Chris Boehm's Blog (99)

There's nothing as quiet as a college campus the day a break begins.  Our campus goes from being alive and vibrant with students everywhere, to so quiet you could hear a pin drop.  Today, however, for Albright employees it is another work day until 3 pm.  So we get to observe the quiet (can you observe quiet?).

Prior to holiday breaks the admission office attempts to get as many letters out as possible.  So the last three days has been very busy in the office.  We've been…

I was fortunate enough to be a guest at an end of summer workshop at Jenkintown high school working with some wonderfully well prepared students.  We completed a group discussion on the college essay and college search and application process and then I met with about a dozen students individually about their searches.  My conclusion, “you’re in pretty good shape for the shape you…

Read a terrific article in the NY Times last month entitled, "The Master's as the New Bachelors".  Your education is never over!  We must all realize that if we aren't working to improve ourself or advance our standing, someone else will pass us by.  Too many students graduate from somewhere, high school or undergraduate school feeling they have crossed the finish…

All medical school students take the MCAT prior to applying to medical school.  It is similar to the SAT/ACTs for undergraduate students, except it usually carries more weight than those tests do in the admission process.  I came across this article a few weeks ago and it made me smile: Revamping MCAT and Pre-Med…

Earlier this week cars lined up around the residence halls packing instead of unpacking their rooms.  It is the exact opposite of the euphoria of move in day.  The rainy and overcast weather with continual ominous skies is a fitting backdrop for some of my least favorite days on campus.  Albright feels like the shell of itself when the students back up and leave for the summer. 

Campus will certainly come back to life during Sunday’s graduation.  And it is only 97 days until MOVE-IN…

May 1 is ‘the day’ in college admission.   Almost all colleges and universities know it as the candidate reply date, the deadline for students to decide where they are enrolling.  Many students make their decisions well before the deadline; however, for hundreds-of-thousands of students the week leading up to May 1 is one of stress, indecision, and anxiety.  It is no different for those working in college admission.  Offices anxiously await the daily mail to see how many deposits were…

College campuses just come alive when the weather begins to improve in the spring.  I took two walks around campus today just to reintroduce myself to campus.  On my second soiree (even though it wasn't during the evening) through campus I came upon a professor teaching class at the Center for the Arts (CFA) outside area.  One of my favorite Albright traditions.  Had to snap a photo!…

Except when used incorrectly.  Our Information Technology staff has a saying when someone makes a mistake when using technology and technology isn't to blame.  The call it a PICNIC - Problem in Chair, Not in Computer.  Every year stories come out of colleges and universities accidently offering admission to students through mistakes.  Here are a few"

University of Delaware

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The FAFSAs are in and if you applied to a rolling admission, EA, or ED school you are probably receiving financial aid awards.  For many families the information in the award letters will make or break where a student enrolls.  Not all awards are presented the same and sometimes the information provided can be down right confusing.  This article is nice and provides very basic things to look and account for when reviewing your award.

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The past month has been consumed with non-stop application reading.  The hundreds and hundreds of recommendations differ slightly, but are generally template oriented and say very much the same thing.  It’s the essays that really tell a student’s story.  And this year, more than in past years,…

Kelly, who was profiled in the second edition of Faces, is teaching English in South Korea. She posted this on Facebook today:…

You probably never wonder what mail is like on a Monday in a college admission office. Well, I'll show you anyway. I think it is payback for all the mail that colleges send to the students.

Maybe your update is in here!

My wife spends mornings struggling to get my seven-year-old daughter dressed (trust me I’ll get to the point quick). After a while my wife asks me if I feel she is enabling the problem by helping our daughter every morning instead of requiring her to do such things for herself. My response, “Of course! And you’ll probably be the mom that fills out your daughter’s college applications and calls…

One of our past employees texted me last week with a very quick, but valuable message. He wrote, "Never underestimate the response a hand-written note gets". He went on to tell me that at his new job he had spent an extensive amount of time writing out notes of thank you and follow-up and he was receiving a lot of responses from those notes.

Whether applying for college or a job, networking, or simply sending a thank you note because of kindness a hand written note gets…

Just as leaves dropping from trees mark the transition from summer to fall, and the sound of bats cracking a ‘homer’ marks the beginning of spring, Albright’s new student Move-In Day reminds me every year that I have one of the best jobs in the world.

There are a few…

I'm the parent of a seven and three year old. I have an innate sense to not let my daughter get to close to railings or run with a sharp object. I'm always aware of my son getting out of my site or putting something in his mouth. I'm not sure this concern and desire to protect will ever go away. I think being protective (or do I dare say, overprotective?) is much better than the alternative.

From 13 years of experience in higher education, which includes 13 move-in days, I…

Great advice for all college going students - Put Yourself Out There and Do Something Crazy

Good luck to all students moving out and moving in during the next few weeks. Seven days and counting here at Albright!

August is a busy tour time of year for colleges and universities. I think that families realize that as soon as the school year starts there is little time for any activity that isn't already part of the structured schedule. We are averaging anywhere from 5 to 10 visitors a day as opposed to 2 or 3 in July.

I was walking across campus last Friday and ran into Taylor Mutschler's family on tour with one of our ambassadors,…

At our state conference last month I had the pleasure of hearing Jay Mathews from the Washington Post speak. He was very amusing, somewhat thought provoking, and definitely entertaining. Upon returning to the office I realized that I had actually printed up one of his recent articles to read prior to leaving for the conference. I have a habit of printing and printing, and reading at a much later date. The short article…