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A cause I care deeply about
September 27, 2011Hello everyone!
I’m Juliet. I’m a teenage girl living with Celiac Disease since March, 2007. I’m your regular American girl, going to a regular high school in a regular town, except I have Celiac Disease. This is why this blog is so important. I’m not a doctor, a specialist, or even a high school graduate. I’m just me. There are millions of people with Celiac who are just normal people who have to live their lives with this condition, and it’s difficult. On pizza days at school and when a friend brings doughnuts to class, I have to say “No thanks!”, and that’s why I’m here. To help out those people who are tired of eating and living below what they want or deserve.
I love to write (especially blog!) I could play tennis for hours. My favorite school subject is history. I love music and camping, and I drink entirely too much coffee. Out of all the things I enjoy doing and things that I love, I especially love people. And that’s why I blog.
I hope this blog doesn’t help just teens, but people of all ages. Maybe you are here because you have celiac, or maybe a family member does. Maybe you just want to eat a little differently. I hope you enjoy my blog www.confessionsofaceliac.com, and come visit often!
-xoxo
Juliet
A Visit to Hamilton
September 26, 2011
Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
After our visit to St. Lawrence, Tom and I drove down to the beautiful Finger Lakes area in central New York. We made our way to Mirbeau Inn & Spa named “Best for Romance, Cuisine & Yoga!” This inn became our home for three days as we explored the surrounding areas and colleges.
Here are my notes and observations about Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York.
Clinton
- Centrally located historic town
- New England type village with a village green, cute little shops, etc.
- Close to the Adirondacks, Utica, and Syracuse
- Many other cute little towns near by
- Malls are about 15 minutes away
- Syracuse Airport about 40 minutes away
Campus
- Residential campus, students live on campus all four years
- Truly a community, no need to leave campus
- 1800 students
- Creative, engaged fun students
- Became co-ed in the early 70s when Hamilton merged with all-female Kirkland College
- You will find all different types of students who all seem to get along
Hamilton College Dining Hall
Housing
- Housing is a lottery
- No separate freshman housing, may be some floors that are all freshman
- Lots of unique housing options
- Housing is great because freshman are not put in a freshman dorm. They are not put in the worse dorm as is the case at other
colleges. They are mixed in with other students so nice housing for all students.
Academics
- Liberal arts, all the majors are strong
- No distribution requirements or core curriculum
- Benefits are students are happy and engaged because they want to be in the classes they choose
- Advising system really good and personal
- Dynamic and organic experience, advisors ensure students get a broad education
- Course of study will be individually tailored and structured to ensure an experience to prepare students to reach their goal
- Faculty are committed to the open curriculum
- There may be a quantative requirement if students are not at the level they need to be, for example Stats.
- Hamilton is a writing intensive college. This means you don’t have to write tons of big papers, but smaller papers and several drafts to become a better, focused writer.
- Professors are here to teach, vast majority live within 3 miles of campus
- Professors know if you are not there
- Senior projects and some full year thesis available
- Pre-professional advisors for business, law, medicine, etc.
- Liberal arts train you for nothing but prepare you for everything
- 5 main off-campus Hamilton programs – New York, Washington DC, China, Spain, and France – 100s of others available.
- Opportunity to be involved in the arts are vast
- Opening an art museum and teaching museum
- Strong theater, a capella groups, jazz band, orchestra, etc.
Athletics
- The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) – most prestigious Division III conference, same conference as Williams, Middlebury, Amherst, Wesleyan, Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, Trinity.
- These colleges are overlaps
- Students can contact coaches themselves. Coaches prefer that over a box e mail bought from a company
- National championship womens lacrosse team
- Ham, the pig, is the mascot – dresses like a revolutionary war soldier
- Lots of school spirit!
Extracurriculars
- Lots of competitive club and intra-mural teams
- Hamilton will fund any club students want to start
- Pub for students over 21 on campus
- Greeks live in the dorms
Career information
- Career-Related-Experience (CRE) – every student has at least one before end of sophomore year
- Hamilton is in the top 1 percent for alumni giving of money, time, networking, connections.
- Great alumni network! For example a girl got an internship at MTV in NYC ( unpaid internship).
- The career center funded her summer internship expenses such as rent, food and fun. Very impressive program.
- Summer research opportunities with professors
- Internships open the door to that first job
- Great Names Series – impressive speaker series.
Hamilton College Walkway
Addmissions
- Interviews recommeded. Students need to set this up on the Hamilton website. Alum interview available in the Twin Cities
Financial aid
- 50 percent of students on financial aid, still need blind
- Meets 100 percent of need
- No merit scholarships
- Hamilton, like all colleges, recommends families use the net price caculalator to determine if you will qualify for financial aid on the school’s website.
What separates Hamilton from the others? The friendly, warm, welcoming atmosphere, centrally located, not shared with a major
city. – Sue Luse
A Visit to Syracuse University
September 21, 2011Syracuse University is located in the city of Syracuse where you find the arts, shopping, and restaurants. Lake Onondaga is about 2 miles to the north. About 40 miles farther to the north is Lake Ontario. 168,000 people live in Syracuse and 700,000 in the metro area. Syracuse is a private university with 10,000 undergraduates. It’s close to Hancock International Airport. Syracuse is working to re-invent the South Side. Syracuse University business and journalism students are involved in the effort.
Our tour guide from Michigan
Notes and Observations…
- All different kinds of students, 32 percent diversity
- 25 percent Jewish
- One of the biggest Hillel’s in the country
- Active GLBT group
- Study abroad
- 8 different Syracuse locations around the world
Campus
- Big campus, big quad
- Huge Carrier dome. Used for both football and basketball
- Up on a hill
- Mix of old and new architecture
- Bustling, lots of students
- Dorms – split doubles most common
- No freshman dorms
- Connective corridor, new project connecting the campus with the city with walking paths, bike paths, lights, trees, linking the arts and theater, shopping and restaurants
- Dinosaur Barbecue – most famous restaurant
Syracuse Music Building
Admissions
- Interviews are optional and evaluative
- Students should indicate three colleges they want to attend at Syracuse. If not admitted into first choice such as Newhouse, will be considered for the other two.
- 3.6 GPA
- ACT 25 – 26
- Super scores SAT
- Admissions does vary from college to college
- Merit scholarships available
Academics
- “Scholarship in Action”
- Theater, BFA, strong program.
- First Year Players, a student-run theater program does a musical every year, for the non theater students.
- Direct entry architecture, 5-year BA of Architecture. Ranked in the top 5 in the nation. Need an art profile to be admitted.
- Newhouse School of Communication – new building with focus on multi-media. Number one communication program in the country. Eight different majors, biggest are radio, TV, and film.
- Dual majors with Newhouse and Whitman Business School
- Information School, has high tech majors such as global enterprise technology and web-based security and finance.
- For students who like technology, Whitman school of Business has a competitive direct entry program.
- School of Education, big focus on urban education and multi-culturism
- College of Visual and Performing Arts
- Also has a School of Music, housed in a gothic Hogwarts-like building
- Also has a music business program
- Most competitive programs are Newhouse, Whitman, Information School, Architecture, Theater
- Has a good Design program
- Engineering very good – 8 different majors
- New science building – state-of-the-art labs for study and research
- Big hospital right by campus for research and volunteering.
- College of Sports Management
- Liberal Arts College has a consortium with Cornell and other nearby colleges
If students are looking for a medium-sized university with many different colleges and majors available in an urban setting, Syracuse
would be a good option – especially if students are looking for big time athletics and legendary school spirit! – Sue Luse
A Visit to St. Lawrence University
September 20, 2011
Windy day at St. Lawrence Univ.
Tom and I drove through the beautiful Adirondack Mountains to the charming town of Lake Placid, home to the Winter Olympics. We loved Lake Placid even though lightening knocked out power to Lake Placid and our hotel. Oh well, better then a flat tire!
St Lawrence University, Canton, NY
Notes and Impressions…
Campus
- Lovely, historic campus located in the small city of Canton.
- Well maintained and updated facilities and grounds. Lots of quads, trees in a park-like surrounding.
- Spacious library with lots of interesting study places such as a tree house.
- New and bustling student center and a great book store with a boutique.
- I was surprised to see a Caribou Coffee, the first one I have seen in New York. Then I found out the co-founder of Caribou Coffee, Kim Puckett, attended St. Lawrence.
- The campus has lots of cute houses surrounding the college that are theme houses for the students.
- Housing is guaranteed all four years with many nice options.
- Loved dining hall
Academics
An outdoor class
- Academics attracts faculty who love to teach, help students develop their academics passions
- Environmental studies is an impressive major.
- Johnson Hall of Science meets LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification – meeting a stringent set of environmentally friendly and energy-efficient standards.
- Takes advantage of location by mountains. Environmental Science majors can go into public policy or field work.
- Over half of the students study abroad.
- Classic liberal arts and sciences
- Good geology, really good and unique rocks!
- Also good anthropology
- 3/2 engineering with Columbia and Clarkson
- Pre med is strong
- Pre law is strong
- 4 plus 1 MBA at many colleges
- International economics – new major
- Flexible core curriculum
- Semester system
Admissions
- 40 percent accepted
- Syracuse or Ottawa airport, closest airport.
- Security will drive students to airports, also have shuttles
- 60 percent from out-of-state,
- Will start reviewing Early Decision applicants Nov. 1
- For Early Decision 2 applicants, the deadline is Jan 1 but will give students more time if they change their minds and decide to go Early Decision 2
- Test optional – want to see honors and AP classes
- They look for a student is well-rounded, curious, and likes to try new things
- Merit scholarships
- Overlaps - Hamilton, Colgate, Middelbury, U of Vermont
Student workout area - amazing place!
Activities
- Small Greek scene
- Off the beaten track creates a strong community, a bee hive
- Students love the outdoors
- Big outing club Close to Canada gives an international flair
- White Face Ski Area an hour and a half
- Other small ski areas closer by
- Weather – sunny and snowy, but not the lake snow affects which is more cloudy and drizzle
Overall, beautiful campus, impressive facility, all kinds of students would be happy here. Great location by the mountains, somewhat
isolated, but happy students. – Sue Luse
A Visit to Bard College
September 20, 2011Bard College is located on the Hudson River in the tiny village of Annandale-on-Hudson in New York. This is a beautiful area, with lots of outdoor opportunities, and still close to New York City.
- Campus has varied architecture with an upper and lower campus. The buildings are spread out with lots of green spaces in between.
- Impressive science building.
- The humanities buildings featured seminar classes, all discussion-based with engaged students sitting around a conference table.
- Students were friendly, seemed free to be themselves, artsy.
- Good music department. Students do not need to audition for music or theater.
- No portfolio required.
- Students are interested in multiple things and tend to be unique.
- Social sciences are number 1.
- Students are opinionated, civic minded, like to do public service, and are politically active.
- When apply for early action, they make immediate decision. Unique!
- Test scores are optional.
- 30 percent accepted. Bard admissions is looking for students who are intellectual and independent and can handle the academics and take advantage of the opportunities at Bard.
- Vassar, Brown, Reed, NYU, Oberlin, and Carleton are overlaps.
- Students who have good relationships with teachers is what they are looking for
- They will take a look at students with high test scores and low GPAs if they see potential.
A Visit to Skidmore College
September 20, 2011
Sue at Skidmore
Skidmore College is located in Saratoga Springs, NY. In the summer during the racing season the population triples. Students move in after labor day, when all the tourists have left and have this cute town all to themselves. The movie Sea Biscuit was filmed here. There’s a big racetrack in town. Skidmore is a mile and a half from downtown. It’s surrounded by mansions and the North Woods, and close to the Adirondack Mountains. Beautiful campus, lots of trees and quads.
Here are some fun facts, stats, and my observations:
- Great college town
- Battle of Saratoga was fought here
- Saratoga Springs is a mineral bath town
- Ski school , close to the Adirondack Mountain ski area
- 850 acres of woods with plenty of hiking trails
- Big outdoorsy scene
- 3 hours from NYC
- 3 hours from Montreal
- Internships and airport at Albany, 20 minutes away
- 70 percent out-of-state
- 7 percent international
- Co-ed since 1972
- 25 percent diversity
- 2500 undergrad
Academics
- Professional track
- Business major available
- MBA program
- Direct entry nursing
- Education major with masters available
- Pre-med
- Pre-law
- Socialwork
- Exercise science
Arts Track
- No need to audition for music, theater, or dance
- All types of music, tons of opportunities
- Visual arts, wonderful art building with print making
- Juniors and seniors get their own studio space
Liberal Arts Track
- English
- Psychology
- International affairs
- Biology
- Many other majors
General
- Small class sizes
- No teaching assistants
- 60 percent double major
- Semesters system
- Four year core curriculum, lots of options
- Study abroad popular
- 48 countries
- Skidmore helps students find internships
- Big horse school, equestrian teams and equine studies
- Crew popular
- 94 percent retention rate
- Men’s varsity ice hockey – ECEA East leaugue of Divisition III
- Women’s field hockey
- Supportive healthy place
- Both “preppy” and alternative students
- Not “cliquey”
- All types of religions. About 25 percent Jewish.
- Not a bubble school, kids are politically aware and active.
Admissions
- 40 percent acceptance rate
- ACT 27-30 average
- They super score
- Merit and talented scholarships available.
Campus Tour
Amanda - best guide ever!
- Beautiful new music building
- Dance is a popular major. Students can do both modern dance and ballet.
- Great dorms. Suite style with single rooms for sophomores and doubles for the freshman with a shared bath for four students.
- All dorms are connected to the academic buildings and student center with covered walkways. See picture of tour guide Amanda under covered walkway. Best guide ever!
- Beautiful, compact and well planned campus. Only 40 years old. Original campus was in downtown Saratoga Springs.
- Juniors and seniors live in really nice apartments on campus.
- Skidmore mascot is the Thoroughbred, of course.
- One of the nicest dining halls I have ever seen. Open from 7 am to 11 pm.
- They have a separate dining room for students who have food allergies, which was good to see, as well as all the healthy menu options. There is also a unique make-your-own station where students can make their own stir frys, omelets and grilled sandwiches.
- Academic buildings, high tech, modern, all small classes
- No Greeks. Lots of traditions and social options
Skidmore is a good fit for our Midwest students. – Sue Luse
A Visit to Vassar College
September 13, 2011Vassar is located in Poughkeepsie,NY, about an hour and a half from NYC, on the Hudson river. The college campus is a combination of old and new architecture with a stunning library and performing arts center. We stayed in the historic town of Rhinebeck, about 20 minutes away.
Some notes about Vassar College:
- Students at Vassar were diverse and from all over
- No core curriculum
- Can triple major
- English, psychology, biology, economics, political science are the most popular majors
- Lang requirement
- AP level will waive if you get 4 or 5
- 40 percent study abroad
- 1000 courses to choose from – can register for 7 then drop down to 4 so can shop around for best fit
- 2500 students
- Good advising for both majors and minors
- Field work is what they call internships – must do a normal and submit a paper. Vassar sets up field work in the area and provides transportation.
- Students can also intern in NYC who want to get experience working in museums, PR firms, businesses, medical institutions, law firms and on Wall Street
- There is a Metro Link to New York City
- 22 percent acceptance rate, most rigorous possible high school curriculum required
- Students reviewed from the context of their high school
- Students should take all 5 core classes, English, Math, Science, world language and social studies all four years, and take as many AP courses as possible.
- 3.8 GPA
- ACT with writing 30-33
- Will super score all test scores – send all scores
- Early Decision has a 10-15 percent higher acceptance
- Extra-curriculars important, looking for leadership
- 20 percent in Division III sports, the rest in club and intramural sports
- Students are assigned to one of 9 “houses”, they live in the same house for three years
- There are house fellows who are faculty families who live in the house
- Went co-ed in 1969
- Plan to expand sciences
- Fun fact, the barefoot monks are one of the hundreds of student groups at Vassar, they are a juggling club.
- Who does well at Vassar? Ones who have learned how to balance rigorous academics and their activities.
- Their library closes at 12 because they want students to go home and sleep!
- Poughkeepsie has 120,000 people in the area
- Students do not go into the city all that much, because Vassar has such a multitude of things to do on campus.
For more information, check out Vassar’s website: www.vassar.edu
- Sue Luse
Visiting Colleges in New York
September 13, 2011Every September when all our students go back to school, my husband Tom and I hit the road to visit colleges. This year we picked New York! Since my daughter Chelsea lives in Manhattan, we planned a weekend in the City with Chelsea and our dear friends Chris and Lauren. And what a weekend we had! World class restaurants, an eating tour of the Village, two days at the US Open, and the hysterical over-the-top Broadway show, The Book of Mormon. All this during the 9/11 Anniversary with increased security everywhere and the solemn ceremonies taking place at Ground Zero. Sunday night, we stayed in America’s oldest inn – the Beekman Arms.
It’s Tuesday morning and we had planned to visit Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union but got a flat tire. Have to buy a new tire! We will only have time to visit Skidmore. But we get to spend the day on the lovely and fun town of Saratoga Springs. I plan to come back to this area again, so will get to visit these colleges another time. Watch for postings of colleges I visit on this New York trip. – Sue Luse
College Spotlight – St. Olaf College and Evergreeen State College
August 8, 2011Check out the latest College Spotlight on St. Olaf College and The Evergreen State College contributed by Ryan Luse.
2011 College Fairs – NACAC Minnesota National College Fair
August 6, 2011NACAC Minnesota National College Fair
(National Association for College Admission Counseling)
Tuesday, October4, 2011
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
4:30pm to 8:00 pm
AND
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Minneapolis Convention Center
Exhibit Halls D & E
1301 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55403-2781
(612) 335-6000
Free and open to the public, NACAC’s College Fairs allow students to interact with admission representatives from a wide range of postsecondary institutions to discuss course offerings, admission and financial aid requirements, college life in general, and other information pertinent to the college selection process.
For more information, check out this link: