Minnesota National College Fair

Hi Everyone - I'm off this week to a couple college fairs. The Minnesota National College Fair is at the Mpls Convention Center on Wed and Thur of this week. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello at the UWEC booth. It's the largest college fair in the country and is really fun to see all these great schools represented.

Then I go to the Univ of Minnesota on Friday from 2-5 for the LGBTQ college fair, sponsored by Campus Pride. It's held in the Coffman Union.

I know a lot of you get your information from the web, but we'd love to talk to you in person about UWEC, too. Take the new quiz about college fairs this fall....

Will talk more when I get back.

Kris

College Essay Tips

Hi Everyone -
I have a little time this Thursday afternoon to give you a few tips on your college application essays. I know a lot of you are applying right now and are wondering, "What do they want me to say??"

1. Our "essay" is really an applicant statement. It's your chance to tell us anything you feel is important for us to know about you.
2. Be yourself! Trying to impress will come across fake. Giving us something you think we want to hear won't be genuine. Be candid and be honest. There's no one right answer or perfect statement. You're all unique individuals, so your statements will be as individual as you all are.
3. So......tell us your dreams, your goals. Tell us something we can't already see in your list of activities or on your transcript. Tell us about a particular event that helped shape who you are.
4. Use the chance to explain a life event that may have impacted your academic background. It's not cool to blame your D in Algebra II on having mono or a "bad teacher," but if there are extenuating circumstances you feel we need to know about, please share them with us.
5. Proofread!! And do it with more than just Spellcheck. The extra 5 minutes you spend are worth it. You want to put your best foot forward.
6. Don't submit your latest paper on Macbeth or the Holocaust. We've all written them ourselves, too. We want to know about YOU! Oh, and keep it short. Less is more.
7. Make sure you individualize your statements for each individual campus. (Kinda gets back to that proofreading thing). Telling UWEC about how much you want to go to another school isn't real impressive. LOL.
8. Lastly, relax. Your academics are way more important than your essay to us, so spending 3 hours agonizing over your essay instead of your AP History reading is probably not a good use of your time:)

Oh, and see two fun pics below from our marching band at opening day at Lambeau Field!

Ciao,
Kris

Application frenzy

Hi Everyone - Wow. 768 applications in one week! Keep 'em coming. I just signed my first batch of admission letters this week. We'll get back in touch with you as soon as we can, so hang in there if you've applied.

It's also Parents' Weekend today. AND a home football game. AND study abroad orientation for students going abroad in the spring. AND a Saturday Spotlight for prospective students. Campus is hopping. Wish you were here!:)

Kris

Get Ready

Hi Everyone -
It's Sunday night, and I'm watching a baseball game, checking my email and calendar for tomorrow. I wonder how many applications will greet our staff tomorrow morning! There's always someone who applies at midnight. LOL. September 15th is the first day you can apply to the Wisconsin System campuses, and we'll start evaluating and processing your apps really soon.

I've spent the past week on the road, talking to school counselors in the Marshfield, Oshkosh, Menomonie, and Twin Cities areas. It seemed like they were excited to get the school year started, but they had a lot of questions that could be helpful for all of you.

Q. Who needs letters of recommendation?
A. Letters of rec are not required. However, if you choose to send them, keep in mind that 1 or 2 are more helpful than tons. Also, they are really more helpful for students who are "on the bubble," meaning our postponed list.

Q. Do you require official ACTs?
A. UWEC doesn't require official ACTs for an admissions decision but we will need them eventually.....before you are invited to Orientation. So, best to just get them in now. See my prior post for the link to ACT.

Q. Do you require the writing portion of the ACT?
A. Nope.

Q. Which is better? Taking an AP class and getting a B or taking a regular class and getting an A?
A. Taking an AP class AND getting an A:)

I'll keep this short but I'll give you a taste of application numbers this week, and I'll be back with tips on how to make the most of your college visit. Oh, I didn't find any pics of Orientation on our website, but I did find a cool slideshow from the past year. Here it is: http://www.uwec.edu/ucomm/scenes/endofyear0708/

Cheers,
Kris