Chris Boehm, Director of Admission

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The more things change, the more things change

Move in days across the country are fast approaching. May how things have changed since my move-in day. A lot of things are similar: over packed cars, posters, anxious students, grateful and nervous parents, and enough toiletries to stock most Target shelves three times over. Some things have changed appearance and capabilities, cell phones have replaced wall phones, plasmas have replaced the dinosaur TV (I remember when 19 inches was a big screen!), PDAs have made day planners unnecessary. And now you can call, watch and day plan on one machine!

]]> Technology has changed our campuses. It has also changed move in day. The internet, Facebook, MySpace, and other sites permit students to meet hundreds of their classmates prior to arriving on campus. Instead of wondering who they will meet, new students come to campus with a list of people to look up in person that they already met and conversed with in cyberspace. Most students will tell you that they are nervous about meeting new people and fitting in during their early days on campus. Well, most of them already have hundreds of Facebook and MySpace friends to meet and choose from. What a great thing. On move in day, instead of seeing new students sitting in their rooms and worrying, occasionally introducing themselves to fellow students, I see students seeking out and hugging their classmates because they already know their life story through IM exchanges. Students from all over the country and world with a common bond, Albright, are already friends even though they haven’t met.

Isn’t technology great!

Summertime

Been slightly delinquent with updates, the lost sleep our new family edition is destroying brain cells and I am still catching up from my time away from work.

Hopefully all college bound high school seniors have already visited their top choice school this spring or earlier. However, many students have not and there are too many places to visit even for the most ambitious of families. Summertime is a great time for rising seniors to visit those colleges that they aren’t sure about and rising juniors to get a start on their college search.

Here are two very good articles that I recommend EVERY family read before they take off on that college tour of 10 colleges in 5 days – which I DON’T recommend. Best advice- have fun, plan and call ahead, take notes, compromise and smile!!!!!!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07156/791473-298.stm

http://www.newsday.com/travel/am-kids0713,0,252771,print.story?coll=ny-travel-headlines

Summer Open House

Tell me another college or university where the vice president of enrollment makes cotton-candy at an open house. Sunday was our summer open house, always a fun day, little too humid, but overall a lot fun. How can you not have fun when snow cones, cotton-candy and popcorn are being served.

]]> Over 200 families got to mingle and eat lunch with faculty, view all the facilities changes on campus (New Schumo Center and the renovations to Selwyn Pond) and hear about the new science building and pending renovations to the campus center. There are exciting things happening at Albright and that makes the job of the admission office exciting. When admission professional have exciting news to relay they have a lot of fun relaying that message. This energy can be contagious.

So if you were unable to visit on Sunday I encourage you to find out what all the excitement if about by calling to schedule a visit, or call or email an admission counselor and feel the energy from them. Next open houses are in October and November, but individual visits are available Monday through Saturday. Seniors, juniors, sophomores, even freshman are welcome. The sooner we can create a relationship with a prospective student the more information we can exchange.

See you on campus soon!!!!!!!

Best Week Ever!

VH1 has the show “Best Week Ever”. Well that was me last week! It had nothing to do with SAT scores, interviews, enrolling a class, or financial aid. Nope, this had to do with real life, things that matter. Its been a week to sit back and know that everything outside of family and friends is secondary.

Let’s see if you can top my week:

Celebrated my birthday with family and friends.

Went to my daughter’s first dance recital.

Watched my son, Aiden, be born.

Celebrated my god-son’s and mother-in-law’s birthday on the same day.

I even fit in a round of golf!!!!

Financial Aid- Start Early, Plan Smart

I too often talk with families of high school juniors and seniors about scholarships and financial aid and by that time 90% of the decision have already been made. And sometimes these decisions are bad ones.

I wish college admission and financial aid counselors could talk with parents of preschoolers. I’m not sure if young parents are getting proper advice or maybe they are and are ignoring it. I am the parent of the three year-old and the cost of higher education is very intimidating for me, and I work at a college!

If you have young children here are some quick types and myths to avoid:

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- You more than likely will not be able to pay for a child’s college education from your annual income. Your parents may have been able to, but with the cost of an education increasing faster than cost of living, this is next to impossible for most families.

- You must have a plan. Savings is very important, but it doesn’t have to be the only method of paying for an education. Here are some more things to do:

o Home equity- refinancing a mortgage can free up a lot of money to help pay for a college education. Equity and lower rates make it possible for families to free up cash.

o Stop living month-to-month. Leasing cars is a great example of this. My advice- plan to have your cars paid off when your child enters college. Imagine what you could do with the $800 to $1200 a month that you might be paying on two leased vehicles. We all need vehicles to get around, but you can be smart about how this affects your finances in regards to a child’s education. The average family in the us spends $8000 a year on cars; that could be $32,000 in expendable income over four years that can go toward educational costs.
o Reduce your credit-card debt. I know, easier said than done. This will require living within your means, or maybe below it.

- Save early! Set up college funds at birth and put in what ever you can, when ever you can. The Rule of 72- an investment earning 8% return will double in 9 years! Compound interest is your friend when saving for a college education.

- Be in a strong borrowing position. It is almost impossible not to take a loan out to pay for a college education. It will become more impossible in future years. Some of these loans will be in the student’s name, but many times parents must take loans out to defer the cost of an education.

Only 1% of the world’s population has a college degree. In the US an education is expected, but after high school it will rarely be provided for free. Paying for a college education will take sacrifice from the student and family. We spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars to give our children the best during their childhood, but it is important to realize that they may need us the most in preparing them for their careers. Spend smart, plan early, and good luck.

Albright Graduation 2007

Four years ago we welcomed the class of 2007 as freshman. I’m sure in August of 2003 the last thing on these student’s minds was May, 2007. Probably felt like a million miles away. I know when I received my college admission letter- so long ago that it was probably actually typed, I never thought my college graduation would come. Four years seemed like a lifetime. But I’m sure all our graduates on Sunday will tell you it went by in the blink of an eye. I had a chance to stop by prior to graduation with my daughter to congratulate some of the students I got to know really well. Didn’t catch all of them, but it was good to see Natalie, Ed, Meredith, Natalie B, Megan, Jessica and some others.

]]> There aren’t many times in your life that you are forced to start over again. Graduations are time for family celebration but can also be a time of great trepidation for students. High school graduation meant that students would start all over again at college. And what causes more stress than packing and leaving for colleges? Why? Because it means starting all over. College graduation is no different. Students become comfortable with a routine, they know that someone is looking out for them. The stress level varies from day to day, but for the most part students are protected.

Then comes graduation! “Yahoo! We’re outta here!” What’s next? Many students already have jobs lined up or acceptances to graduate schools. But the life they knew for the last four years is changing. Some students find this change accelerating, but many are very nervous. Students will quickly find out what many of us already know; the education that they received at Albright is their new protection. They should be comforted to know that it will take them places they never believed they’d go. And while they will not be able to hang out every night with all their friends’ playing cards or watching movies, or go to every football and basketball game with their faces painted. They will have those memories and they’re always welcome to come back to Albright to relive them on occasions.

To the class of 2007, CONGRATULATIONS! I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. This chapter of your life is written, but it is one that you can always revisit for the memories and in person.

Politics of Higher Education

I had the privledge of spending yesterday morning in the Pennsylvania Senate talking to leaders about the importance of increasing funding for higher education and higher education preparation programs. Did you ever wonder where the state grant you have came from? Or where the funding that paid for your dual-enrollment class magically appeared? The answer is simple; the financial politics of higher education.

]]> Pennsylvania has it pretty good when it comes to funding education and Gov. Rendell and recent Pennsylvania General Assembly have created some great new initiatives that are helping students prepare and attend college. A group from our state association, The Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling, talked with members of the Assembly yesterday about increasing funding for three major programs. The Project 720, Dual Enrollment, and State Grants, are three programs that are critical in the college preparation and success of Pennsylvanians. Project 720 funds dual enrollment programs that permit students to take college courses during their junior and senior years if they have exhausted their high school curriculums, some schools can’t afford to hirer new teachers to teach AP and honors level classes, this fund permits those districts to offer their students an equally rigorous high school schedule without having to hirer new teachers. Taking these college courses better prepares students for college, may reduce the financial burden of college by permitting them to graduate in less than four years, and makes them a more attractive applicant to the colleges and universities that they will be applying to. The funding of this project will also reduce guidance counselor loads from Pennsylvania’s present ration of 415:1. State Grants for college benefit thousands of college students. Eligible students receive up to $4,500 a year toward their education. These grants make college a reality for a lot of students. There is presently a shortfall in this program and we are hoping that the Governor and the Assembly find a way to fund the entire program so that students don’t lose their grants and have to leave school.

So why is funding for higher education important? I consider it an investment in the state’s future. Pennsylvanians that obtain a college degree will earn more, vote more, pay more taxes, and fill the need that Pennsylvania has for talented educated people. College educated individuals are less likely to be unemployed, receive public assistance, or become incarcerated. In a nutshell, college educated individuals contribute to the wealth and services of the state at a higher percentage and are less likely to take advantage of services that will need to be funded by the state. A $4,500 state grant is a much better investment in the future of Pennsylvania than the $26,000 is costs to incarcerate a criminal.

So I, PACAC, and all the people of Pennsylvania thank Senator Erickson, Senator Rhoads, Senator Armstrong, Senator O’Pake, Senator Mellow, and Senator Pileggi for taking time out of your day to meet with us yesterday. We hope that you are as excited about investing in the future of Pennsylvania as we are. To contact your senator or respresentative about issues, visit- http://www.legis.state.pa.us/

May 1

Our jobs (admission professionals) are dependant upon the decisions of seventeen year olds. Pretty scary stuff. Even scarier attempting to predict these decisions, which is our jobs. The scariest day of all is May 1. That is the day that this the universal decision deadline for colleges and universities place on accepted students for the enrollment decision. That makes April 30 and May 1 very hectic days.

]]> The phone is ringing off the hook today. Some families asking for more time, others asking for more financial aid, others just are asking for help. These days provide us with a lot of excitement; when a student we really like decides to enroll. But there are also the lows when students decide to go elsewhere. Admission people do get excited about individual applicants, especially at a small school where we really get to know our applicants. We sometimes agonize over the decisions as much as families do.

I sometimes use my blog as a therapeutic instrument and I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity right now. In my ten years in admission I have never experienced a year where families have asked and even expected the College to provide excessive amounts of financial aid because of their (the families) lack of planning toward their son or daughter’s college savings.

Times have changed. We (parents) cannot expect to pay for a college education through income. While colleges and universities do attempt to provide aid, it is not their responsibility to make up for poor planning. The average family has a college savings for their children of $6,000. Not responsible parenting if a family has the means to save.

I heard on the radio that American’s have a feeling that it is “weak” to save money, we are more likely to borrow at low interest rates than save to pay for a project. This attitude sometimes does not resonate into paying for a college education. A family will spend $20,000 on a new kitchen to add equity into their home, but the thought of taking a loan at to invest in a student is taboo.

We do everything we can while to offer the best for our children while they are young. We buy safe cars, buy athletic equipment, give up weekends for to travel to our kid's activities, buy computers, but we (Americans) don’t plan ahead nearly as much as we should. A college education is expensive. It may come cheap. The difference between the lifetime earnings of a high school and college graduate is $1.3 million. The government, colleges and universities attempt to assist families with easing this burden, but it is not their responsibility to pay for it.

I am off on a tangent that my not apply to as many families as I feel like it does. My recommendation to families, save! Instead of leasing the third car, save! Instead of buying a shore home, save! Instead of redoing the kitchen, save! I have friends who don’t have savings plans for their children, but they buy new cars and have maxed-out credit cards. This message needs to get out there. This is important. I apologize for the negative delivery. I promise that future entries will have a more positive slant.

VT

Albright students and staff are observing Hokie Hope Day in remembrance of the students and staff that lost their lives in the horrific events this week. Students, staff, and visitors watched in horror on Monday as the day’s events unfolded. You run the gauntlet of emotions with an event like this. I don’t know what stage I’m at right now. All I know is that it doesn’t really matter where I’m at. Only that my thoughts and prayers go out to all those effected, alive and deceased, by this senseless event.

]]> In 1994 three students from Albright College developed the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. I find that there is six degrees to every person or event. The Virginia Tech shootings will reach almost everyone. Kelley Snead, one of our admission counselors, has five friends at Virginia Tech. She spent Monday trying to get in contact with them. In the office we waited to find out if they were ok. We waited to hear from peers in the VT admission office. In the middle of the afternoon an email came out on our national association’s list serve that all members of the office and their visitors were fine.

I’m sure you all know someone who goes to VT or works at VT. Or you know someone that knows someone who has a connection to VT. We are all connected in this small world. Sometimes it takes momentous occasions to realize how close we really are.

I don’t know if the VT security could have prevented this, I don’t know if tighter gun control laws could have stopped the young man, I don’t know if it was wrong of NBC to show the videos of Cho Seung-Hui; we can all form our own opinions of that. It may assist us in handling or averting the next massacre. But it won’t bring back the lives of those lost at VT. And that makes me sad.

Today, I’m a Hokie. I have maroon and orange on as does my blog. I don’t know anyone that goes to VT, but I’m not separated by the students there by very much. My connection is less than six degrees.

Spring?

Did I say in my last post that spring was here? Well, you can all blame me for jumping the gun. While it has not felt much like spring this week there are still plenty of spring things going on. Last weekend we hosted almost 200 families for our Accepted Student Preview Day. And while not balmy, the 50 degree day was much better than last year’s sleet and freezing rain.

]]> There are still baseball, softball and lacrosse games and rugby matches happening on campus. The tennis, golf and track teams are still competing, albeit with a couple extra layers on. High school juniors have started the journeys to college campus to get their college searches started and accepted students are coming back for one last visit and calling about their financial aid awards. Yes, it feels like spring in every sense of the word except for the weather.

I was at Abington High School last night and met some great families. If you were the swimmer, chemist, mathematician, or field hockey player I spoke with, thanks for coming by. Today we had 30 juniors from Twin Valley High School on campus to tour and learn more about the College and the college search process. I hope I didn’t bore you too much! Tuesday I also got to talk with 8th graders from Fleetwood Middle School about preparation for college. Tonight I travel to William Floyd High School on Long Island to talk to families.

It never ends, the busy spring. Someone please tell Mother Nature to catch up! Heard 60 and sunny on Saturday.

Spring!!!!!!

Spring is here and so is the homestretch for seniors and the starting line for many juniors. What a great time of year!

I went to an Albright softball game yesterday and Albright students were grilling burgers and dogs, some had their faces painted. We lost, unfortunately, but the experience was a positive one!

Albright has just returned from spring break. It is lonely here without them. NO I DO NOT GET OFF FOR SPRING BREAK! Although Adam and Loren from the admission office did go down to New Orleans with a group of students to continue the rebuilding process. This is Albright’s third trip down and another is scheduled for May. They were supposed to leave on Friday but got delayed until Monday because of the snow. Weather is a crazy thing, snow a week ago and 70+ degrees today. How does the saying go, it’s a women’s prerogative to change her mind and Mother Nature certainly has done that several times over the past few weeks.

The admission office is a crazy place right now. We are traveling to talk to juniors and sophomores. I was at college fairs at Upper Dublin and North Penn high schools last week and sat on panels at Twin Valley and Brandywine last week. We also have a lot of accepted seniors visiting who are trying to make their final decisions.

Those decisions can be tough. I don’t think we (admission people) can be much help because we are obviously biased toward Albright. But here are some pointers:

1. Go back to the list of things that you wanted in a college or university and put them in rank order
2. Take your final college choices and list the pros and cons of each.
3. Match the pros and cons with you list of things that are important in #1. Example, if strength of major is very important to you and you think Albright has the strongest program, list Albright under strength of program as a pro. If you listed “big school” as #4 on your list of importance you should list Albright as a con for #4 because we are a small liberal arts school.
4. See how your final schools match up with what you (and your family) believe are most important to you.
5. Talk to people that are close to you. Share your feelings. Sometimes when you talk about something instead of just looking at it on paper things come to you.
6. Visit again. And again. And again if you have to and are able.
7. Go with you gut! The gut sometimes defies logic, but not all decisions can be quantitative. Remember you only have to defend this decision to yourself and you will do so by having a positive experience and graduating!

Seniors, best of luck with your decisions. Juniors, we hope to see you on campus for an early visit. Get here before the semester ends.

An Albright Weekend....

We tell students all the time that when you choose to attend Albright you are joining a community. I’ve been a part of the Albright community for almost ten years and sometimes I take it for granted. This was a great week to realize how much I benefit from working at Albright. So here’s my Albright weekend:

]]> Wednesday night I watched our Lady Lions basketball team play in their first playoff game in ten years. While they left the court non-victorious, it was great to see students with their faces painted, the pep band playing, and all the members of the Albright community coming out to support the women.

Saturday I came in, on my day off, to talk admission and financial aid to a group of football recruits. Our new head coach, John Marzka, gives an extremely impressive academic presentation that I think really surprises most families. I just enjoy meeting the families and talking football as much as admissions.

Saturday night I took my wife to Hong Thanh on the recommendation of one of my co-workers, Loren Morgan. Following that we went to see the latest Albright Domino Players production, Fuddy Meers. It was fabulous and one of our ambassadors Natalie Gaspari, who I recruited to Albright four years ago, was amazing as Gerty. I can’t wait to bring my daughter, Kennedy, to The Mikado, she’ll sit through a musical.

So it was a full Albright weekend!!! Hope to see you at a few of them.

Snow Problem

Classes were cancelled at Albright yesterday. Several admission employees braved the snow, cold weather, and icy roads to make it to work. This isn’t surprising because admission counselors are familiar with driving in all types of conditions and one admission counselor lives on campus (yes, she did make it in). We were very surprised however, when John Whelan from Bridgeton, New Jersey arrived on campus for his admission visit! Now that is dedication to your college search.

Some of you outside of southeastern PA may not know why we were so surprised by John’s arrival so here is a point of reference, I live eight miles from campus and it took me 40 minutes to get to work yesterday. Bridgeton, New Jersey, is 90 miles from Reading!

John, we are impressed by your commitment, although we do question your and your dad’s sanity. We hope that you made it home safe and expect that you will never miss a class while at Albright.

For those of you that live in southeastern PA, good luck digging out and drive safe if you have to. At least you don’t live in Oswego:

Groundhog's Day

]]> Groundhog’s Day is tomorrow. It is a great day to reflex. We often get into ruts at work, with our families, personal life, activities and other areas. This time of year; between the Christmas holiday and Easter is generally the time we get into ruts in the admission office. We spend our day reading applications, contacting and interviewing students, and sometimes answering questions as if we were an automated phone message. We sometimes forget everyone we speak with is another student that we (Albright) can touch. Another student that may one day walk the steps to the podium on Science Field and receive their diploma and another might say “thank-you for helping me attend Albright.” This is why we (admission professionals) do what we do. And at a school like Albright where we get to really know so many of our students it is even more special.

But in order to do so we must avoid the rut.

Students must also avoid the rut. Next week’s college visit is a new opportunity to find your next home. Come into it with an open mind. Be excited, ask questions, soak in the experience. Best of luck.