Picture of the Day - December 21

No--this is not a current view of campus. But, it helps me get through the cold!

EA Reception

Considering the city is only 90 miles to our west, it's no surprise that a good number of applications and admitted students come from the Chicago area. To try to reach as many students as possible, the ND Clubs of Chicago, DuPage County and Lake County have coordinated their Early Action admitted students receptions, all to be held on a single weekend in January. The invitation is at the bottom of the post.

This might be a good idea for clubs that would like to do something, but are struggling with what to do or how to pay for it. If you are in an area where there are a multiple clubs, consider throwing a joint reception for any admitted students. In the end, our main concern is reaching out to the students and doing our best to get them to Notre Dame, not club boundaries.

Thanks to everyone for their help--please keep the ideas and best practices coming!

The Chicago-area invitation:

Early Action Party

For you and your family to meet ND students & parents

Sunday ~ January 10

11:00 am ~ 1:00 pm

St. Ignatius College Prep

Please RSVP ~ www.ndchicago.org

Questions? Sheila O’Brien sobrien368@aol.com

(FYI ~ Sunday Mass at Holy Family next door at 9:45 am)

If you cannot attend this party, attend another!

Du Page County party

Saturday ~ January 9

2:00 ~ 4:00 pm

Benet Academy Cafeteria

2200 Maple Avenue

Lisle, Illinois 60532

Rsvp - dcrowley@hsemuni.com

Lake County Party

Saturday ~ January 9

4:00 ~ 6:00 pm

Home of Chris & Andy Burke

23671 N. McGraw Court

Lake Barrington, Illinois 60010

Rsvp – twistagogo@aol.com

Picture of the Day - August 28

Notre Dame research

Notre Dame has always been known for its undergraduate education; the University often rivals liberal arts colleges in small class sizes, individual attention to students, and strong relationships between students, faculty and staff.

Recently, and especially over the past few years, Notre Dame has made efforts to strengthen its research opportunities and achievements at all levels. Personally, I am often amazed and what some of the very bright students and professors here at the University can do in their respective fields, whether it is biological sciences, electrical engineering, or economics.

The Office of News and Information has a website specifically dedicated to Notre Dame research and the many projects conducted on campus each year: http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/category/research/. If you are anything like me, much of the information is over your head, but the page certainly highlights an impressive list of people and projects making Notre Dame proud.

Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program

Yesterday, the University announced the third-largest gift in Notre Dame's history, a $35 million donation from Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Stacey Yusko of Chapel Hill, N.C.

The gift will be used to create the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program, "a comprehensive merit scholarship and enrichment initiative that will seek to attract talented undergraduate students to the University".

Each year, twenty Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars will be selected by an advisory committee; the committee will take nominations from high school guidance counselors and University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. "The students will be chosen based on distinguished academic accomplishments, exemplary integrity and moral character, demonstrated leadership abilities, and a commitment to a life of service embracing the values of Catholic social tradition."

The twenty HY Scholars will receive $25,000 of merit-based financial aid annually, in addition to summer "enrichment" experiences.

As an ASC, the main point to take away from this is that, when asked about merit-based financial aid, we can now answer that yes, there is merit money available at Notre Dame. To be fair, I think it is important to stress that the money is very limited and competitive, but there are funds available.

The full University press release can be found here.

Picture of the Day - August 20

Lake County, IL send off

It might be too late to plan this year's send-off, but here's a recap of the Lake County, IL send-off for future ideas and planning. This example really illustrates the important of contact--constant contact--with the students and their families. Thanks to everyone involved who made the event a success!

I just wanted to let you know how our Send-Off went on Sunday. I think it was a really good event, considering that it started POURING rain 10 minutes before the party (and everything was set up to be an outdoor party!) So the first few people who came were gracious enough to grab what they could and bring it inside.

We had 21 incoming freshmen, about 35 parents, 5 current students, a few current-student parents, and about 7 alums. So about 75 in total. (Now you know why I wanted this to be outside.)

We have had a good turn-out for the past 2 or 3 years, which I attribute to contacting the kids multiple times throughout the summer. In June we mailed out a "save-the-date" notice to all of the incoming freshmen, with a short letter explaining what the Freshman Send-Off is all about. We also mention that there is a drawing for 2 football tickets for every student present, and we tell them that every student at the Send-Off will get "The Shirt." Then we mail out invitations in July, about 3 weeks before the event. Then I e-mail every student who I haven't heard from the week before the event, just to find out if they can come or not, and to remind them that their parents are also welcome to attend. I think that receiving two hard-copy notices in the mail really helps to remind the students, and then a follow-up e-mail is good just in case there are some kids who might have forgotten about it or lost the invitation. I know that contacting the kids several times like this is probably not feasible for larger Clubs like the Chicago Club, but for Clubs with 25 or fewer incoming freshmen, I think it really helps to increase the turn-out.

Locations for 2009 pep rallies

Football season is almost here! And, let's be honest, the season is more than just the game on Saturday afternoons. There are pep rallies, scores of events on campus, tailgating, and so on. However, with construction at the JACC this year, the pep rallies must take place elsewhere.

Many of the seven rallies will be held at various spots around campus, including in front of Dillon Hall in place of the dorm's signature event--the Dillon Pep Rally--and on the Irish Green, south of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The final rally of the season, before the UConn game in late November, will be held in the new Purcell Pavilion (the former south dome of the JACC).

The full press release can be found here.

Picture of the Day - August 6

Sorry I have not posted a picture in a while. However, we've had a beautiful summer of cloudless days on campus!

University hosts research symposium

Last week, the University hosted a regional research symposium for undergraduate researchers from the University of Notre Dame, Hope College and the University of Michigan. The symposium, centered around science research allowed students to present the fruits of their summer labors. It is an annual event and was held at the University of Michigan last year.

This is another great example of the growing trend of undergraduate research at Notre Dame. Students really can conduct their own research if they choose!

The full article is here.

Houston send-off

From John McMannis of the Notre Dame Club of Houston:

The Official Send-Off is a mass and then get together. Last year, we had a separate mass on a Sunday afternoon specifically for the students. So it was smaller, more intimate and definitely dedicated to the students. This year we had it at the Co-Cathedral as part of their regular Sunday mass. There was a blessing for the students but not as personal. The get together is then immediately after mass where we have a meal and then break into groups. The Parents of the students meet with older alumni and other parents, and the students meet with other students. Both parents and students seem to enjoy this.

We also have a separate get together (dinner) for the incoming class and the Class before them. So this year, the Classes of 2012 and 2013 are going to go to Dave and Buster’s for their “Eat and Play” deal. Last year they went to Kemah (on the Gulf with a boardwalk and rides. All of the students really like this get together without parental oversight.

In addition, we invite the incoming class to our various service project that we have over the summer. There are a few that participate.

Arts & Letters Communique, Summer 2009

The full version of the Arts & Letters Communique can be found here, but some highlights:

• Over 200 Notre Dame students participated in the Undergraduate Scholars conference in May. This provided students a great opportunity to showcase their research, projects, and creative talents to the University community and distinguished scholars.
• We are quite proud of our students! While most of you work with students before they get to campus, here's a great list of some things they are doing when they get here!
• And, as we mentioned a few months ago, a Notre Dame graduate won the Jeopardy! College Championship this spring.

The Communique is filled with other information from the College, but those are a few stories of direct interest to Admissions.

Another send-off idea

Looking for an idea for your student/freshman send-off this fall? Here's another (which works especially well for smaller clubs) from Jim Mulvaney of the ND Club of Eastern Illinois:

The Notre Dame Club of Eastern Illinois will have its Student Send Off on Friday, August 7th. The event is at the Danville Stadium. There is a Summer Collegiate Baseball Prospect League game between the Danville Dans and the DuBois County, Indiana. The Prospect League is sanctioned by the NCAA. Teams use wood bats.

The four first year students will be given "The Shirt - 2009" as a gift from the Club and will throw out the first pitch. There is a Terrace behind home plate for the students to sit during the game and all will be recognized on the score board. The Terrace seating will allow the students to get to know each other during the game.

Tickets for the game and food and beverages will be provided for the students, their family and friends.

The night will be a good night for the new and returning students.

The value of alumni connections

As members of the Notre Dame Family, we all understand the importance of the relationships we created as students and the vast network of alumni spread throughout the world. With the economy falling into tough times and jobs becoming more difficult to find, that networking becomes increasingly valuable.

But, did you know that university career centers often make resources available for alumni well after they graduate? Notre Dame's Career Center has always had a link on their website for graduates of the University, but they have recently expanded their resources to provide a greater benefit to the thousands of alumni around the world.

Last Friday, The New York Times ran an article about career centers reaching out to those who have been out of school for quite some time; an allusion to our Career Center was included. If anything, the article reaffirms how fortunate we are to be members of the Notre Dame Family.

Notre Dame ranked 8th on PayScale's "College Salary Report"

Notre Dame is ranked No. 8 on PayScale’s recently released “College Salary Report,” a list of salaries of graduates from hundreds of colleges and universities.

The numbers represent 1.2 million users of PayScale’s Web site who reported their salaries and educational credentials in a survey over the last year. The rankings are by median mid-career salary (minimum 10 years out of school).

Notre Dame’s median mid-career salary is listed as $121,000 and its starting median salary is $55,300. Topping the list is Dartmouth College, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.

The data include only survey respondents whose highest academic degree is a bachelor’s, as PayScale’s goal is to determine which undergraduate educations are the “best investment.”

In addition, PayScale ranks the “Top 10 College Majors that Lead to High Salaries” − all of which are offered at Notre Dame as majors or concentrations within fields of study. They are listed in order as aerospace, chemical, computer and electrical engineering, followed by economics, physics, mechanical engineering, computer science, and industrial and environmental engineering.

Click here to see the rankings.

Government plans to simplify FAFSA

Yesterday, the Education Department released a plan to simply the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA. The new FAFSA will eliminate redundant or unnecessary questions, and may even "sync" with IRS data to make it easier and faster for families to complete the form.

I find it a tad bit ironic that the FAFSA is receiving a makeover because of its complicated nature when I would consider it the simpler of the two financial aid forms we require. Remember, for a student to completely submit an application for financial aid, he or she must submit the FAFSA, the CSS Profile (available through the College Board) and all of the most recent and relevant tax forms. Details on the necessary documents can be found here.

Picture of the Day - June 23

Interesting New York Times blog

I'm not necessarily endorsing everything found on this blog, but the New York Times has a blog called "The Choice: Demystifying College Admissions and Aid." The author has a number of interesting points and links to admissions-related articles. If you're sitting there at home on a Tuesday night thinking, "Hmmm...maybe I'll do some reading to give myself a better background to bring to my ASC activities" (which everyone is, I know!), give the blog a try.

video.nd.edu

The University has recently launched video.nd.edu, "a place to watch stories, lectures and other content straight from the Notre Dame website." If you are looking for an easy way to keep up with the latest news and information from the University, or to find older news stories and videos, give the website a try: video.nd.edu.

Ideas for send-off events

I have received a few ideas for send off events, and I will continue to post more as they come in, but here is what I have so far:

• From Paul Stevenson, ASC for the ND Club of St. Joseph Valley: Something that worked well for student send-offs for our club was a softball game and cookout. We used to play at the old Notre Dame softball field; the game pitted the alumni and parents against the students. We had to change it the past two years to just a picnic, due to all the stadium construction. But for eight years, it was a fun and competitive event.
  
  
• From Christopher May, ASC for the ND Club of Philadelphia: On the August send-off, we have a constant agenda which seems to work. The key points are students talking with students and parents talking with parents.

A general outline of putting together a send-off can be found on page 15 of the ASC Handbook.

Please keep the ideas coming--either in the comments to this post or to me via e-mail!

Two weeks of posts in one

After being out of town for two weeks, I came back to an inbox full of e-mails. Instead of posting each of these separately, I've decided to condense everything into one post:

• An interesting article from The Chronicle of Higher Education about honorary degrees, our commencement this year, and Fr. Hesburgh.
• An article from USA Today about nation-wide graduation rates. It's scary to think that only 53% of students starting college will graduate in six years! We are very fortunate to be in a position where 95% of our students will graduate in four years.
• A survey that shows what we expected: this year, students were more likely to choose a school based on affordability rather than choosing their "dream school."

Sorry to bunch the links together, but there is some good-albeit diverse-reading here!

Picture of the Day - May 18

Air Force One flying over the Dome on its way to South Bend for commencement.

Notre Dame senior wins Jeopardy! College Championship

Notre Dame senior (well, he's a graduate as of yesterday) Patrick Tucker won the Jeopardy! College Championship on Friday's episode.  As part of his winnings, Tucker will take home a cool $100,000.

If I remember correctly (from the times I watch Jeopardy! and only a get a few questions correct throughout the show), the  College Championship is usually filmed on USC's campus.  At least we beat them at something!

Graduation Recap

The University has uploaded videos from yesterday's commencement ceremony to this website.  There you can find everything from the Valedictory Address to President Obama's Commencement Address.

Congratulations Class of 2009!

Letter to graduating seniors from Fr. Jenkins

You may have received this in an e-mail from the Alumni Association yesterday, but ealier this week, Fr. Jenkins sent this letter to all graduating seniors, addressing their graduation and President Obama as the commencement speaker.

Arts and Letters Communique

Every quarter, the College of Arts and Letters publishes their Communiqué with information from the College and its students and faculty.  The spring edition of the Communiqué can be found by clicking this link.

You can also have the Communiqué delievered to your inbox by completing the form here.  It's a good way to stay in touch with the College and see what's going on here on campus!

Picture of the Day - May 5

Keeping up with technology

What's the best way to reach out to prospective students?  That's really the million-dollar question in admissions these days: how do we get in touch with students so they have all the Notre Dame information they need before they make their final decisions?

Technology is rapidly changing, perhaps even more so in the past few years (or maybe I'm starting to feel that way as I get older!).  E-mails and phone calls have taken a backseat to Facebook and online social networking (which may have taken a backseat to Twitter--can we consider that a social network?).  

The following article discusses not only a few of the options availble to schools, but also the process of catching up with the life of your "normal" seventeen year old high school senior.

Do any of you use Facebook, Twitter, or other technology-based "systems" to communicate with students from your area?  Please feel free to share your experiences via the comment section or e-mail!

Athletic Departments spend money

It might seem like common sense to you and me, but the NCAA recently completed a study which concluded that athletic department budgets are rising substantially across the nation.  Luckily, Notre Dame's program is self-sufficient; the income from football and men's basketball--typically revenue-generating sports--is able to cover the costs of our entire athletics program and saves tuition money for academics.

You can find the article by following this link.

I apologize

OK, so I haven't done the best job of keeping the blog updated.  Let's see if I can change that now...

If you have suggestions for posts, topics, discussions, etc., please send them to me at morourk1@nd.edu

President Obama to speak at Commencement

As you may or may not have heard by now, President Barack Obama will be the principal speaker at the University Commencement Ceremony this May.  President Obama is the sixth President of the United States to speak at graduation, the last being President George W. Bush in 2001.  

The full press release is here.  

Picture of the Day - February 27

We're moving on up...

Business Week magazine recently released their rankings of undergraduate business schools with the Mendoza College of Business moving up the number two!  According to their rankings, the best undergraduate business program in the United States is the University of Virginia's Mcintire School of Commerce.

Link to the article

Link to the rankings

Some sobering news

This video pretty much tells us what everyone already knows, but some of the stats are still somehwat "chilling":

FASFA

I know how much everyone loves the financial aid process, and The New York Times recently had an article summarizing some of the forms' better--or worse--qualities.  

We require the College Board's CSS Profile in addition to the FASFA because of the federal form's many inadequacies.  Using the two forms, we're able to get a good idea of a family's financial picture, though nothing, as you know, is perfect.

We are quickly approaching the time when admitted students will receive their financial aid packages, and while we try to help everyone as much as possible, you know as well as I do that we can't make everyone happy.  Should the Office of Financial Aid seem to make a gross oversight in a financial aid package, please encourage students or families to contact their office for direction and assistance.

Facebook for parents

Facebook, and other online social networking website, are quickly becoming a part of mainstream society.  These utilities not only provide ways for individuals to connect with each other (I know I'm "Facebook friends" with a few of you!), but also hold tons of potential for universities in their recruitment with students.  

Somewhat related is this article about a Stanford professor who is teaching a Facebook class for parents.  His website (found in the article) gives newcomers a general background on the site.

Economic Impact Report

Every five years, the University commissions a study to evaluate its economic impact on St. Joseph County and the surrounding area.  The study was recently finished and published, and is available for review at http://impact.nd.edu/

Happy reading!