The Pacific Northwest Counselors College Tour

Notes and Impressions

 

Whitman College

 

Whitman is located in Walla Walla, Washington which is 5 hours from Seattle and 3 hours from Portland.  There is an airport in Walla Walla that is 5 minutes away from campus and a slightly larger airport in Pasco which is one hour away.  There are private transportation options from Pasco and taxi’s from Walla Walla.  Students usually find a friend to pick them up or over their stay at Whitman, they arrange for rides to the larger airports in Portland or Seattle.

 

 Walla Walla has a historic downtown filled with art galleries, sculpture, wine tasting rooms, a Macys, home decorating stores and restaurants.  The Walla Walla Valley is renowned for its onion and its wines.  There are 48 Walla Walla Valley wineries.  There is also a symphony, a farmer’s market during the fall, spring and summer months, a wildlife refuge, rivers and lakes to explore, the Fort Walla Walla Natural area, bike trails, golf courses, a skateboard park and skiing.

 

The campus is lovely brick buildings in a well groomed, grassy setting. 

 

Whitman has a 45% admit rate with a wait list of around 300 students which usually goes down to 100 once students make their decisions in May.

Not many students get off the wait list.

There is a small pool of spring admits of 25-30 students

20% athletes

70% public school students

Financial Aid is “need blind” for students except those on the wait list.

Financial aid is available for students with financial need.  Whitman is trying to reduce merit scholarships

 

All students do a First-Year Core Program in Antiquity and Modernity during their first two semesters.  One professor teaches a section of not more than 17 students for the entire academic year.

 

All Whitman students are required to complete written and oral exams to graduate.  These cover knowledge the student has acquired over their four-year education at the college.

 

Whitman professors do a good job identifying students, early in their academic career, to engage in research opportunities or to put nominated for a variety of grants and scholarships.

 

A hallmark program at Whitman is Semester in the West.  This is offered through Environmental Studies program.  Forty students and a faculty member travel throughout the west studying social justice and environmental issues.  They speak with 80-100 people from varying background and viewpoints during their travels.  They study all areas of science, social science and humanities. 

·        Highly selective program

·        Applicants must have at least a 3.6 GPA, usually be a junior, write an essay, get letters of recommendation ,have an interview and be able to relate it to their major.

·        Each morning is focused on environmental activities and each afternoon exploring the counterpart.

·        Participants discover the complexity of the issues

·        Each student keeps a journal and does a final project (4 credits in politics and 4 in environmental studies)

·        There is a two week intensive science component where students study the grass lands to explore what grows where etc.

·        Throughout the program there is a ”human dimension” giving the students the opportunity to explore archeology, historic art, guns in various cultures and so forth.

·        There is discussion each day and the program is writing intense

·        Students travel in trucks, camp in public lands, prepare their own meals, and learn to live in close proximity with one another.

·        A computer van accompanies the group

·        The program operates ever other year and leaves in early fall and ends by December.

 

Whitman owns a nearby wilderness campus

 

There is a large study abroad program

·        45% of juniors study abroad

·        Students may take their financial aid and scholarship with them

·        20% are science and math majors

·        Students are immersed in the local community.  They study with teachers from that country, live with families or with local students

·        They do research and/or independent studies

·        New programs are in Latin America and Egypt

·        Students do not need to be proficient in a foreign language for all of these programs

 

Research is encouraged and available and is common for students to do projects with faculty.

 

There are interest houses, Fraternity houses and NO sororities

 

Asian Studies is also an area showing a lot of progress.  There are two programs with Japan

 

Whitman students are:

·        Unpretentious and intellectually curious

·        Are defined by what you do and what you think

·        Totally engaged in their education and a mix of extracurricular activities

·        Live by an environmental ethic

·        Outdoory (or will become outdoorsy)

·        Passionate about multiple things

·        Well rounded

·        Nice “kids”

·        A professor describes a typical student as an “

·         Intellectual snowboarder”.

 

Whitman has a DI Ski team, cycling, and crew to name a few of Redwood’s favorite sports.

 

Reed College

 

Reed is located in Portland, Oregon on a beautiful campus with some exquisite old buildings.

 

All freshmen take Humanities which is an integrated course joining Humanities, Social Science, Art history and Religion.

There is a cultural approach to all of the materials.  Students participate in interdisciplinary lectures, small class discussion groups known at Reed as conferences.

 

Students in these “Conferences”;

·        Learn to listen

·        Learn to speak

·        Do intensive writing.  Each student works individually with a member of the faculty in a one-to-one situation in a writing tutorial for ½ hour.  The papers are not graded but have comments written on them.

·        These comments help students to understand their self development.

 

All freshmen read the same text at the same time thus making a binding relationship for all freshmen on campus which lasts through the college years.

  • Students find themselves discussing their readings
  • All students must participate in class discussions go beyond the classroom and beyond the freshman year.
  • Students begin dealing with different view points on the small material early in their college life.
  • This discourse and inquiry and attitude of discovery is what distinguishes the Reed student and something that continues throughout their education
  • Will be assigned a pre-major advisor

 

Majors are declared in the sophomore year

 

All juniors take the qualifying exam which is known as the “qual”.  It tests skills in writing and quantitative skills.

 

There is a seminar during the junior year.  Students are expected to look for what has been written and documented about the given topic they choose.

  • They are expected to be able to define what they are doing and why.
  • This helps prepare the students for their senior thesis

  

 

All seniors do a Thesis with the help and support of one faculty member.  Seniors will need to defend their thesis with 4 faculty members during a two hour oral examination

 

Seniors also have the opportunity to participate in the senior symposium.

  • Talk about contemporary texts with students from a variety of majors.
  • Students always know where they are and what is expected because of this highly structured curriculum
  • All groups are small and discussion based
  • Students are expected to think like a professional in their field.
  • The seek out articles and literature to help them with the project
  • All senior thesis are bound and live forever in the “tower” of the library which looks like the one in Harry Potter.

 

Reed students are said to have their own language because they have gone through this unifying experience.

 

Students do earn grades at Reed on their transcript but not on their assignments.  All assignments are returned to the student with a written evaluation by the professor.  Chemistry exams are returned and scored with the number that is correct.

  • Students are notified by way of a note to see the professor if they are earning a C- in a subject.
  • The professor then helps them prepare for the next exam
  • There is lots of support for all subjects and for the “Qual” in the junior year.

 

The typical Reed student is;

  • A pure intellectual
  • Loves discussion
  • Involved
  • Intellectually creative individuals
  • Willing to work really hard
  • Articulate
  • Celebrate different types of students

 

 Admissions at Reed

  • Holistic
  • Applications are read twice
  • If there is any question they may be read by the faculty and the dean
  • The evaluators are looking for consistency in academics
  • Interest in learning
  • Motivation
  • Evidence that the student is up to the challenge of Reed academics
  • The essay and interview must support the fact that the student truly cares about learning
  • Professors “recruit for their” team academically
  • Potential students must show excitement about the thesis

 

Reed has no sport teams

 

Willamette

 

Willamette University is located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the State Capitol of Salem.  The campus has a river running through it and is lush and green.  The Capitol buildings are across the street and the new art museum is a block away from campus.  I is beautifully manicured and gives students plenty of places to be out of doors in inviting surroundings.

 

There is a very good music department at Willamette.  All students can audition to be in a musical group.  There are lots of opportunities

 

Political Science is another popular major.  Students have easy access to the Capitol and are able to secure internships.

 

English and Creative Writing were also mentioned as strong majors at Willamette

 

There is a Japanese study program in Tokyo that students can access for a semester, a year, a month or for a summer exchange program.  There are also Japanese students who come to Willamette as part of this program.

 

Students are encouraged to do research with professors either in a summer program or during the school year.  These collaborative opportunities are competitive and include areas such as pre-medical, pre-dental, physical therapy, optometry and more.  Basically “anything goes”.  There is also an EMT program on campus.  The hospital is 2 blocks form campus and is a major contributor to internship possibilities and a setting for research.

 

Seniors in all departments have a “Senior Experience” project which is a thesis, internship or special project.  Students who have declared a Humanities Major will be required to do independent research bases on one of four seminars that relate to a text.  A major scholar is brought in to meet with the student.

 

There is a Greek system but they are not a separate entity on campus.  They participate in all campus events and their events are open to all students.  They are viewed as service organizations.

 

There is a Core course but it is under review.  Presently there is a 1st semester seminar with a quantitative requirement, six modes of inquiry, two years of a foreign language and four courses in writing.  All subjects, across the curriculum, during the first year have a “World View”.  Faculty works collectively on the plans and curriculum.  Everyone reads the same texts but with different teachers, and some invited speakers.  This is set to change for students beginning in 2006.  The groups are small, 15-16, students each.  The faculty is proposing cluster courses around themes with continued faculty collaboration but a larger variety of texts.

 

The Students:

·        From all over the United States

·        Very involved – sports teams, Greek life, tour guides, overnight host coordinators, internships at the capitol, attending sports events and cheering for the teams, music and theatre productions, philanthropic events, community service and religious clubs.

·        Students wished they could slow down a bit but there are so many things to keep them busy

·        Very friendly, warm and welcoming

 

Sports are DIII and the athletes are supported by the other students, town, faculty etc.

 

Hearths:

·        Special study areas that are set up in a central location to the professors offices.

·        The professors come out and interact with the students

 

Traditions at Willamette include the Opening Day initiation walk in the rose garden. The freshmen float candles on the Mill Stream that runs through campus as a symbol of their hopes for the future. When the students graduate they again walk through the rose garden with their professors with the bag pipes playing

 

At freshmen orientation the new students eat in the home of an alumnus in Salem.  The alumni provide a great support system for the students and help them with connections in town for internships and other opportunities.

 

Lewis & Clark

 

Lewis & Clark is in Portland, Oregon set in a fabulously beautiful park-like setting.  The administration building is an old mansion overlooking lawns and the mountains.  The older structures on campus are all scheduled to be replaced

 

Students at Lewis & Clark enjoy the resources of the Law School and graduate school counseling

 

Environmental Science and International Affairs are popular majors.

 

Funding is available for students to do research with faculty.

 

There is a two semester Core Course which will be “Exploration & Discovery” for future freshmen classes.  Students will spend the fall semester working on a core group of texts, studying them from a historical perspective.  During the spring semester the students and faculty will break into groups and take off from there.  Students may select teachers according to the discipline which interests them the most.

 

AS is the case with all of these small Liberal Arts colleges, students at Lewis and Clark would like more diversity on campus.  There is a fly-in program and good Financial Aid.

 

The student panel identified “school unity” as a problem and felt there could be more school spirit.

 

There is a strong music program that is open to all students.  There is World Music, Classical Ensembles, Music Ecology and chorus.

 

There are many internship opportunities.

·        Sixty student interns are invited to do research with alumni during the summers

·        Hospital internships are available

·        The alumni has a contact roster

·        There are internship opportunities in the admissions office and in the residence halls.

 

Students are involved in community service.  They have built shelters for the homeless, worked with reading programs in the public schools, done environmental clean-up and more.

 

Lewis & Clark will allow students to apply with a portfolio including a transcript, an academic portfolio of graded writing/course work and recommendations.  Students who wish to apply by portfolio may eliminate their SAT/ACT scores.

 

Applicants who have demonstrated an interest in Lewis & Clark stand a better chance of being admitted.  The admissions counselors see if the student has visited the campus, attended college fairs and seen the representative there, has come to presentations at their high school etc.  If these things are available then students interested in Lewis & Clark should attend.

 

There is a national debate team

 

University of Puget Sound

 

The University of Puget Sound is located in Tacoma, Washington which was recently ranked at one of the 10 most livable cities in the United States.  The campus is beautiful and is near a small neighborhood that has plenty of options for the college set such as coffee shops, markets, movie theatres and places to eat.  Tacoma is on the Puget Sound and they do have a crew team.

 

There are three new museums and a new convention center in town.

 

UPS has the highest ranked DIII sports on the West Coast and they are #28 in the Country.  The athletes are also interested in their academics and campus leadership.  The soccer and basketball programs are also good.

 

U. of Puget Sound has good community connections and is able to access programs in the public schools.  There is actually an outreach program for students in the junior high and high schools, run by the students and faculty from U. P.S. to help prepare Tacoma’s students for college.    This is just one example of the humanitarian character of U.P.S.  It is a culture of engagement between faculty and students. 

·        “Kids Can Do” program

·        Greeks active in community service with reading programs and pen pals

·        Advising group also does work in the community such as starting a vegetable garden for the homeless community

·        Take the volunteer ethic into the community to help with creek clean-up/restoration

 

The University of Puget Sound Student is;

·        Liberal, politically but open to what others think (there is a Young Republican club on campus)

·        Intellectually Independent

·        Has multiple interests

·        Can be autonomous

·        Friendly

·        Happy and successful

 

The Admissions Counselors do keep track of students who show interest.

They look at the high school curriculum, the SAT (around 1250), and for a balance in the life of the applicant.  They are not “heavy-handed” and will look outside the profile.  80% of the admitted students are from the top 50% of their graduating class.

 

Signature programs include:

 

·        IPE International Political Economy is the first and larges program of its type in the nation.  The professor who wrote the book is a faculty member.

·        The School of Music features all types of musical performance including opera.   Music scholarships are available even for non-music majors.  There are at least 100 concerts each year.  Anyone can audition for one of the ensembles.

·        The New science building enhances the Biology Department and other science majors.

·        There is a graduate level School of Education

·        Plenty of research opportunities

 

Students say that U. P.S.

·        Is good for students who like a proximity to big cities.  Seattle is a 30-40 minute drive

·        They like the accessible admissions staff

·        People stay around for campus activities on the weekends

·        There are “wee hours” programs and Late night programs

·        There is a Casino Night and a Spring Cruise

·        There is a dry Greek system

·        Two large activities about twice a month

·        Like Tacoma’s restaurants, Pt. Defiance Park, minor league baseball, movie theatre, museums and more

·        A bit of a bubble

·        Would like a larger minority population

 

CRUSSH  TOUR

 

Skidmore College – Is in Saratoga Springs New York which is a resort town just east of the Adirondacks and just south of Lake George.  It is the home of horse racing in late July and opera and the New York Ballet in June through mid-July.

 

  • Skidmore is a community of 2200 students.
  • 50% of the students study overseas during there time at Skidmore.  This is an important part of education there and all majors including science are encouraged to do this.
  • 100 year tradition in the Liberal Arts
  • Strong in the Arts & Dance
  • New Science programs are strong such as Astro-Physics
  • Students may design their own majors.  These are called Independent Study majors
  • All students wait until their junior year to declare a major
  • Skidmore has programs that connect with American University in Washington D.C.
  • The campus in its present location is 40 years old and built with a South West flare.  A new dining hall will be complete fall of 06 as will the new apartment style dormitories which will replace the present housing in town.  A new music building will be completed in 08.
  • A key program at Skidmore is the Scribner Seminar which is a class of 15 students who work one-on-one with a professor.  All work on a specific research which the professor is passionate about.  Students choose the subject matter that is of interest to them.  This professor becomes their mentor until they choose a major in their junior year.  Often the student and the Scribner Seminar professor remain in close contact for all 4 years.
  • Skidmore has a 3-2 partnerships in Engineering with Rensselear Poly Tech, Clarkson and Dartmouth
  • The Freshman Semester in London is another defining Skidmore program.  Each year 36 or so freshmen begin their education in London.  They will be selected after being admitted to Skidmore.  They go through orientation in London and then return to the main U.S. campus in the spring.
  • Skidmore uses the Common application
  • 70% of the applicants applied on-line
  • Skidmore has both Early Decision and regular decision.  There are 2 rounds of Early Decision, one deadline is November 15th and the other is the same as regular decision on January 15th and these students will know their admissions decision within several weeks.  Regular applicants will get their decision later.
  • There were 6600 applications for 610 places on the Skidmore campus and 36 spaces in London for fall of 2006. 
  • Admitted students had an average SAT of 1320 while students who chose to attend had an average SAT of 1260.  The high school profile is important as Skidmore wants students who have challenged themselves in areas of interest.  They stated that “it is OK to excel in 2 or 3 areas and get a solid B+ than try to be impressive in all areas.”
  • Skidmore wants involved students in and out of the classroom.  They look carefully at the two letters of recommendation from teachers and the letter from the counselor.  The essay is important for content and writing skill. Grammar counts!
  • Recommended are 4-years of Math, Foreign Language and Science.  They did say that if a student does not like or feel strong in Science or Math then there should be something else filling the gaps
  • Skidmore wants students to take the ACT + Writing or the SAT although they only count the first two sections of the SAT.
  • They will look at AP scores but say they will not “make or break” the chance for admission.
  • There is a music scholarship, four Presidential scholarships and five scholarships in math and Science.
  • The cost of attendance is $46,500 and the average award is $27,000.
  • There is a separate question on the Common Application regarding math and Science for another $10,000 scholarship
  • Application and Financial Aid applications MUST be on time.
  • The students who spoke on the panel and on the tours said that they chose Skidmore because they could study in specific areas, do research with professors as freshmen and wanted a collaborative atmosphere.  Other things that the students mentioned were
    • Involvement on campus
    • Flexible and open to new experiences
    • Open minded
    • An embrace of the Liberal Arts Education
    • The campus and the town – Lots of things to do on and off campus
    • Good support by the staff
    • Professors that engage students in classroom discussions and are available at all hours for the students.

A professor at Skidmore gave this quote

“If you tell me,

             I will forget.

If you show me,

I will remember.

If you involve me,

I will understand.”

 

 

Rensselaer Poly Technical (RPI) - Is located in Troy, New York which is a small town on the rebound.  Students say there are places to go in Troy to ear and drink.  They like the outdoor opportunities and the skiing.  It is around 3 hours from any BIG city.

·        Rensselaer is an Engineering college with other majors in Architecture, Management and Arts & Sciences.

·        There is a Media and Performing Arts Center being built.

·        This school prides itself as a place where Technology & Art meet.

·        They are building like mad.  There have been one hundred and thirty-five new hires and the addition of Bio-Technology, Nano-Technology and Physics recently.

·        All areas of study go through the PhD. Level.

·        There are 6.800 students on campus and 5,000 are undergraduates.  In the past it has been 25% female but the entering class of fall 06 will be 32% female.  The average SAT is 1320.

·        The BUZZ at Rensselaer is the Product Design concentration.

o       Students combine their talents in different backgrounds to design products and then actually manufacture them

o       There is a manufacturing laboratory on campus

o       We heard about several projects that 3 mechanical Engineers and one Management Major got together and invented.  One was a radio frequency “Life Link” to help a caretaker track someone with a disability or other issue.  This product already has the interest o a potential buyer.  Another product is an “X-shot Camera” built into goggles for Skiers and Snow Boarders.  They are still working on the camera for the Proto-type.

o       Students overlap by getting a B.S. in their Technical field, a B.S. in design and a B.S. in Science & Technology. They do a core of 1-2 years in engineering, an English program, an Interdisciplinary Design program and a senior project/Capstone.

o       Graduate students “pitch” their ideas to undergrads to develop and produce Proto-Types.  The goal is the product the students create as they work with the innovation of the graduate students.

·        Rensselaer students all rave about the Studio Teaching style where there are no real lectures.  Classes meet and listen to the professors for around 10 minutes and then they work on a problem together while solving it together in an open inter-active way.

·        A freshman student said “why not change the world?  “Innovation and new ideas alter the way society functions”.

·        The panel of students choose to attend RPI because:

o       They could take “hands-on” classes

o       A female Architecture student like that she could do studio design immediately

o       Another student liked the Bio-Medical Engineering courses and said that RPI had more resources than another Poly Tech school in the East.

o       Another student mentioned the Information Technology courses and the great financial aid.

  • Supplemental Instruction was also mentioned as a real plus at RPI.
    • This is an option for all students
    • Students help each other
    • Learning Assistants in the Residence hall are available to students for group study sessions.  There is an L.A. in each hall
    • Personal tutors are also available
    • There is a mentoring program
    • Writing Center
    • Women’s Center
    • T.A.s with Office hours
    • Accommodating professors

The students seemed happy, hard working, engaged in their education, smart, busy and fun.

 

There are study abroad options.  Even the Architecture and Engineering students go abroad to programs in London, Asia, Singapore, and Bombay.

 

 

Union College – Is located in the Capitol Region of New York State in the town of Schenectady.  Students can go into town and to larger malls but report that their lives revolve around what happens on campus.

  • Union was the first non-denominational college in the nation founded in 1795 with the mission to help people look at the world in a different way as they came together to learn.
  • Union is on a trimester system with 20 terms and opportunities for 60% of the students to study abroad
  • Recently 30 students were funded by the college to go to New Orleans during an intersession to help with clean-up.  This will become a tradition.
  • Each freshman will be in a preceptorial, sophomore will do a research seminar and each senior will do a senior project.  All students are encouraged to do undergraduate research.
  • Freshman Preceptorial teachers become the student’s mentor throughout their stay at Union.
  • Union is a Liberal Arts college with an Engineering Degree.  The emphasis is on converging technologies and crossing boundaries.  Some of the courses that were mentioned are technology in the ancient world, bio-ethics and neuro-science.
  •  Union offers a four-year Bachelor of Science plus a Masters degree by adding summer classes.  There is a five-year Masters of Business (MBA) with any undergraduate major the student chooses, a ¾ M.D. with Albany Medical College and a combined Law degree with Albany Law School.  There is also a Classic’s major.
  • The Minerva House system is a bridge between social and academic life.  It is two years old and offers all students an access to a social space.  There are 7 fabulous, mostly old stately, houses that both faculty and students are assigned to depending on their interests.  Each house has a living room, a game room, a kitchen and some dorm spaces up stairs for students who are at least sophomores.  Each house has a budget and sponsors speakers, trips seminars and events that are open to anyone on campus.  Before arriving, students can go online and decide which house is the best for them.  Freshmen are assigned a book to read during the summer depending on which Minerva they will belong to.  Upon arrival students meet in their Minerva for a welcome and events will follow.
  • There is also a Greek system at Union.  Rush is a sophomore event.
  • Union partners with the local community in community service opportunities, theater, opera and good food.
  • The Trimester system allows students to access mini classes during the 6-week breaks.
    • Students have 3 classes every ten weeks
  • The Administrators are also the faculty.  These teachers are also scholars and do research. 
  • Students at Union say they are practical because they are interested in research, internships and experiential learning.  Union is not oriented to be a pre-professional school but like most Liberal Arts colleges it offers a breadth of options for its students.
  • There is lots of spirit at Union.  The athletics are D III.  Students have an ice rink on campus and Hockey is a “big deal”.  Students also attend the other sporting events and 60% are involved in informal leagues through the Minerva Houses.
  • The student panel reported that:
    • There are lots of housing options
    • Lots of student clubs
    • Opportunities for leadership
    • Strong academics
    • People get involved
    • Students are engaged and do not stay in their rooms
    • Students do not go home!
    • They want more diversity , not just racial but different types of people

Union looks at the essence of the student as much as their SAT/ACT scores.  They look at the “whole package.  It is a lovely campus with warm, fun, engaged, and happy students.

 

 

Hamilton College – is located on a hill in Clinton New York which is still in the Capitol Region.  This is a beautiful campus with the buildings all of grey stone.  Faculty, Greek houses and other lovely residences are adjacent to the campus

  • Hamilton is a college with no core curriculum.  They do not put students “in bins”.  Hamilton believes in flexibility and freedom for students to study whatever interests them.  This is similar to the philosophy at Brown, Amherst and Hampshire Colleges.
  • Students have a sense of community and location.  Most faculty live on or near campus
  • Students and faculty say there is” intellect and not arrogance”.  There is also lots of school spirit as Hamilton is another school immersed in Ice Hockey .  They have their own ice rink.
  • They report that their quality of applicants goes up each year.  This is consistent with all of the schools on this tour.  Hamilton is, however, SAT optional.  They require an SAT/ACT OR 3 SAT II  with one being the Writing and one being quantitative or IB testing, or an AP test with one other SAT II.  60% do use test scores. 
  • The admissions people were very honest with us and list as some of the things they want to change as more diversity, both multi-cultural and geographic.  They reported that they loose students to Middlebury, Cornell, Williams and Amherst.  They take applicants from Trinity, Bucknell and Dickinson and they admit the same students as Colgate, Colby, Bowdoin and Bates.
  • The Dean of students feels that Hamilton students get “the best education for each individual student”.  They have no distribution requirements because they felt it was artificial and aimed at the weaker students who might not be willing to experiment and take some classes that are offered.
  • They have a sophomore seminar that is team taught by two disciplines such as studying the Adirondacks (Nature & Geography) or Plays (English and Math)
  • Writing classes are required, as is Physical Education.  All students do pass a quantitative exam.
  • The students are interested in many things and are active and bright.
  • Hamilton offers regional interviews
  • Students may create majors
  • There are 1850 students on campus.  There is a pub on campus where students hang out.  Those who are not 21 cannot drink while those who are 21 can.  Students report that the life is ON campus and you only go into town for the necessities like clothes and supplies.
  • A good student for Hamilton is a self driven person with a broad range of interests and is “stoked” to learn and experience new things.
  • The students seemed “down to earth” and not ostentatious.

 

 

Syracuse University - Located in Syracuse, New York.

This “Big-Small” school took me by surprise.  It has the feel of a large university with a diversity of educational opportunities and students but it is only 10,000 students.  It has BIG sports and lots of spirit (the Big Orange).  It has schools of Architecture, the College of Arts & Sciences, School of education, the L.C. Smith College of Engineering & Computer Science, the College of Human Services and Health Professions (Child & Family Studies, Nutrition, Hospitality management, social Work and Sports Management), Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the College of Visual & Performing Arts which encompasses the schools of Art & Design, Department of Drama, Setnor School of Music, Department of Communications and Rhetorical Studies and the Department of Retail management and Consumer Studies.

  • Syracuse is 75% residential
  • Offers “blended BA and MA degrees
  • Students may earn a MBA or MSW taking summer classes in addition to a “full load” of regular classes during the year
  • Students may take classes in all colleges.  All college do offer introduction courses that are open to any major.
  • Many courses are inter-disciplinary and collaborative
  • Syracuse University encourages all majors to have international experiences.  It owns campuses in London, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing, Straussberg and Florence.  New campuses in India, Australia and Brazil are planned.
  • Professors say they are at Syracuse to teach undergraduates and do research with them 

 

The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications – Dean Rubin

  • The Dean teaches and advises students
  • The Newhouse admits about 20-22% of the applicants.  Newhouse gets around 3524 applicants for a class of 330.  They admit 772.
  • Overall Syracuse admits 46% to the first choice and another 9% to second choice programs.  Priority is given to the first choice listed.
  •  Newhouse wants students with around 3.7 GPA and 1300 SAT (old scales Verbal and Math only).  If students are under this, they are encouraged to apply to the College of Arts & Sciences and take all of the intro-courses for Communications, do well in these and transfer.
    • The Dean suggests that students who choose to do this “be smart” and take courses they are really good in during that first year so they will get great grades.  Students wishing to transfer into Newhouse will be ranked from 4.0 down and the top 100-120 will get in.
    • If one does not make it after the freshman year they can try again in the middle and end of the sophomore year.
    • Interviews are encouraged.  Students may go to campus or arrange for an alumni interview.
    •  They say that they are looking for geographical, racial and gender diversity.  Newhouse is presently 2/3 female.  Above all writing matters.  They do look at the Writing section of the SAT or ACT but do not use it in the numerical equation for admissions.
    • Students may apply Early Decision to Newhouse.  The applicant pool is generally a little weaker and 65% are admitted from THAT applicant pool.
  • Essays, extra-curricular activities and recommendations are very important.  Applicants should be interested in communications as a profession and have developed some skills already.  Students are welcome to send CDs, DVDs, or writing samples but they should be selective and EDIT carefully.
  • Dean Rubin said that when selecting a major in Communications students applying to Syracuse should know that:
  1. They will have a straight 4-year Liberal Arts experience not a “career education”.
  2. While getting a Liberal Arts education they will want some professional opportunities at the undergraduate level and at Newhouse they will be able to get jobs after graduation.  The graduation rate is 92% and this program graduates its students and does not “weed them out”.  93% of the Newhouse graduates work in media within 6 months of graduation
  3. Newhouse is accredited by the ACEJMC which is an organization which accredits 106 programs in journalism and mass communication at colleges and universities in the United States (and one outside).  The Newhouse School has been accredited since 1948.  This accreditation allows students to compete in nationally recognized competitions and be recruited by employers.
  • The program is ¾ Liberal Arts and ¼ Professional training
  • There are 1,750 students enrolled in Newhouse.  Four to Five hundred of these students are duel majors in the Arts & Sciences.
  • Newhouse is “full service” and has everything; photography, journalism, film, public relations, and broadcasting.  Graduates can and do go anywhere in media.
  • Students may change their major within Newhouse because it is all there.
  • Newhouse has a professional facility with all digital equipment and a huge annual budget to spend on constant updates.  There are presently two buildings at Newhouse with a third being completed by august of 2007.
  • All Media, on campus, is student run.  There are 3 radio stations (one sports, one music and one NPR), a newspaper, 2 TV stations and a variety of magazines.
  • There are lots of internship opportunities in Syracuse as well as New York City.
  • Students spend their summers all over the world.  Recently Newhouse students were in Athens and Turin for the Olympic Games with NBC.  They earned 6 credits.  They will work with NBC in Beijing for the 2008 Games The film, P.R. and TV students have opportunities in New York City with CNN and other national agencies.
  • The main competitors of Newhouse are Northwestern, U. of Missouri, USC, U. of Miami, Scripps at Ohio U., Indiana, Arizona State, Washington State, University of Oregon and Boston U. (Boston U. IS NOT accredited by the ACEJMC). 

Visual & Performing Arts

·        A small selective department of drama

·        The School of Music

·        Department of Art & Design

o       Includes all visual arts such as Interior and Industrial Design, Printmaking, fiber Arts, trans-media studies, photography, film, computer graphics and video

o       There is a venue for the communications design program downtown in Syracuse “the Warehouse” which partners with architecture firms and is a public & community gallery space.

o       The Drama program works with an Equity theater in Syracuse and is able to partner with productions with these equity actors

o       Theater students may work at the Globe theatre in London or in Los Angles with film at Warner Brothers (Aaron Sorkin is a Syracuse graduate).

o       There are Theater and Music programs in Florence, London and Strasbourg.

o       Students are admitted into Drama as freshmen.  The program has a “Core” curriculum so it is hard to transfer into later. 

o       The theater has a Main Stage which is for majors and a Black box format which is open call.  The music ensembles are open for audition.  The marching Band is also open

o       A portfolio is required for Environmental Design majors

o       The fashion design major offers a BFA

Martin J. Whitman, School of management

  • 900 students
  • Focus pm team work
  • Incubation Center for business plans
  • Students enter competitions
  • There is an Investment Institute and a Trading floor on campus
  • Admitted students have between a 1230-1240 SAT and a 3.72 GPA

The College of Engineering & Computer Science

  • There are no “Geeks”
  • Recruits multi-dimensional candidates who want a deeply technical education plus a broader knowledge of the world
  • Innovation driven
  • Optional Co-Op experience available
  • Study Abroad is fully articulated in England and Spain
  • Engineers are a small family
  • Do partner with the Whitman School of Management for a second degree in Entrepreneurship. 
  • Outcome based
  • Biomedical engineering,  chemical engineering, mechanical, aero-space, civil, environmental, electrical and computer engineering are all offered
  • The departments are interdisciplinary and supportive
  • Applicants should be strong in Math and Science and be solid B+ students. Pre-calc is required.  English courses are a must.  Looking for well-rounded students who also are involved in leadership, music, sports etc.
  • The engineering Department is seeking gender balance.

 

 

Colgate University- is located in Hamilton, New York.  Hamilton village is a small town adjacent to campus.  Students go there for the cafes and bookstore.  Although Colgate is in farm country there  are several local colleges in the same general area such as Casenova and SUNY Morristown.

·        Although Colgate is in a rural area the town of Hamilton does have a movie  theater, a village green and is described as a “college town”.

·        The Colgate campus is hilly and stunning.  There are green spaces and views everywhere.

·        The campus community is around 3000 students.

·        It is small for a research University and a little larger than the other Liberal Arts campuses on this tour.

·        There are 25 DI sports at Colgate.  The Men’s Lacrosse team just won the Patriot League Championship.

·        The Athletic programs are very strong as is the spirit

·        Class size is about 19 – 1.

·        Colgate gets around 8000 applications and has a 28% admit rate.  The average GPA is around a 3.7 with 1390 SAT.  ACT is also fine (31 score).  They look at a wide range of GPAs and SATs.  They mostly looking for intellectual curiosity and leadership.

·        Early Decision no early action

·        Use only Verbal and Math on the SAT

·        Strength of classes, essay, quality of character, and activities most important

·        The faculty helps students find their passion.  The education is described as intimate, intense, connected and with many options.

·        The clubs are student run

·        Students and faculty work together on research and both write evaluations

·        Also known as a “big-small” school. 

·        Both students and faculty spoke about the collaborative learning at Colgate

·        Students have lots of residential choices including some 10 person houses with lots of green space for bar-be-que, sports etc.

·        Colgate, like the other colleges on this tour, are small communities where the professors and students welcome each other into their homes.

·        There is a student initiated honor code on campus

·        The cultural center is at the top of campus and has a large room for meetings, seminars and also acts as a diversity center

·        There is good support for students with learning differences.  Tutors are available; the classes are small so professors know if someone needs help.

·        There is a program which identifies economically disadvantaged students in the application process.  Forty students attend a summer bridge program.

·        Colgate students love their campus and feel that if they leave for a weekend they will miss activities on campus.  With that said, there are opportunities “beyond Colgate”.

o       Art buses go  NYC to see shows and art

o       There is a Washington D.C. trip for sophomores when they visit the Holocaust Museum

o       There is a bus going to a larger shopping mall in Syracuse

o       There is an inter-session 3-week abroad program

o       There are off campus science driven programs at Bethesda Medical Center

·        Colgate is gorgeous and green.  There are interest houses and a ranked ice hockey team. There are good restaurants and a ranked golf course in town.

·        All faculty and staff live within 5 miles of the campus and are available to the students 7 days a week

·        Happy, smart, involved students.

 

 

 

 

Notes from University of Denver

College Counselor Visit

 

The University of Denver is located 8 miles from the downtown area of the city.  The campus is lovely, green, semi urban and has an array of new buildings, sports facilities and green areas.

  • There are 4643 undergraduates
  • D.U. is on the quarter system with 3 ten week quarters and a 6-week break from right after Thanksgiving to the beginning of January.
    • Students also take special 6-week classes such as a “Walk on Wall Street, a statistics class in Las Vegas and other travel-study options
  • Students use this time to work, participate in internships, travel and take inter-session classes
  • New students come to D.U. for Discovery Week which is one week earlier than returning students.
  • D.U. is a Lap Top school
  • There is an honor code which will be discussed during the interview
  • All prospective students must have an interview.  This helps “borderline” students who may not test well.
  • D.U. lists their overlaps as Southern Methodist U., Texas Christian U, Tulane, Boston University , Boston College, U. of Santa Clara, George Washington, CU Boulder, Oregon State and Colorado State
  • D.U. has Ice Hockey but no football. 
  • Students are involved on campus in many activities from campus leadership to the visual and performing arts
  • There is a small Greek system but students do not feel “left out” if they choose not to join.  Greek activities are open to all
  • I did not get the feeling that D.U. is a rah-rah school except for Ice Hockey which is very popular
  • Everyone does not ski. There are 300 days of sunshine.  The average winter temperature is 45۫
  • The sky is constantly changing as is “Colorado’s ocean”
  • Redwood students would be comfortable in Denver and at D.U.  There are many types of students there although they want more diversity (economic and cultural).  Denver is a diverse city with an awesome area called “Lo-Do” where there are clubs, restaurants, shopping and the new Ball Park

Application

  • The applications were up 30% for the fall 2006 class
  • The admit rate for the fall of 2006 is 58%
  • 50% from out-of-state
  • 17% diversity
  • 3-4% international
  • D.U. uses the same criteria for early action applicants as the regular applicant pool.

 

 

The Daniels College of Business

·        the 8the oldest Business school in the country

·        It is recognized by Business Week as one of the nation’s best undergraduate business schools placing in the top 50.  It ranked 49 out of 1,400 schools evaluated.

·        Students are able to meet with recruiters in the world of business

·        Double majors with the Hotel Restaurant Management School are possible

 

Learning Effectiveness Program

  • Is a special program for students with learning disabilities
  • There is a separate application for the LEP program but students must be D.U. admissible.
  • The program is 25 year old.  It is a comprehensive program which includes academic counseling and tutorials
  • The fee for the LEP program is an additional $975.00 per quarter
  • Students can begin in the LEP program and leave it when they feel ready
  • The admissions process is as follows:
    • D.U. encourages disclosure during the admissions process
    • Students fill out the Common application and answer the question which asks if anything has impacted the students academics.
    • This disclosure triggers a process
    • The disclosure MUST be by the student NOT a teacher or counselor\
    • Documentation is necessary for disability services
    • The LEP faculty works to develop an alternative testing process for students is necessary
    • Students and faculty first interact to determine how they will best work together
    • On average, students see their counselor once a week and the average stay is one year although the relationships made last throughout the college experience
    • LEP is accessible for students who transfer or who do not declare a problem when applying.  These students are directed by their counselors to the LEP program
    • Financial Aid is available for LEP as well as tuition
    • Will not take 504 from high school but needs testing

 

The Honors Program

  • A selective process
  • Look at Academic Ability and SAT/ACT scores (1360 SAT CR & M or 30 ACT)
  • Has an integrated curriculum
  • A broad Liberal Arts Program
  • Wants students to think for themselves
  • There is a secondary application sent to students after they have been admitted to D.U.
    • The schools wants more information such as an essay, demonstrated intellectual curiosity, and a writing sample
    • The Honor’s College looks at these students and within two weeks the students get an invitation and they have 3 weeks to respond.
    • There were 400 supplementary applications for 75 slots in 2006
    • Often Merit money is given to the Honor’s students
    • Students may be invited into the Honors program even after their freshman year
    • There is no pressure to declare a major.  30% are undecided when they enter the program
    • There is 96-98% retention in the program.  The minimum GPA to remain in Honors is 3.4
    • “the Hoonors Program is NOT a reward for what you have done but rather it is an investment in what wyou might become”.
    • The Average GPA for an incoming Honors candidate is 3.91
  • Stage I = General Education and Stage II = Majors in Honors Tract
    • Honors students go further, faster
    • Often begin graduate programs within the four years
    • Do Master’s level research or other extended learning programs
    • Do a senior project which is their learning integrated into the “real world”.
    • Small classes of 15-20 students or as small as 4-5 students
    • The faculty is engaged constantly with the honors students.  They eat and play together
    • Personal support of the faculty, staff and peers

Program examples include:

o       Study abroad at Oxford and then bring the experience in the form of a tutorial back to share with classmates at D.U.

o       Summer or local internships

o       Fellowships such as the Rhodes, Marshall and Truman.

 

The Department of Music

  • The Music department offers Orchestra, bands, choirs and vocal ensembles, jazz bands, commercial music, Opera, and combined degrees with the Business school
  • There are audition requirements
  • The Jazz studies program is competitive
  • There are Audio and Technical degrees in music
  • Music students can study abroad.  Popular programs are in New Zealand, Australia, Italy and Great Britain
  • Overlap schools for students in the music program are Oberlin, Indiana U., Miami U. UCS , The New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music
  • Needed are, male tenors, oboe, viola and bassoon players!
  • Brand new Concert hall and practice rooms
    • These areas all are wired to have recording capacity
    • The music program just moved to the main campus and is being integrated into the Denver University community.
    • Play back equipment

 

The Department of Biological Sciences

  • Olin Hall is the new half billion dollar facility.  Denver University applied to the Olin foundation who picked D.U. as one of the 2 colleges to funded because D.U. is committed to involved freshmen and sophomores in scientific research.
  • The pre-professional degrees include; Biology, Molecular Biology, Ecology, Animal Technology, Bio-diversity and Integrated sciences for those wanting to go into Secondary Education.
  • The Cognative-Neuro Sciences are interdisciplinary with the Psychology Department
  • There us a 3/2 program with Daniels College of Business in Bio-Enterprise (perfect for work in the Bio-Tech industry)
  • There is lots of undergraduate research
  • Biological Science is the largest undergraduate major
    • Students can take 12 courses in 4 years
    • They will all have a chance to take some post-grad courses

Bio-Engineering, Bio-Ethics (Business School), Forensic Genetics are all available.

 

Cherrington Global Scholars is a program that ensures that every eligible junior and senior has the opportunity to study abroad

  • Seeks to make study abroad available at no additional cost beyond that of a tern at D.U.
  • Programs on 6 continents
  • Pays for transportation and visa application fees
  • Believes that travel will enhance cross-cultural understanding add insight to global events and help develop empathy for other cultures
  • Encourages students to push beyond their comfort levels
  • Offer course in “Culture shock” before going abroad and another course in re-entry upon return
  • 50% to 60% of D.U. students study abroad.  The goal is 75%
  • Students must be juniors or seniors in “good standing” and have a 3.0 GPA

 

Students attending The University of Denver next fall (2006) will be able to participate in Peace Week.  They will interact with the Nobel Prize winners and be able to have lunch with the Dali Lama.