As I stood watching a whole variety of competitors come down the final stretch to the finish line on that rain-soaked, blustery morning, it struck me that the college admission process is somewhat like a marathon.  You must prepare carefully and well in advance of the race, it is competitive and the stakes are high, and in the end, there are many ways to reach the finish.

While I was at the NACAC conference admission professionals re-confirmed students’ right to have until May 1 to accept an offer of admission, financial aid or scholarship.  We heard a report from William R. Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard which pointed out current misuse of standardized test scores and encouraged the appropriate secondary role of SAT/ACT scores in the admission decision.  And I came back re-dedicated to helping students move along the path which will allow them to reach their full potential.

Mid-October of the senior year is the half-way mark in the marathon of college admission.  Students are trying to remain focused on school work while managing the application process and participating in a rite of passage which moves them from their family’s support structure and allows them to become full-fledged adults.  Parents are trying not to play too large a role in this process while still encouraging their daughter or son.  College counselors are barely keeping their heads above water as they manage the paper (or increasingly, the electronic) process of recommending students to college, and admission officers are off in so many different directions that they can barely tell which city they’re in at any given moment.

Regardless, it all seems to work, and like the marathon I watched, everyone finds their own way to cross the finish line.  Let’s remember to help one another out while we’re on the road.  If we do, it will make the race that much easier for all of us.

A bit about me: I graduated in May from The College of Wooster in Wooster, OH with a degree in Classical Studies and a minor in Comparative Literature. I moved to Memphis over the summer and let’s just say that Memphis is a far cry from Amish country! I feel like I constantly need to drive with a pen and a piece of paper handy so that I can scribble down all of the events that are posted on billboards across the city. Events at the Orpheum, the Memphis Ballet, concerts at the FedEx Forum–it’s easy to lose track! This weekend, however, I spent one of my few weekends in Memphis on campus, interacting with students and parents (both prospective and current) at Parents Weekend. Last night was All Sing, clearly highlighted by President Troutt’s performance with the men of Pi Kappa Alpha. I’m not sure if the words “You Got Served” have ever been met with such a reaction as when uttered by our fearless leader during their performance.

Today I watched several of our current students present their study abroad experiences during a luncheon for the Buckman Scholars, a select group of students who receive scholarships to pursue their study abroad programs. Elizabeth, who works in the Admissions Office, studied urban development in Brazil, South Africa, and New Zealand in her spring semester, staying with local families and getting to know both the bourgeois and the unrepresented classes in their main cities. Watching these students speak about their experiences again reiterated to me the constant sentiment around campus: take advantage of all that Rhodes has to offer. Colin, one of our esteemed bloggers, summed it up best to me when he noted that his biggest frustration on campus is when students don’t do just that. Rhodes is absolutely a place where students are able to embrace all that campus, Memphis, and the world have to offer. It makes for a busy but exciting and ultimately rewarding four years when our students are able to utilize their resources both inside and outside of the classroom, whether it is study abroad, internship opportunities, or community service.

I’m off to see two of our a cappella groups, Lipstick on Your Collar and Woolsocks, perform, followed by a performance of Rhodes’ improv troupe, Contents Under Pressure. Then it’s back on the road for me–I just returned from a three-week stint in Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina and I head out tomorrow for a week in Alabama. Traveling is an interesting (and fun) part of the job of an admissions counselor and one into which each of our counselors will give you a look in the coming weeks. I look forward to continuing to connect with all of you out there in cyberspace, please feel free to reciprocate if you feel the desire (either below or you can email me at brooksb@rhodes.edu). Valete omnes!

NACAC is a wonderful organization because it brings together two very different sides of the same process:  college and university admission officers and high school college counselors.  NACAC is a huge player in this critical field, allowing honest discourse, providing professional development, and a forum for discussion and agreement on ethical practices in a competitive environment.  NACAC serves families and students while helping professionals balance market pressures with their essential purpose – helping students in transition.

This year I expect much discussion about how the worsening economy will affect families’ ability to pay for college and the availability of student loans.  No doubt we will talk about the upcoming election and which political party will best serve higher education.  And there is already discussion about a ground-breaking report which NACAC will release questioning the efficacy of using the SAT and ACT so heavily in admission and scholarship decisions.

When I return, I’ll report on the conference outcomes from my point of view. One thing is for sure, there won’t be a lack of topics to keep us interested and engaged.

In this excerpt of her talk, Miller shared a common experience for Rhodes faculty—seeing their students make an outstanding impression on other researchers at academic conferences. Miller attributes this success to the environment at Rhodes, which allows students to develop what she calls “a genuine intellect.”

You may also view the entire presentation online >>

The Fall season has always been a hectic time for me.  In the past when I worked in college admissions it meant travel to visit students, parents and counselors in various cities around the country and the world; a fun and exciting time, but also exhausting.  For the last six years the Fall has meant helping seniors finalize their college list and working on the flood of early application forms that have to be completed quickly and correctly to meet earlier and earlier deadlines.

Now that I am back at Rhodes in admissions, it strikes me that in many ways, the rush of Fall activity is a signal of what is both good and bad about the college admission process.  The good part is seeing a young person’s eyes light up when they have found just the right college—and that college is yours.  It is also good when there is  time to really capture the essence of a student in a recommendation letter so that the college she is applying to knows that their school is a perfect fit for her.

The bad part is the complexity and stress of the admission process.  With all my years of experience, it was sometimes impossible for me to figureout what was being required of students I was counseling.  And the deadlines… I can’t even begin to talk about how overwhelming the many different deadlines for different types of programs and scholarships can be.

Another bad part is when students or their parents are closed-minded about schools which could offer a wonderful education and future just because they don’t recognize the name.  Broadening the college list is sometimes a frustrating process.  When someone would tell me they had not heard of a college I recommended to them, some really fine, small college in Maryland, for instance, I would ask them “Do you think all the kids in Maryland have heard of Rhodes?”  No, of course not, but that doesn’t mean Rhodes isn’t the fine college it is.  They just don’t know about it because it is small.  Thankfully books like Colleges That Change Lives and the accompanying web site and others are helping families explore places they would never have known about.  And college counselors can help, if students and parents take their advice.

For now, I’ll soon be planning my visits to local schools.  I miss talking with students, so I am looking forward to that.   I’ll be remembering the good and bad parts of the admission process, trying to contribute to the good part and minimize the bad.

The Rhodes campus is always pretty quiet during the summer, as most of our students go abroad, do internships or return home during the summer months. We do our best during Discovery to provide time for prospective families to meet those current students who do remain on campus or in Memphis for the summer. We kicked off the program in the morning with summertime music as families checked in by the Lynx Lair. Our visitors mingled with current students, ate breakfast and toured the campus before the program “officially” began.

During the morning, parents and students separated to attend different sessions on Rhodes and the college search process. Students learned some great essay-writing tips from Caroline King, our resident Grammar Queen in the Admissions Office. They met with Robert Koch to get advice on how to really connect with colleges (i.e. what to do during a campus visit, what to expect from an interview, etc.). Parents received advice from Forrest Stuart, Director of Financial Aid, on how to pay for their child’s college education. Timothy Gibson had parents laughing as he explained the parent’s role in the college search process. We also had a panel of current students and faculty available for both parents and students to learn what life is really like at Rhodes.

The day ended just before it got really hot. Families had the option to meet with Athletics, take an afternoon tour or eat lunch on campus or at one of Memphis’ great restaurants.

Our Admissions Interns were a huge help the whole day! They helped give tours, worked the Check-In table, chatted with families and took pictures of the day. They created a Facebook group for students who have visited Rhodes called “Rhodes: Saw It, Loved It, I want More!.” That’s where they posted their pictures from Discovery, in case you want to check it out.

Hello again!  As you may know, May is a wonderful time in Memphis.  Every weekend in May, Memphis holds a festival on the banks of the Mississippi River.  This weekend, was the World Championship Barbeque Competition (a.k.a. BBQ Fest.) 

This year, 256 teams competed at BBQ Fest for the title of: Miss Piggie (Grown Men dressed a pigs), Best Booth, Best T-Shirt, Beef, Poultry, Hot Wings, Exotic Meats, Anything but Pork, Baked Beans, Tomato Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Vinegar Sauce, Shoulder, People’s Choice, Whole Hog, Ribs, or Patio Porkers. 

Each team consists of between ten and forty members who spend the entire weekend at Tom Lee Park tending to the grill (or sitting around enjoying the weather!)  Often times, teams will hire a pit master from a BBQ restaurant out of town to cook for them at BBQ Fest. 

I have found that in order to really enjoy BBQ Fest there is only one thing you need to do: befriend someone who is on a team.  Because of health codes, BBQ teams can’t serve their food to the public, so the only way (other than People’s Choice) to stuff your face full of ribs is to be in one of the teams’ tents.  The only way to get inside a tent is to know someone.  This is easier than you think.  Often times you will know someone who knows someone who knows someone which is usually good enough for some free food.  For the past two years, I have gone to the Born in the Que’s tent which has lots of Rhodes alumni who are members.  They don’t really seem to be in the competition for the glory but rather to have a good time for the weekend. 

You can read all of the Commercial Appeal’s coverage of BBQ Fest here.

Of course, whenever you visit Memphis, in the month of May or not, you will have to be sure to sample some Memphis BBQ.  Everyone in Memphis has a favorite restaurant and I’m sure there will be many who disagree with me, but I will say that without a doubt, The Rendezvous has the best ribs in Memphis.  Some people would vote for Corky’s, Interstate, Central BBQ, Bar-BQ Shop, Cozy Corner, or Neely’s, but I think the Rendezvous is the best. 

Here are some pictures (borrowed for the MIM website) of BBQ Fest:

Tents in Tom Lee Park

Miss Piggie Contest!

–Caroline

This year’s schedule is different than last year’s because we saw a need to separate summer orientation from the fall. This year you will have several opportunities to meet with current students in small groups to figure out a typical day at Rhodes and how to get involved on campus. This will also give you a chance to ask any questions you have about college. Day one will end with an evening social with some activities provided by the Rhodes Activity Board (RAB).

The main purpose of Open Rhodes is to help you develop a schedule for the fall in a three-tiered process. You will begin the process by meeting with the academic department of your choosing, followed by a meeting with an adviser from that department in small groups, then have a 1 on 1 meeting with your summer adviser (your fall adviser will be different). All of these meetings will accumulate into your schedule for the fall semester. And to clear up any rumors, if you come to the last session, you will have the same chance of getting into a class as a person in the first session. We have been working with the registrar to make sure this is a fair process. In the meantime, if you want to look at some of the classes offered click here for the course catalog.

Finally, the second day will end with multiple mini-sessions for you and your parents to meet with staff from the Health Center, Student Involvement, Residence Life, Religious and Multicultural Affairs, etc. We hope that this schedule will help you transition better in the fall.

On a final note, don’t forget to register for Open Rhodes. If you have any questions call me at the office at 901.843.3815, email me at schda1@rhodes, or ask questions on the Facebook group “Rhodes Class of 2012.” I can’t wait to meet you all this summer and good luck with the final days of your senior year.

-Dan

Rhodes College Diplomats member (RCD)

· International Education Intern (IEI)

· Peer Assistant (PA) for the First Year Experience

· Kinney Coordinator (KinCo)

· Orientation Coordinator (OC)

· Resident Assistant (RA)

The SOARS application comes out around January and is typically due around the second week in February. Basically, the SOARS application is to Rhodes student leadership positions as the Common Application is to high school seniors. It’s one application that can be used to apply for a number of different positions on campus.

The different departments and organizations of SOARS hold interviews throughout the months of March and April and then there is a big celebration reception at the end of April at the President’s house (with DELICIOUS food if I might add). I am the adviser for the Rhodes College Diplomats. It is a group of 60 students that serve as tour guides, overnight hosts, college fair representatives, and community liaisons. We just selected 29 new members and we are thrilled with all of the new faces. You may have met a Diplomat before on your campus tour (red and white, “Where’s Waldo?” shirts ring a bell?).

So, if you plan on coming to Rhodes and want to make a difference, look for the SOARS application in January!

- Stacy

Candidates participated in numerous social and academic activities on campus.  They were able to learn more about Rhodes first-hand through class visits, campus tours, and a dinner with faculty in which they had the opportunity to mingle with some of  Rhodes’ wonderful professors in a discussion based setting.  Candidates demonstrated their dancing skills at the Fiesta Night hosted be H.O.L.A. where they danced the cumbia, merengue, salsa and more.  In addition, candidates had the privilege of attending the first annual Dining for Diversity, hosted by V.O.I.C.E.S.  This event included performances by various campus cultural groups, a delicious catered dinner, and a keynote address by Mayor Wharton.

The candidates were also able to learn more about Memphis and its opportunities for service through service site visits, panel discussions, and group activities and discussions.  The site visits ranged from the Memphis Zoo to tours of local schools, from Habitat for Humanity builds, to informational tours of local hospitals, including St. Jude and Le Bonheur.  These were supplemented by discussions with current Bonners about their service and about their experience at Rhodes College.

In combination, these activities served to create a memorable and enjoyable weekend, both for Bonner candidates and for all who had the opportunity to meet them.

- Valisa ‘09

A few of the finalists arrived on Saturday and they just hung out with current students. Our Student Associate, Onalee, took everyone out for burgers at Huey’s. The program officially started Sunday morning, but we had some issues as the rainy weather caused lots of airport delays! Nevertheless, all of our finalists eventually made it to campus. The program got off to a great start as our finalists enjoyed lunch on campus with some favorite faculty members. Then, the students were introduced to the National Civil Rights Museum and later mingled with faculty and current students at a reception at the home of the college’s President.

Monday was the Big Day as all of our finalists participated in a group discussion and an individual interview. Each finalist was interviewed by our selection committee, which is made up of members of faculty, Student Affairs staff and an admissions representative. We also invited several high school counselors and a few current Bellingrath Fellows to participate in the selection process. Each committee member added a unique perspective to the overall selection of the Bellingrath recipients. Once the interviews were finished, the finalists breathed a sigh of relief and headed to lunch at a local favorite, Memphis Pizza Cafe, while the selection committee narrowed down the recipients. We offered tours of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the famous Graceland Monday afternoon and were sad to see everyone leave campus by the evening.

It was a wonderful two day program and we hope the finalists were able to really get a feel for Rhodes and the city of Memphis. We certainly enjoyed getting to know them better and wish them all the best in their college decisions! We know that all of our accepted students have exciting opportunities ahead and we look forward to sharing them with you at Rhodes!

We are wrapping up the final stages of reading applications and files.  Over the next two weeks, we will be mulling over final decisions before admission decision letters are mailed.  This process can involve reading through files again and possibly revisiting initial decisions now that we have a clearer picture of what our entire applicant pool looks like.  Another aspect of reviewing decisions is to make sure we are consistent.  After all, we have been reading applications for a long time now!  We’re only human, so some days we might have been tougher or more lenient than others and we want to try to be as consistent as possible.

One very important process in working out final decisions is looking at mid-year progress reports.  The transcript that your school initially provides in the fall usually only has completed grades for classes you took your freshmen through junior years.  The senior year progress report is mailed to us mid-year so we can see how you’re doing in your last year of school.  I’m sure all of your teachers and counselors warn you about the ailment of senioritis.  While we want you to have a fun and memorable senior year, it is very important that you continue working hard and doing well in school.  We expect the same academic progress to continue until you graduate, which is why the mid-year and final transcripts are reviewed for each and every applicant.  No senior slump here!  Remember, have fun and enjoy being a senior, but don’t relax too much, even after receiving a decision letter from Rhodes or any other college. 

I don’t have great pictures of the campus covered in snow because we left early and then I was pretty much snowed into my house (without power for about 4 hours!)…but below are some pictures of the beginning of the snow on campus. In the end, we got about 6 inches which is more snow than I’ve ever seen in Memphis in the 5+ years that I’ve lived here.

Memphis isn’t a city that is equipped to deal with very much snow so it’s actually pretty nice because everything shuts down. People don’t go anywhere and everyone just stays home. It was actually quite a nice change of pace. Being from Ohio, I am not used to this. There, nothing closes unless there is at least 12 inches of snow. This weekend my parents got 20 inches of snow! But, I would rather have 6 beautiful inches of snow that melt the next day than 20 inches that you have to shovel and then it all turns into slush. So, I guess I’m saying Memphis’ snow situation is pretty great.

Also, it’s pretty great that it’s going to be 60 degrees today. Now that I’ve had my one snow, bring on the spring.

–Caroline

The Diplomats are led by four student leaders who serve on the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is responsible for selecting the members, training the membership, planning all meetings, socials, additional training and serving as the compass for the organization’s goals and visions. I love the mission of the Diplomats; here it is: The Rhodes College Diplomats are among our best and brightest students and function as the College’s representatives. The purpose of the Rhodes College Diplomats is to serve the institution and the student body by building community-conscious servants and leaders in its membership, entrusting them with the responsibility of successfully recruiting qualified students and building positive rapport among alumni, students and guests.

So, as you can see, this is quite the responsibility. We will be selecting new members for the 2008-2009 school year at the end of this month. It will be an intense process of reviewing applications, recommendations, and interviewing the candidates. As hard as it is to pick from a competitive applicant pool, we always end up with great new Diplomats. The Diplomat shirt is a prized possession to these members and often reminds our visitors of Harry Potter tour guides.

On a personal note, because these 50 students are so friendly and wonderful, it has been my pleasure to get to know them and encourage them in all areas of there lives. My first floor office has a window that I call my “drive through” because often students will pop their heads in just to say hi. Most days, Diplomats drop by just to tell me about their job searches, grad school plans, or formals. Because I have so much contact with current students, I feel that I can better speak to prospective students about what our students are like! And the answer is AWESOME!

 

Our Greek system has a lot of positives but probably the best one is that we have a non-residential system. Most chapters have a meeting lodge on campus, but no one lives in the houses. All residential students (Greek and Non-Greek alike) live intermingled in our lovely residence halls. Consequently, most Rhodes students will tell you that half of their friends are Greek and half are independent- truly a result of the non-residential nature, I think. Ask them! I dare you. One quick fact for you… four of our sorority lodges were recently added to the National Historic Registry (under Southwestern at Memphis- the College’s previous name), bringing the total number of buildings on the registry at Rhodes College to 18!

Speaking from personal experience, I found Greek Life to be a very fulfilling activity in college. Did you know that most sororities and fraternities were founded with a service mission and that they all are affiliated with a national charity? From Make a Wish Foundation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or the American Heart Association, the Greeks are raising money and making a difference on a national level.

For the past three years, I have had the privilege of serving on the advisory board of one of our sororities. This is so much fun for me because I get to know some of the current students really well, and I get to continue relationships with some of the girls that I recruited to Rhodes! (Two of my colleagues, Timothy Gibson and Caroline King, are also Greek advisers). I advise the Sisterhood Chair. My advisee and I focus specifically on making sure that each of our members feel like they have a home away from home. We plan monthly sisterhood events ranging from Grey’s Anatomy night get-togethers, to a fabulous brunch at the house during Parent’s Weekend, to a huge sisterhood blow-out the week before formal- moonbounce, popcorn machine and all. It really is a lot of fun to get to know my advisee and help her lead the sorority.

But it’s not just the Greeks who have leadership opportunities! Rhodes has around 100 different student organizations and our students are EXTREMELY involved. These organizations sponsor over 250 events throughout the academic year so there is never a dull moment on campus. Even many of the Greek events are open to the entire campus. So, you will not feel left out no matter what you choose. Remember, half the student population is making the same choice as you: Greek or Independent.

The CSS Profile was created by the College Board to help schools, like Rhodes, award its institutional funds…not federal aid or merit aid, but money that we have set aside to help meet the cost of your education based on your family’s ability to pay.  Since the CSS Profile goes into more detail than the FAFSA and ask questions that the FAFAS leaves out, we know that the Profile gives us a better overall picture of you family financial situation; there fore we are able to distribute out limited funds in a more equitable and consistent manner than if we just used the FAFSA data.

Now that you know the why, let’s talk about the how.  The CSS Profile recently went through a major overhaul with the end result being a better, more intuitive tool for the user (that’s you!).  Based on questions that you answer while registering for the CSS Profile, the form only asks you questions that apply to your financial situation.  That means that you will not have to answer a lot of questions that do not apply to you!  Not only do we get feedback based on the question you answer, but there is also some space on the CSS Profile for you to comment or to let us know what is going on with your family.  Many students use this space to share with us that they expect to receive some outside financial aid or that they have a special situation they would like us to know about.

I hope this brief overview of the CSS Profile give you an understanding about why schools require it and how it can benefit you!  We take it seriously and know it helps you and us in the long run.  Remember, the priority deadline is March 1, so while you’re here…go for it!  Complete the CSS Profile today!

Keep in mind that Rhodes offers three Bellingrath Fellowships (valued at full tuition, room and board), plus five Morse Fellowships at $32,000/per year and fifteen Cambridge Fellowships at $24,000/per year.  While we offer over $20 million every year in total scholarship money, the Bellingrath, Morse and Cambridge make up our top fellowships.  As a side note, how many of you know the difference between a scholarship and a fellowship?  Well, Rhodes recently turned all of our scholarships into fellowships by offering enhanced research, internship and service learning opportunities to go along with the money.

While the actual work during Committee may get somewhat tedious (we have a lot of files to talk about over the course of the week!) we share some great sugar-induced laughs and finally get a bigger picture of our applicant pool.  Committee week is a favorite time of year for us in the Admissions Office for several reasons:  we all get to wear jeans to work, we eat a ton of junk food and most importantly, we get to hear some incredible stories of students who have done absolutely wonderful things during their high school years. 

I am constantly amazed by the initiative of students who have started their own small businesses or worked 15-20 hours a week in a part time job while still being top academicians; the students who have grabbed on to a cause they are passionate about and work to evoke change in their communities; the applicant who went above and beyond the coursework in their school and decided to pursue a summer program or an independent research project, just because they’re interested; the teenager who really let their personality shine through in their activities and essay.  Each applicant we consider has his or her own story to share and you just know they are going to make amazing contributions to their college community. 

Of course, as admissions counselors, we hope you all choose to make that difference on the Rhodes campus, but we know you will be successful citizens wherever you choose to call home. 

While these pictures didn’t turn out very well, due to the lighting, here are a few pictures we snapped during Committee yesterday.  Notice the junk food on the table!  It was also my birthday and Caroline made the most delicious chocolate cake for all of us to enjoy.

After I finished on campus, I met up with some friends to go downtown for the Memphis/UTEP basketball game at noon. Tickets were only $12 for the terrace and as always for Tigers games, it was just a sea of blue shirts. Memphis won, so afterwards we stopped by Lauren & Eric’s place in Harbor Town on Mud Island for some pizza. We also sampled seven different kinds of cheeses, since Eric got a cheese-of-the-month club membership over Christmas. My favorite was the sharp white cheddar, but the rye was unique and would be good on a sandwich (3rd picture). Mud Island is actually a pretty cool place to go for a run or just take a book and relax; the Harbor Town planned community is a pretty good model when studying urban planning. There is plenty of space down by the Mississippi River on the grass to toss a frisbee when it is warm outside.

As it turned out, another one of my friends got some free tickets to the Grizzlies game that night, so I just stayed downtown and met up with them around 7pm. I have to admit that I am impressed with the Forum’s flexibility, because they only had a couple of hours to turn everything around and that includes changing the floor (4th & 5th pictures)! Needless to say, I think I’ve gotten my fill of live basketball for the time being, but it is hard to pass up free tickets, that’s for sure.

Take it easy – Robert