future applicants.  As such, travel season is a great time for us to explain our approach to admissions while seeing prospective students in their home areas.

To get the most out of the recruitment season, here are some tips:

– if possible, make labels with your name, high school, class year, email address, home address, and phone number.  It will save you a lot of time when you’re meeting admissions reps at college fairs or during high school visits!

– try not to wear any college paraphernalia if you know that you’re going to meet an admission counselor.  While a college sweatshirt may be comfortable, it can also be a little distracting if I’m trying to talk to a student about Holy Cross and they’re sporting gear from [INSERT OTHER COLLEGE NAME HERE].  On that note, please be mindful of your clothing choices in general the day of a visit from a rep or a college fair–these are wonderful opportunities to make a strong first impression!

– come talk to us!  My colleagues and I travel thousands of miles to visit schools.  It takes us a lot of time, effort, and coordination to plan our travel, but we go through it all because we really want to interact with our applicants.  At Holy Cross we take a very holistic approach to admissions, so it means a lot to us to be able to speak with prospective students.  We call this demonstrated interest, and it plays an important role in our decision-making process.

– lastly but still importantly…please offer us recommendations for dinner or lunch!  Travel is such an incredible part of our work for many reasons, but certainly one is that we get the chance to experience other parts of the country and the world.  In my opinion, sampling local food and drink is such a lovely little perk!

I hope this helps you as you embark on the next step in the college application process.  Enjoy the season!

(photography by Tom Rettig)