So You’ve Been Wait Listed…

You just found out you’re on the Wait List at your school of choice. But what, exactly, does that mean?

First off–it does not mean that you have already been denied. If you had, you’d know–that’s what deny letters are for.

While the wait list process is different from school to school, there are some common things you need to know:

1) Second chance: Rather than feeling defeated, you should look on the wait list as your second chance. Someone saw enough potential in your application to extend the review process, usually side by side with negating factors such as low GPA’s, test scores or downward trends. Admissions counselors, often different from those who originally reviewed your application, will be rereading everything in your application. If there was anything you did not say before in your application, this is your chance to do so. Unless the school has specifically told you not to, don’t be afraid to send in additional information. Had a bad Junior year but aced your fall term Senior year? Turn in an updated transcript. Wrote your essay about a great activity you participated in but neglected to mention how you worked hard to improve your grades by staying after school every day and working with a tutor? Send in an additional personal statement or a new letter of recommendation.

2) Don’t be passive: While the term is “wait list” that doesn’t mean that you should sit around and wait for your decision. Signalling active interest can sometimes be a factor when your application is considered. Contact your admission counselor and ask them what factors in your application kept you from being admitted during the first review. Not only will this help you decide what additional documentation you should submit, but you will also be up-to-date on the review timeline.

3) Finish strong: There is little that can help a student who has not performed up to their potential more than an upward trend, including senior year grades. When your transcript improves semester to semester this demonstrates your commitment and hard work.

Sometimes being on the wait list can feel like being in purgatory to students (I can use that reference–I work at a Catholic university), but by taking that time to talk with your counselor and actively improve your application you can take control of your situation and stay informed. No matter the outcome of your review, finding out why you’re on the wait list in the first place can help you out with future applications.

Hopefully your targeted application updates will allow you to be admitted later on in the process. If, however, you are not ultimately admitted but you are still very interested in attending that university, don’t give up. Attend a community college or other school for a year at least and then apply as a transfer student with a clean slate.

–Emilie Schnabel

More on the Net Price Calculator

If yesterday’s blog post still left you with questions, watch this winning submission from a student video contest on the Net Price Calculator:

–Emilie Schnabel

What’s The Cost?

First there’s tuition. Then you have room and board. That’s how much it costs to go to college, right? Just when you think you’ve got it figured out you realize some of the schools you are looking at have a different out-of-state tuition fee that apply to you.  Other costs like student activity fees, health center fees, lab fees and deposits start to stack up. On top of that you’ll have incidentals, living costs, textbooks… After a while it seems as if every school has different costs and not all of them are apparent at the outset. Rather than get lost in the details, take advantage of the tools that have been designed to help you recognize, compare and understand costs and fees at different institutions.

The most important term you need to know is cost of attendance/comprehensive cost. You will hear one or both of these terms from financial aid and admission counselors and will probably see them referenced when reading about your free application for federal financial aid (FAFSA). The cost of attendence is the total one-year estimated cost, including tuition, room and board, and other fees but not including textbooks or personal expenses, for students at a university.  Even though two schools may have the same tuition, their comprehensive costs will most likely be different.

Ok, so you have the list of fees from the school but you’re still not sure how much money you’re going to need. For a safe bet, we advise students to mentally tack on $2,000-$4,000 to the listed cost of attendance to account for other expenses such as textbooks, transportation and personal expenses. Cost of living in different areas can affect this number as well.

While there is no way to know exactly how much a potential school is going to cost you before receiving your financial aid award letter (typically sent out in the spring/summer for the following school year), there is an excellent free tool called the Net Price Calculator designed for prospective students and their families to estimate what their personal costs will be.

Like the real FAFSA, but not in place of the real FAFSA, the net price calculator takes the school’s cost of attendance (in this case Saint Martin’s) and uses the family’s financial information to estimate what financial aid they may receive. The Net Price Calculator is an estimate only and is not binding, but it is one of the best ways for you to get a picture of how much you’ll actually have to pay.

Great, so you’ve compared your net price calculator results from a couple of different schools that you have applied to and have a ballpark idea of which schools will be most affordable for you. January 1st rolls around (the date you can begin filling out your FAFSA) and those schools start to send you financial aid award letters detailing the financial aid you have been allotted as well as the costs for the upcoming school year. Yet again you are confused because each letter is set up a little bit differently.

You may have heard news recently about the “shopping sheet” that was introduced by the Obama Administration. If you haven’t, you can read this press release about it. As an official “military friendly” school, Saint Martin’s University is among the first group of universities that will be adopting this easy-to-read universal shopping sheet.

Your financial aid letter will be separated clearly into costs, aid that you will not have to pay back and aid that you will have to pay back.

For more information about the financial aid process, check out the excellent videos on fafsa.gov that outline the aid process. Here’s an overview:

After using these online tools don’t forget that you can always contact the admissions and financial aid offices at all of the schools you are considering for more information, and for specialized information designed for transfer and graduate students.

–Emilie Schnabel

What’s New This Fall?

I am delighted to finally be able to wish you an official “happy fall” from Saint Martin’s University.

October has always been my favorite month, when everything turns golden red and brown and spicy harvest scents fill the air. The changing seasons are also ushering in several changes here at Saint Martin’s, so I wanted to take a moment to fill you in on what will be different this year in Admissions and around campus:

1)      One of the biggest changes is actually to the application. While still free, there is now only one way to apply for admissions to Saint Martin’s University and that is through the common application online.

2)      Fall 2013 also marks a shift in our admission requirements regarding standardized tests. Saint Martin’s will still accept either the SAT or the ACT for undergraduate applicants, but for the first time will be taking into account the writing portion of the SAT. For all future fall applications, the entire three-part SAT score will be used.

3)      Engineering Initiative: Our new Cebula Hall engineering building should be opening within the next month or so, and also new for the fall of 2012 is a  brand new Masters in Engineering Management.

4)      There are quite a few new members of the Admissions team this fall, so if you’d like to find out who your counselor is you can find out here.

5) Five Student Ambassadors have been hired for the school year, so if you come to campus for a tour, overnight stay or student panel say hello to these campus leaders.

While bundling up and hunkering down over a steaming cup of cider or pumpkin spice latte, don’t forget that older posts on this blog still have great advice about applying. If you need advice on your essay or how many schools to apply to  this blog is your go-to resource. If you cannot find your answer, tweet @connectsmu with the topic you would like to know more about.

Reminders:

Online registration for our October 21st Spirit Day open house is live.

Don’t be afraid to contact your admission counselor.

Saint Martin’s University offers rolling admission, but the priority application deadline is March 1st. (Hint: if you want to be on a good timeline for comparing costs, finish your application before the end of December).

–Emilie Schnabel

Back to School–Back on the Road

We are now into the second week of the fall semester here at Saint Martin’s, a shorter week thanks to Memorial Day, and the novelty of “back-to-school” is starting to wear off as everyone is becoming comfortable on campus and in the classroom. We staff members who work “on the hill” (in Old Main) are adjusting to sharing the hallways and cafeteria again but the adjustment is a positive one.

Over the last few weeks I have had a few great opportunities to sit down and chat with many of the first year students I helped enroll. Over the summer I hiked Mt. Rainier with the Bridge to Success students:

Then, during pre-orientation, I drove out to Camp Arnold to tell some stories about the history of Saint Martin’s University to the Leap-In Traditions campers. I got to catch up with a couple of those campers at the President’s Lunch during orientation as well as many others. The Office of Admissions, as well as many other staff and faculty members, joined SMU students to help move in the incoming students.

Move-in day signals not only the beginning of the academic year for students but also a switch in seasons for the admissions process. We admission counselors are packing up to go back out on the road to meet with the prospective incoming class of 2013 while a new round of high school juniors and seniors are visiting schools and narrowing down their college search. You may notice that there is a new tab up above with our 2012-2013 travel schedule. As a prospective student we understand that you cannot always make it to our campus to meet with a Saint Martin’s representative, so we are making our travel schedule available to you. Check back frequently as the schedule will be updated throughout the year.

If you are planning on visiting campus you can call 360-438-4596 to set up a:

–Campus tour

–Meeting with an admission counselor

–Classroom visit

or you can choose to attend one of our Spirit Day open houses which will be held on October 21st, December 2nd and January 27th. You can RSVP here for Spirit Days.

Applications are open now for all students interested in applying for Fall 2013 (or Spring 2013) and are only available online.

Expect updates from the road this fall as our counselors spread out across Washington, California, Oregon, Arizona, Alaska, Nevada and Hawaii, and if you are planning on applying scroll back through old posts for advice about the application process.

–Emilie Schnabel

10 In 15: Top Ten Places To Walk from SMU

There are over 350 wooded acres on campus making it easy to forget that Saint Martin’s University is conveniently located in the middle of Lacey. While public transportation is free for SMU students with a sticker on their ID card within Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater sometimes you just don’t want to wait around for the bus. And why should you have to? Today I’ve compiled a list of the top ten places that you can walk to within fifteen minutes from Saint Martin’s Lacey, Washington main campus:

1)      Regal Martin Village Stadium 16 & IMAX: Perhaps frequented most out of the list by students, this movie theatre has sixteen screens, including some set up for IMAX. Campus Life offers students $5 movie tickets that can be used at any film (with additional charges for 3D and IMAX showings), making this a popular and affordable diversion from the daily grind.

2)      Coffee: Ok, so maybe this is a category and not one place, but there’s no way to pick  just one entry. In a ten minute radius I believe there are three Starbucks locations (with a fourth being built even closer to campus), at least five coffee stands, one locally owned Cutter’s Point (a company founded in Gig Harbor, Washington that roasts its own coffee), and a locally owned Dancing Goats café featuring Olympia-roasted Batdorf & Bronson coffee. Cutter’s Point even offers discounts to SMU students when they show their ID cards!

3)      Limeberry: Technically this is a cheating entry as well because it isn’t complete yet. A new Limeberry is being constructed about five minutes from the residence halls, right next to the new Starbucks. I’ve never been to a Limeberry, but with the student body buzz about Limeberry right now I predict that this frozen yogurt joint will be a hotspot in the future.

4)      Fred Meyer: Open earlier and later than every other store in the vicinity, Fred Meyer is the go-to location for everything from Top Ramen to coffee pots to towels to printer cartridges. When I was a Freshman, Fred Meyer also hosted a college night for incoming students with raffles, samples, and low prices on all of those back-to-college essentials.

[This is a photo of 2008 SMU RA's doing a scavenger hunt in Fred Meyer, during the last summer Olympics]

5)      Lacey Timberland Library: As wonderful as our own O’Grady Library is, I must admit that the selection of novels is a little low. Sure, you can order through Summit-our interlibrary loan program-but if you need to catch a book before going to see the movie the next day running down Baran Drive to the public library is another convenient option for your lending needs. The Timberland library has locations all across Washington state and offers books, periodicals, graphic novels, cds, dvds, audio books, digital downloads and a whole lot more.

6)      Applebees: While you will probably never have to walk here (just wait in the parking lot for a car full of students inevitably heading in that direction), this dining establishment is the default place to go for under-21ers as it is open until 11pm. Like the food or not, I guarantee you’ll spend some time here as a Saint.

7)      7-11: While they’re only free once a year, the slurpees available at this convenience store/gas station keep students coming in droves at all times of the year.

8)      The Chehalis Western Trail: If fifteen minutes is too short of an outing for you, there are nearby entrances to the Chehalis Western walking trail. This trail covers about 49 miles from Yelm to Olympia and is great for walking, running or biking.

9)      Tofu Hut: Voted “Best Restaurant in Olympia 2011″ the Tofu Hut is a favorite for the SAINTS community. From vegan cupcakes to delicious meals with all sorts of allergen-free options, Tofu Hut offers options for all. And yes, for you carnivores, Tofu Hut serves meat as well.

10)   Laser Fun Zone: A moderately-sized Laser Tag zone/arcade is just across the street from the Pavilion and is a favorite for campus activities. Don’t forget to wear dark clothing and quiet shoes when you go!

[Click on each image to link back to their sources/home pages]

Happy walking!

–Emilie Schnabel

What Transfer Students Need To Know

I had the pleasure this week of sitting down with Transfer Admission Counselor, Tania Huston, to ask her about the application process for transfer students as opposed to the application process for first year students.

[Tania Huston, Admission Counselor for Transfer Students]

The good news? Transfer students have less paperwork to complete than a first year student. The bad news? Because the transfer application consists only of the application form, essay and application, grades are even more important. Standardized tests–a dreaded part of college admissions for first year students–are not required for transfer students with one full year (30 semester credits or 45 quarter credits) under their belt according to Huston.

So what are the three most important things for transfer applicants to know? Huston stressed the importance of applying early in the fall. Since each student’s situation is unique, having the most time possible to go over transcripts, advising, and scholarships can be a key factor to success and admittance for transfer students. Additionally, if the transfer application is completed in the fall then financial aid can be taken care of in January and February, the time of the year when there is more money available for students because it has not been doled out yet. Huston also reiterated the importance of the personal essay. While the traditional first year student has a lot of different factors going into their admission decision, a transfer student only has their grades and their writing. It is extremely important that the transfer student puts in the effort to differentiate themselves from the rest of the applicant pool through their personal essay and also that they put extra care into the editing process. A third important piece of advice from Huston is for transfer students to take the time to meet with their counselor. Taking the time to ask important questions such as, “Does my program require a separate application or any entrance exams?” “Will my credits transfer?” “Am I taking the right classes now to pursue the degree I want?” or “What kind of aid will I qualify for?” can completely change a student’s transfer experience.

For students who are on the fence about whether or not to go straight into a four year school or to take the two-year community college route instead, Huston says that while the Community College route can save time and money for a few specific types of students, transferring is not the best path for everyone. A student who wants to be in college but does not have a clear goal of what they want to do may find that getting their Associate’s degree is the perfect way to decide on an interest and will keep them from wasting money and time at a more expensive four year school until they have decided what they want to study. Other students who would benefit from the community college route would be students who are interested in specific and usually technical degrees but do not meet all of the prerequisites. For instance, a student who wants a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering but needs to brush up on his or her math skills might need to do so at a community college before being admitted into a four year program. On the other hand, Huston adds, students who are looking for the “traditional college experience” of living on campus and growing in a community for four years should opt to skip the two-year degree. Huston also cautions that  the scholarship amounts for first year students are higher than the scholarship amounts for transfer students, so if a student has an idea of what they want to study they might be better off going straight to the four year school of their choice rather than going there their junior year.

Huston also shared some quick facts that transfer students frequently want to know:

1) The Merit Scholarships for Saint Martin’s University transfer students are currently $4,000, $7,000 and $10,000.

2) Students at community colleges who have a 3.5 or better GPA are eligible to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. PTK members are offered an additional scholarship of $1,000 after proving their membership when admitted to Saint Martin’s.

3) Students interested in nursing at Saint Martin’s need to already have their RN in order to be admitted into the RN-to-BSN program.

4) Students debating between an AA or an AS degree should also make that decision depending on their end goals. Unless interested in Engineering, Biology, Chemistry or any of the hard sciences, the student should go for the AA instead of the AS. If a student does pursue an Associates in Science, they need to be aware that while they will probably be better prepared for their degree in the sciences, they will still have to take some electives at their four-year institution in order to meet their general education requirements.

Most importantly, no matter the path a transfer student is planning to take or whether they came from a community college or another four-year institution, Huston is adamant in advising students to take all of their classes seriously no matter the level or the subject matter. Grades follow students from institution to institution and play a factor not only in admission but also in scholarship money. Making bad choices at an institution can mess up a student’s future at subsequent institutions. “If you’re serious about wanting to be a doctor,” Huston says, “you need to be serious about wanting to be a doctor at the community college, be serious at all levels”.

–Emilie Schnabel

Let’s Celebrate!

This has been a week of celebration exploding with sunshine, sulfur, and summer food. (See what I did there with exploding?) Sunday kicked the celebrations off in the northernmost part of this continent with Canada’s Independence Day. Then, three days later (but originally 91 years earlier) the excitement continued with America’s Independence Day on the Fourth. I had been on vacation for the week and a half prior to the Fourth and believe me when I say going back to work from vacation the day after a national holiday is a little tough–especially because that is when everybody else is beginning their vacation.  Forgive me if this sounds a little less-than-patriotic, but the holiday I am the most excited for is actually happening tomorrow, July 7th: National Chocolate Day!

Holidays, of course, aren’t the only reason to celebrate this month. Last week our first students from the class of 2012 registered for courses during our On-Island Advising and Registration session in Honolulu!

[Incoming students pictured at the On-Island A&R session, 2012]

For the rest of our incoming class not lucky enough to live on the beautiful Hawaiian islands, Advising and Registration sessions will be occurring during the rest of July on the 12th-13th, 19th-20th  and on the 26th-27th. During these sessions our incoming Class of 2012 will be signing up for classes, taking placement tests, and getting to know each other really well. I’ve heard rumors of laser tag…

After the first advising session our summer Bridge to Success program, “a college semester in a week-and-a-half”, will be kicking off and our other summer programs will follow in August before fall orientation, Incipio.

While our incoming students are starting to pack for their A&R sessions and are gathering dorm room supplies (check out our dorm room Pinterest board for ideas) I will be sitting back and enjoying some celebratory chocolate tomorrow! Or maybe some chocolate cake today, after all it is the Dalai Lama’s 77th birthday.

–Emilie Schnabel

Dress for Success: Not for a Trial

Summer began officially yesterday and while an arbitrary date on the calendar cannot control the seasons, the weather seems to be humoring us as the last two days have been beautiful and hot. (Hot for us meaning 73 degrees and partly cloudy). The Office of Admissions is lucky to have a breathtaking view overlooking all of campus and the community learning garden with our giant human-sized windows. Ten months out of the year these windows provide us with much needed sunlight and a welcome relief from office decor. Two months out of the year the windows are suddenly an unneeded heating source, and add them to my office being directly above the kitchen and we are looking at a toasty summer for Admissions. We are now into the time of year where my pumps and knee-high boots are placed back in the closet and I go shopping for new zip-up-the-back gladiator sandals, I ditch the sweaters, and pull out my summer frocks that are still work appropriate.

The summer also seems to be a confusing time for prospective students when it comes to their wardrobes, I just had questions on my last tour from a student asking if she was dressed nicely enough when in fact she was a bit overdressed and had aching feet by the end of the campus tour. While scoping out high school counselor and recruitment specialist blogs I seem to always run into a post about appropriate college visit attire. From site to site the messages are quite intimidating–I’ve seen posts full of scare tactics with statements in bold like “every interaction you have with the Office of Admissions is part of your application” and “you must make the right impression the moment you step in the door“. Sure, first impressions are important. That being said, I’m going to let you in on a little secret:

In my years here, without exaggerating, I can honestly tell you that I have given somewhere close to 1,000 tours. Those tours have ranged from one on one tours to large group tours of up to 50 or so people. Do you think when I go through those applications later on I remember what people were wearing when they visited? No. No I don’t.

Here’s another fact: tours at Saint Martin’s University take about an hour. One hour full of stairs, walking, and more stairs. When I was a student tour guide I went down in history as the girl who could give a tour in stilettos. Now that I’m a counselor I keep tennis shoes under my desk to slip on when I am drafted to give campus tours. After your first 100, vanity tends to take a back burner to comfort.

So let me set the record straight in regard to Saint Martin’s University–when you come for a campus visit, especially if you are taking the tour, dress comfortably and dress like yourself. Perhaps a slightly polished and more put together version of yourself, but still yourself. Don’t walk in in a three-piece suit unless that is what you typically wear. Maybe leave the four-inch-heels at home and opt for some cute flats instead. You will give a much better first impression if you are comfortable and put-together (comfortable does not mean in your Saturday sweats) rather than climbing the Grand Staircase in formal interview gear.

The college admissions process can be intimidating enough without adding extra stress to the campus visit. Spend that energy on your essay and scholarship applications and instead make the tour about getting the information you need rather than worrying we won’t get the information we need. The application is for us–the tour is for you.

My final advice: research your school’s community atmosphere because we are all different.

–Emilie Schnabel

Campus Life Cuts Loose…Footloose!

Last night kicked off CampusLife’s “Screen on the Green” summer movie series. Of course, if you’re local you may be wondering just how many people would show up to an outdoor movie at 9pm after a day-long  ”Juneuary” deluge?  With some quick-thinking, a roll of faux turf laid out on the stage, and a string of Christmas lights Campus Life brought the “under the stars” atmosphere inside the TUB (Trautman Student Union Building) for a well-attended and dry movie night.

Illuminated by Christmas lights hung across the ceiling and flickering battery-operated tea lights on the snack table, the main room still had a charming outdoorsy feel. Attendees made up of students, staff members, and alumnae had their choice of popcorn, pretzels, and childhood favorite juice drinks. Yes, even in college, Pacific Cooler is still the most popular flavor. Students also brought in sticky rice crispy treats and passed them around while checking in on Facebook and Foursquare and tweeting about the event.

The film series got off to a dancing start with the showing of the 2011 remake of Footloose. Even the snack bags were on theme with the film, designed to look like the tops of little cowboy boots:

The  summer lineup features other recent movies as well as some classic throwbacks like The Goonies and The Princess Bride.

If you’re on or around campus this summer be sure to stop by on designated Thursdays at 9pm. Next up? Star Trek on June 21st.

Hopefully the next movie night will be able to be held outside instead of in!

–Emilie Schnabel