SHU Undergraduate Admissions

Alum to Professional

Hi there! Christina reporting again from the Admissions Office! Friday marked the end of my fourth week as a post-graduate professional. Thanks to an awesome staff here at SHU, the transition has been extremely smooth. Since I had been job searching for months prior to graduation, the adjustment did not need to be completely shocking. However, it was surreal as I discussed things like “Sick Days, Personal Days, Vacation Days…”

 

No more class at noon…and where are my college roommates? It’s truly strange being on the SHU campus and not being a student. That being said, I am loving the job! I cannot wait to get out on the road and visit all the high schools in my home area. Right now, we are putting in some serious office time to greet families, conduct interviews, and plan our fall travel. Your Admissions Counselors up here in Curtis Hall have been absolutely wonderful helping me adjust! I already feel very included. They also make sure I always have work to do so I am busy and clear on what my tasks are.

 

As far as the transition to professional goes, I’d have to say that attire is my biggest challenge. Though I had internships to dress up for, I am finding myself at a loss for enough outfit combos that don’t repeat over the course of the week – might be time to go shopping! What a shame! The work schedule is obviously a far cry from the college schedule as well, but it’s exciting being part of the work place! Just about as soon as I started, we had Webinars to attend, as well as divisional meetings. I am learning a lot about the “other side” of Sacred Heart, and how to continue to represent my school as a professional. For example, we have attended three Webinars on Social Networking. I have to readjust the schemas I’ve created for Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube so that I can use them here in Admissions! Obviously, I already having blogging down :)

 

Tonight I am in charge of a visit from a Boston school coming to check out SHU and even stay the night. This will be the first project I really “pioneer” on my own after much guidance from Patti. Pun intended. Catch you later for more from Curtis Hall. Maybe I’ll show you some pictures of our brand spanking new theater. Info Sessions will be taken to a whole new level in this awesome spot!

From Graduate to Alumna

So you may have known my blogging persona as Christina T, student, but I am now writing for the Undergrad Admissions Blog! I think I can be a good resource for you fine readers considering I just graduated this May 2009…

 

I will never forget Graduation Day. I morphed into what my family deemed Grad-zilla, obsessed with details, timeliness, and overall beastly behavior. To quote my best friend, Louis, “I’ll be scared to see you on your Wedding Day”. Needless to say, it was important to me that everything worked out as perfectly as my four years at SHU had. And it did.

 

As we began our processional, (or tip-toed in my case; big heels = big fail) out of the Pitt Center and onto the Campus Field for Commencement, my now colleague, Patti, parted me with the words, “Don’t walk out those doors”. Thanks Patti, a little late on the advice!

 

Commencement was beautiful. Well, despite the hurricane-like weather. I barely remember receiving my diploma because I was in a haze of bliss, pride, and uncharacteristically freezing temperatures, but somehow everything worked out just as it should, right down to sitting behind my best friend for the ceremony! It was an unbelievable day to cap four years of the hardest work and best times of my life. The speeches were inspiring, the faces beaming.

 

In my brief experience as an Alumna, I went home and tried to earn back all that money I had spent in the Senior Activities! It was truly strange knowing I would not return to SHU in the fall for Move-In Day. I job-searched, babysat, and reunited with my home friends. However, as you might have noticed, I am back in Undergrad Admissions! Details on Grad à Professional next time J

Should parents be allowed to look at their son or daughter’s Facebook account?

Facebook and social networking have become more and more popular with high school and college students. In fact, the number of adults who use it has increased substantially over the past year! With all of the new technology and the media weighing in, it is easy for parents to want to check what is going on with their son/daughter's Facebook....who are they talking with, what do their pictures look like, what they have posted and will the information hurt their chances to get into college or get a job. These are all valid reasons, however, trust and education must be the norm and not demanding to be on their page unless they decide to make you a "friend". More important, students should remember that their information is out there for the public and some schools may decide to look at it, also other students may use Facebook to learn about their future roommate and may decide they would not make a good match based upon the information and pictures provided. Parents need to weigh in if their son/daughter is spending too much time on Facebook and it is affecting their homework and/or other responsibilities. However, beyond that, Facebook is the student’s domain and to invade it is taking away a part of their maturing. Instead of trying to have complete access, talk and learn and maybe even set up your own account and ask your son/daughter to be your "friend".

Karen N. Guastelle '88

Dean of Undergraduate Admissions

Sacred Heart University

www.sacredheart.edu

Congratulations on your Acceptance...now the work begins!

I remember not so many years ago when I was a high school senior and February and March rolled around I was so excited because I had been admitted to almost every school I applied (Thank you Notre Dame for ruining my perfect batting average!).  After the excitement of receiving my acceptance and the scholarships that followed had worn off, I realized that easy part was over. 

You see, I was similar to many seniors in high school that I applied to too many schools and because I had performed pretty well in high school, I had been accepted to many of the schools that I applied.  With all of these acceptances sitting on my desk, I had to now answer one very BIG question. 

"Which of these colleges is the best fit for me?"

All of the schools that I was accepted to wereaesthetically pleasing to the eye.  The grass was green, the flowers in bloom, and there were definitely PLENTY of beautiful girls that would undoubtedly love me.  So what made them stand apart?

Well in the end, I decided that Sacred Heart stood apart because it had both of the majors I was considering at the time, facilities were relatively new, and the job placement and internship placement was extremely high.

However, in the end, the two biggest factors for me in investing my education in Sacred Heart wasthe community of people involved with the University, and the opportunities that SHU provided to learn and engage myself outside of the classroom.

From my very first visit to Sacred Heart I could feel the deep sense of community that is so often noted by our visitors.  There was just something different in the atmosphere at Sacred Heart.  Unlike many of the college tours that I went on at other schools, the students at Sacred Heart (not the tour guides) engaged me in conversation, telling me what an awesome place SHU was and asked me what other schools I was considering.  When I told them which other schools I was looking at(all excellent institutions), they responded by saying , "What are you crazy.  Don't go there.  This is the place to be!"  Now, while their opinions may have been a little biased it was quite apparent that these students had a deep connection to SHU and they wanted me and others to become a part of their community and to feel that connection.  This sense of belonging helped me realize that SHU is where I would someday call home!

Another important factor for me in choosing a school was to find a place that gave me an opportunity to get involved outside of the classroom.  Sacred Heart University provided me with opportunities to get involved outside of the classroom that were unmatched by any of the other schools I was considering.  While God didn't provide me the ability to play a Division 1 sport, Sacred Heart offered club sports which were a great way to keep that competitive drive going because rather then playing my friends, we competed against other colleges.  If club sports aren't your thing- you can look to the intramural.  Perhaps you prefer community service, choir, band, dance team, theater, student government, environmental clubs, outing clubs, car clubs, fashion clubs, vegetarian clubs, studying abroad, or evenjust tailgating at the Division 1 sporting events.  Whatever your interest may be, I am very confident that SHU can provide it for you.

What I will challengeprospective students to do over the next month or two is to make a commitment to yourself.  Commit to find what it is that you are looking for in your future, and explore all of the opportunities that your various schools offer you.  What is it that you are really looking for in a school?  Academic Programs? Community? Residential Life? Student Life? Career Opportunities?  Work to find these answers and I am confident your path will lead you back to SHU.  If you don't believe me, look what the experts are saying: http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/19792_accreditations_endorsements_and_recognitions.cfm

Congratulations again on your acceptance...now get to work!

Long time...no type!!!!

I apologize for the long delay in blogging.  I have been cheering for the WORLD CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES!!!  I also had the privilage of attending Game 4 of the World Series.  It's been a longgg fall!  I have met with thousands of kids this fall who are interested in attending SHU as freshman next year, and let me tell you that I love the excitement you guys are showing!  I have always known that SHU was a special place and I am thrilled that the positive word is spreading on Sacred Heart!

Our football team has had an excellent year.  We are currently 8-2 and have a big game against Central Connecticut State this weekend!  Congratulations to Steve Tedesco for being named to CoSida/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team.  Not only are our students excellent athletes, they perform in the classroom as well.  Other special congratulations to Carrisa Eye for being named NEC Offensive Player of the Year for Field Hockey.

As travel season comes to a close, we are busy interviewing students throughout the Northeast.  If you are interested in scheduling an interview, which is highly recommended, I am providing a link: Regional Interview Reservations!  Also, get your applications in soon.  Here is a link to apply: Apply Today 

I am including a couple pics of our new College of Education and Health Professions as well as a pic from the World Series Game 4.  I have to support the Phillies! 

Pics from Move-In Day

As promised...here are the pics from move-in day...thanks again Heather for the photos!

SHU Welcomes the Class of 2012 to Campus!

Hey Everyone,

I hope you have all experienced a wonderful summer.  Last weekend we welcomed over 1000 new students to our campus as they begin the next phase of their life at Sacred Heart.  It was an awesome weekend.  Of course their were all the emotions from tears to laughing and a ton of optimism.  As parents shed a tear or two dropping off their children, students smiled from ear to ear eager to begin this exciting phase of their life.  The weather was perfect and the atmosphere seemed more like a carnival at times.  In addition to the much anticipated day of moving into their dorm rooms, students received their new laptops, took advantage of the free lemonade stand and other concessions, and bought posters at the makeshift store set up outside the Flik patio.  When students weren't consumed with all of the side activities, they were receiving help from all of the staff and current students moving into their dorms.  All of the athletic teams helped carry stuff while the band put on quite a show outside.  Overall, it was an excellent day and I look forward to helping high school students like you move-in when you enroll at SHU someday. To top the day off, one of our Admissions Counselors, Ken got married later on that night.  Make sure you congratulate him if your on campus...Congrats Ken!

Well, I have to go plan my travel schedule so keep an eye out for me, I will probably be visiting your high school soon. Here is a link to find out when we will be in your area: http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/19717_shu_in_your_neighborhood.cfm

Lastly, I will be attaching some pics from Move-In Day soon, I think someone was even able to find one of me helping out!  P.S.  Thanks to our Heather, one of our awesome Mentors here at SHU, for the camerawork!

Summer in Full Swing

Hi Everyone,

Kevin checking in.  I apologize for not posting in a while, it has been a fast start to the summer on campus.  Congratulations to all of our incoming freshman who have now officially graduated from high school and moved on to become the freshman class at Sacred Heart University!  Since the last time I spoke to you, three freshman orientation sessions have taken place, and the incoming freshman have met their classmates, spent a night on campus, ate the food, and survived the dorms!  They will be moving in to their dorms to start classes on August 31st.

Also congratulations to my juniors who are now enjoying the summer and preparing to be the seniors.  Take advantage of your senior year, it will have the potential to be one of the best years of your life.  Some things to consider as you begin your college search are to do a search online, possibly through Princeton Review or the College Board, or social networking sites such as theU.com or facebook.com to start researching your schools.  These websites can be a great way to narrow a very broad list of schools to a more consise list of schools to consider in your college search.  After you formulate a list of schools that you would like to consider, GO and VISIT each school to determine if it has the possibility of being the right fit for you.  Some factors to consider in your search may be the size of the school, enrollment, majors, athletics, clubs and organizations, and most importantly does the school seem like a place where you can feel comfortable?

Fortunately, Sacred Heart offers tours throughout the summer so I hope to see many of you hear. Click here to see a complete tour schedule for the summer.  I hope to see you at the Summer Preview Day on Tuesday!

Until the next time we speak, enjoy your 4th of July holiday and stay safe!

Memorial Day Break

Hi Again Everyone!

Kevin from the admissions office checking in with you all.  I wanted to post a quick blog before taking a long overdue break for a couple of days.  For the first time since September, the admissions office gets to take a few days to relax before returning to the office to work on recruiting the Class of 2013! 

This week has been busy for the admissions office.  For the first time in the history of the University, we conducted Spring Regional Interviews.  For those of you who don't know, Regional Interviews, are when we as an admissions office come to your hometown and conduct interviews at a local hotel.  This week we were in Mahwah, NJ and Islandia, NY (Long Island for anyone who has never heard of Islandia!).  The interviews were a huge success and were completely booked almost 2 weeks in advance.  Congratulations to the juniors who were in attendance at these interviews, you are truly getting a head start on the application process and are moving in the right direction towards obtaining admission to the school of your choice!

For any juniors reading this blog, some advice for your summer plans, VISIT COLLEGES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN!  Almost all schools offer tour schedules during the summer, and it is a great way to narrow your personal list of schools when trying to find the right fit.  Also see if the schools you are visiting offer interviews.  Interviews can be a huge help in the application/admission process.  In addition to providing you the opportunity to brag about yourself, interviews allow you to determine if the school you are meeting with is really a good fit for your college/career interests.  For more information on when you can visit Sacred Heart, click the link im providing. http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/2773_visit_shu.cfm

Well, I hope you find this small piece of advice helpful.  I will check in again next week.  Take care and have a great Memorial Day Weekend.  Cheers to nice weather!

-Kevin

P.S.  I am attaching some pics of what SHU's campus looks like this time of the year, hope you can visit soon!  

Happy Friday!

Hi Everyone,

It's Kevin from the Admissions Office checking in again.  It's been a little longer then I would have liked since the last time I posted a blog.  My apologies, I will try to be better now that the summer is almost here! It's hard to believe that the majority of our students are back home for the summer and another school year has passed.  The only students left on campus are our seniors, and they are participating in the SHU tradition, "Senior Week."  This tradition allows students to move back into their freshman dorms for their last ever week as undergraduate college students!  Pretty neat tradition right?! 

I had the pleasure of traveling to Atlantic City, NJ this week for the NJACAC conference at the Sheraton.  It was a very valuable conference that I hope will benefit me in working with students like yourself.  For example,  for any students coming to visit campus this summer, you will get to see something better then just a plain, vacant, room on your tour.  Come and visit to see what I am talking about.

If you want to schedule a visit, contact Elaine Lupo at 203-371-7881.  We will have tours beginning on June 2 for much of the summer. 

Well, I just wanted to say hello.  I will write again soon.  Be sure to check back soon as I will try to add some pictures from the graduation ceremonies.  Take care and enjoy the weekend!