Regional Recruiting

‘Twas a Month Before Winter Break

27 November 2007

Having not returned to my home in just about five months, it was nice to go back to Massachusetts and catch up with family and friends for the Thanksgiving holiday. Not quite the region I’ve been traveling to over the past few months, but it was a welcomed trip back to the town that I call “home”- Norwell.

However, now, back in the office and with a little less than a month until we part ways from the office again and head home for the winter break, there is plenty to do to keep busy and entertained. Whether it is singing holiday songs, or making phone calls to prospective students, there is always something to keep me going.

So, as we head towards the New Year, have you applied to the colleges that you were looking at? Have you spoken to your counselor to determine the status of your application? Thought about visiting? What a wonderful present to ask for this holiday season- a trip to the schools that you’ve applied to and are looking to hopefully attend next fall.

Also, the New Year marks another important step in the application process, especially here at Norwich: financial planning. On 02 January, you can submit your FAFSA form for review, and an assessment of how much financial aid can be awarded based on your family’s need. So, as we head into the colder months, snuggle up next to the computer and start filling out your FAFSA form online. You can base this off of last year’s tax returns and then update it when this year’s returns are compiled and submitted. If you think of financial aid moneys as a cookie jar, those people who have done all their part to do the FAFSA are standing in line on 02 January waiting to take as many cookies as they need. If you wait until March or April, there are fewer “cookies” left. So, the long and short of it is really to hunker down and do the FAFSA as soon as possible.

Enjoy the next few weeks as the semester come to a close, and make sure you’re staying on top of your college admissions process.

Until then, I remain.

Tim

Week 8, From the Confines of the Office

15 November 2007

Alright. So yes, I have been remiss in my duties to compose my weekly blog in a timely fashion. However, over the past few weeks, I have been keeping busy with travel, visitations and catching up on work.

The last week of October, my associate and I spent time in Houston recruiting students from the Gulf Coast of Texas. It was one of the best weeks in terms of both our time in the schools talking and working with prospective students, as well as one of the nicest weather patterns that we have been in during our time away from Vermont. Now, as I write this, it is raining in Vermont and tonight, the rain will switch over to snow and we will receive our first snowfall of the season, something that is long overdue!

Last Saturday, over the holiday weekend, we hosted our annual Veteran’s Day Open House, which was a wonderful demonstration of the Corps of Cadets and Norwich University as a whole. Prospective students who arrived early enough were able to hear the drum beat of the Regimental Band and the cannons of the Independent Battery as the Corps marched in honor of our Veterans. Overall, I think that all students who came for the event learned more about Norwich and the college search process as a whole. Hopefully, they will choose Norwich as their alma mater, but if not, hopefully they learned more about what they’re searching for in an institution of higher education and they find the right fit, wherever it may be.

So as this week comes to a close, it’s time to head home for Thanksgiving Break. I have not been home to Massachusetts since the beginning of July, so I am ready to hit the road and head south for a week or so. It will be a well-needed change of pace and change of scenery to see old friends and family for the holiday. Then when I return, it’s just a short jaunt to the next vacation.

And, as we head towards Thanksgiving, make sure you don’t eat too much turkey; as you are what you eat!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Until then, I remain.

Tim