GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS…
Welcome to the first installment of The (Admission) World According to Allison! First and foremost, this blog is for YOU - while I am in no way the definitive authority on Olin, I hope to help you get to know the College a little bit better. I’ll try to shed some light on our rather unique admission process, let you know what’s happening on campus, and give you my perspective from this “side” of the desk.
And just to assure you that I’m not just some wacko off the street, a little about me:
- I am a native Texan - which automatically makes me “wacko” in some of your minds!
- Before arriving at Olin, I was a high school college counselor.
- Before that, I worked in admissions at a great liberal arts college in Texas.
- I have a Masters in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in History (but I apparently have an affinity for the engineering-types too).
- I studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia.
- I spent a couple of summers as a professional tuba player (yes, you read that correctly… tuba).
Many people have asked me why I quit my job in Texas to move to Massachusetts and take a job at little-known engineering school when there are so many more prestigious and well-known institutions in the Boston area… it’s really quite simple and something I encourage you to think about as you go through the college search process - Olin College is the right “fit” for me and represents much of what I love about working in higher education. I love the small size, the strong sense of community, the amazingly talented students, the caring faculty and staff; I also love meeting prospective students and sharing the awesomeness of Olin; I love reading applications and learning more about you. For me, it boils down to great relationships combined with a great education and lots of creativity and fun.
So enough about me, it’s all about YOU! It’s your turn - please don’t be shy - leave comments and ask questions. That’s the only way I’ll know what’s on your minds! But please be respectful; my blog is meant to be a kind and welcoming place! You can always email or IM me as well.
Yes, we really do love DUCT TAPE at Olin! This photo is from our very first Graduation - May 21, 2006. (L-R: Admission Fools! Emily Roper, Teresa Kelleher, me)
Best of luck in the college search process and try to stay sane!
Allison
Yay for Allison!! Kevin ‘06 PS. Poke!
Comment by Kevin Tostado — September 9, 2006 @ 1:33 pm
‘I am a native Texan - which automatically makes me “wacko” in some of your minds!’ Texans aren’t wacko, everyone else is. I should know, I’m from Texas. Anyway, I’ve been reading some literature on Olin and I plan on applying. One thing has struck me though as both appealing and surprisng. Is it really true that everyone eats together? I’ve read about many Colleges, but I have only heard of this happening at Olin. Also, I’m very interested in knowing more about your passionate pursuits program. How many different opportunities are offered? I’ve been working on some pursuits of my own. Thank you.
Comment by Brin Hoskins — September 9, 2006 @ 10:31 pm
Yay, Allison has a blog now!!! Brin, the answer to your question is yes and no. We all have varying class schedules so it’s rare that you’ll find everyone in the dining hall at the same time, but the food is so tasty that everyone does eat in the dining hall on a regular basis. I think with passionate pursuits you can pursue just about anything you want to (as long as it’s legal!). Maybe one of the upperclassmen has more info on this… -Katherine Elliott ‘10
Comment by Katherine Elliott — September 9, 2006 @ 10:34 pm
First of all, thanks to Kevin and Katherine for the moral support! Geez, I love Olin. And Brin, thanks for your interest in Olin! Katherine obviously has insight on your first question; you will find a good proportion of the community (faculty, students and staff) eating together, particularly at lunch time. There are times, however, where you will see pretty much all the students eating together - recent examples include the Advising Families lunch and dinner after the upperclassmen welcomed the first-years back from their scavenger hunt in Boston. With regard to Passionate Pursuits, they are - by design - meant to be rather open-ended. I promise to write a bit more about them in a later blog… ~AB
Comment by OlinAdmmission — September 9, 2006 @ 10:35 pm
POKE POKE POKE
Comment by Guest — September 11, 2006 @ 10:01 pm
Allison, in my defense, the previous post by “guest” was not me doing the poking. Brin, you should always feel welcome joining any table of students in the Olin dining hall. It’s a great way to get to know more people. -Kevin
Comment by Kevin Tostado — September 13, 2006 @ 1:18 am
No worries, Kevin! I have a pretty good idea who my poking stalker may be… ~AB
Comment by OlinAdmission — September 13, 2006 @ 9:17 am