Where in the world is... "Admissions Nicole?"

Last UW-Parkside Experience Day this Saturday!

"Tis the season - for CAMPUS VISITS!  Have you visited us yet?  If you are interested in UW-Parkside (especially any majors in the social sciences), this is YOUR DAY!  

You'll get...

- A tour of our beautiful campus including our *NEW* Pike River Suites and Student Center!

- A brief general session about UW-Parkside and the admissions process.

- Q&A session with UW-Parkside students.

- Opportunity to meet faculty/staff from featured majors (social sciences).

- On-site Admissions (call 262.595.2355 for more information).

- ...and you never know, you may get to meet the one and only, Ranger D. Bear

So save the date, visit The Experience Day Website and register to attend by calling 262.595.2355!

College Admissions - Tricks and Treats!

The basic trick for a smooth college admission/enrollment process is:  Apply early in the fall.  If you are a high school senior you should have (or be in the process of) applying for admission to your schools.  If you have not applied to your schools by Halloween, make Thanksgiving your "personal working deadline." 

At UW-Parkside (and most schools), if you apply early and you can reap some "treats". 
Here are reasons why you should apply now:

-  After you apply for admissions for all of your colleges you have some time (for most schools) to apply for their undergrad scholarships. (The UW-Parkside Undergrad Scholarship is due Feb. 1, 2010)

-  If you are non-resident the earlier you apply the greater your chances (if you academically qualify) for the non-resident scholar program (awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis).

-  As soon as you are accepted for admission, you can register for housing on-line and get your housing deposit in (with your preferred living options).

- After Jan. 1st of senior year, you can complete the FAFSA for financial aid and have it sent to the schools that you have been accepted to.  

- VISIT the schools you have not visited yet (open house or schedule a personal visit).
(It's your lucky day! There's a post about UW-Parkside Experience Days below this post!

- Once accepted for admission to UW-Parkside you will be able to sign up (in the spring) for one of our first Ranger Days (Orientation/Registration) - and the earlier Ranger Day you attend, you will have access to the largest pick of classes (availability)!

For schools that have rolling admissions (like UW-Parkside) students think they can apply "anytime" and while that is partially true it's not the best plan.  Students who wait after the holidays (or those who wait until spring) to apply, are some of the most stressed out people we see.  They are trying to do everything at once (applying for admission, housing, FAFSA) and worst yet, some even miss our February 1st deadline and miss scholarships!  

So apply now, apply early and then take each phase of the process step by step so you (and your parents) will have a smooth transition from application to acceptance through enrollment for college!

See you on the road!

~ Nicole

Much more than "an open house"...

...it's an EXPERIENCE!

Fall is the season for high school juniors and seniors to make their campus visits.  Campus visits are vital to gaining information as well as establishing a comfort level with your prospective colleges/universities.  Some schools call these organized visit programs, "open houses," "preview days" or "visit days" and they include a standard information session and a tour. 

At UW-Parkside we like to take it one step further and not only offer student-led campus tour and info session, but we also connect you with professors and academic advisors for the various majors you may be interested in!  We also have a mini-expo area with representatives from student life and services (financial aid, housing, student activities, career/volunteer center, etc.). 

Many UW-Parkside students will be on hand to share their "Parkside Experience" and answer your questions in a general Q&A session!

Also, if you're a high school senior or transfer student you can apply for admission on-site and receive an admission decision that same day!

This isn't your typical open house - it's The UW-Parkside Experience! 

The first of four Experience Days kicks off this Saturday, October 24th at 10:00 a.m. for those students interested in Business (Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, General Business & Marketing),  Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Economics and Sport & Fitness Management!  Sign up now to attend this event and meet representatives from these programs!  Call our office at 262.595.2355 to register. 

Click here for more UW-PARKSIDE EXPERIENCE-DAY info!

See you at UW-P Experience Days!

~ Nicole

WEF @ UWP FRI. OCT 16th!

It's that time of year again, when the Wisconsin Education Fair (a.k.a. WEF) comes to our corner of the state and UW-Parkside will once again be host to the fair! 

What is a WEF?   

WEFS are college fairs held throughout various regions of the state every mid-Sept through mid-October.  They give all students in our state the opportunity to meet with 100+ representatives from 2-year, 4-year, public/private universities and colleges as well as tech schools, military and specialty schools. 

If you are a high school junior or senior (or parent of one) you need to have a post-high school plan in place and this is the best place to learn about the various options available - it's literally a "one stop shop" for your post high school planning!

We will also feature a "College & Career Planning Resource Area" that will feature additional information regarding financial assistance, trade/apprenticeships, etc.

The Wisconsin Education Fair will be held at UW-Parkside this Friday, October 16th from 9a.m. - 11a.m.  Many Kenosha/Racine county high schools will be busing students in but if your school is not sending a bus you are welcome to attend.  This is also a great opportunity for those who are home-schooled and older students who are thinking about returning to college and/or seeking education for a career change.

For more information visit:  The Kenosha WEF Website

See you at the WEF!

~ Nicole

Now Tweeting on Twitter...

UW-Parkside Admissions is now on Twitter - important deadlines, reminders, tips, news, etc...follow us a.k.a. Twittername:  UWPAdmissions or check out our latests Twitter posts on the right side of this blog!

CAMPUS VISITS: So Many Ways To See Us!

You've checked out our website out and view book and while they're informational and full of great pictures, it is VITAL to have an on-campus visit at the colleges/universities you are considering. 

UW-Parkside offers a variety of ways to experience our campus:

Would you like to meet with professors/academic advisors to learn about our programs/majors, speak with current students, tour our campus, learn about various student services and (optional) apply for admission and receive an admission decision on-site?  If you answered "YES" to one of those items, then plan to attend...

FALL 2009 UW-PARKSIDE EXPERIENCE DAYS

Each day includes a brief general information session, Q&A panel of students, opportunity to meet with professors/academic advisors from featured majors/programs and a campus tour.  On-Site admissions is available at all of the programs listed:  Student must bring $44 application fee, official transcripts from high school and college, and ACT scores (required for all student under the age of 21).  

To attend an Experience Day, please register by calling 262.595.2355. 

Saturday, Oct. 24th 2009
UW-Parkside Experience Day
10:00a.m. - 1:00p.m., Student Center
Featuring Majors/Programs in:  Business Management (Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, General Business & Marketing); Computer Science; Economics; Management Information Systems; Sport Management; Fitness Management

Saturday, November 7th 2009
UW-Parkside Experience Day (Fine Arts & Humanities)
10:00a.m. - 1:00p.m., Student Center
Featuring Majors/Programs in:  Art (Studio & Digital: Animation, Graphic Design & Illustration); Humanities; Music (Vocal & Instrumental); Theatre Arts

Saturday, November 14th 2009
UW-Parkside Experience Day (Natural, Physical & Health-Related Sciences)
10:00a.m. - 1:00p.m., Student Center
Featuring Majors/Programs in: Applied Health; Biological Science; Chemistry; Geography; Geosciences; Molecular Biology & Bioinformatics; Nursing; Physics; Pre-Health (Pre-Medicine, Pre-Chiropractic, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Physician Assistant, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Podiatry and Pre-Veterinary);  Sport Management; Fitness Management; Sustainable Management

Saturday, November 21st 2009
UW-Parkside Experience Days (Communication, Social & Behavioral Sciences)
10:00a.m. - 1:00p.m., Student Center
Featuring Majors/Programs in:  Communication; Criminal Justice; English; Ethnic Studies; Geography; History; Interdisciplinary Studies; International Studies; Liberal Arts; Modern Languages (Spanish); Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Teacher Education; Sociology/Anthropology; Women's Studies

Would you experience our campus during a normal school-day and speak with an admissions counselor?  Then look below and consider to visit us for:

WEEK-DAY CAMPUS TOURS & ADMISSION COUNSELING APPOINTMENTS

(This is a GREAT time to visit because you get a good feel of who we are in a regular "school-day mode!")

We offer weekly campus tours and admission counseling appointments.  Our UW-Parkside Campus-Ambassadors are happy to show you our beautiful campus!   Ambassador-led tours for the fall semester begin Tuesday, September 8th and end Friday December 12th.  We strongly recommend  that prospective students and thier families call ahead to schedule a tour and/or counseling appointment by calling The Office of Admissions at 262.595.2355.  Please allow 90 minutes for the campus tour.

FALL 2009 TOUR SCHEDULE:

TIME/DAY	MON.	TUES.	WED	THURS	FRI
8:00 AM			TOUR
8:30 AM
9:00 AM	TOUR			TOUR	TOUR
9:30 AM
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
12:00 PM	TOUR		TOUR		TOUR
12:30 PM		TOUR
1:00 PM				TOUR
1:30 PM
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
3:00 PM		TOUR	TOUR		TOUR
3:30 PM	TOUR			TOUR

If the Experience Days and Week-Day Tours/Admission Counseling appointments don't work in your schedule then consider scheduling a Saturday Visit with us!

SATURDAY OFFICE HOURS & TOURS:

The Office of Admissions Saturday Hours will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on the following Saturdays:   

Sept. 12th, Sept. 26th,  Oct. 10th,  Oct. 31st,  Dec. 12th & Dec. 19th

Two campus tours given, one at 10a.m. and one at 11a.m.  Admission Counselors are available for appointments.  To register for a tour and/or appointment on one of these Saturdays, please call 262.595.2355.

REMEMBER...

College is a big investment of your time and money.  Selecting a college that is the right fit for you is crucial.  Never underestimate the importance of "the college visit!"  Click here for The College Board's tips about how to make the most of you college visits!

The Office of Admissions is always updating and offering opportunities to visit our campus.  Bookmark our "visit us" page!

I hope you visit us soon!  See you on-campus!

~ Nicole

UW-Parkside Students: Welcome home!

Welcome home students!

Parkside is a great place, but we're at our BEST when we have our students here!  WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!

Classes began today, but it's been a busy few days here on-campus!

Move in at UW-P was this past weekend and many UW-P staff and administration including Chancellor Ford were there to meet, greet and welcome our new and returning students (as well as help to carry a box or two)!  The Kenosha News featured an article that covered student's first-impressions as they moved into The Pike River Suites.

The 2 days following move-in was "Ranger Welcome" which is an extended orientation designed to motivate, educate and welcome all of our new freshmen.  This featured our annual Convocation where Chancellor Ford, UW-P Administration, Staff and student leaders formally welcomed our freshman class of 2009.  Following Convocation, the freshman class split into small groups to discuss the book they were all given to read over the summer, Maus II.  This book will be featured and used in many of their various first-year classes.  Ranger Welcome on Monday also featured a motivational speaker from Making It Count! (in regards to surviving and succeeding). Dinner on Monday night was set out for our students at the UWP vs. Robert Morris Soccer game with our Ranger's winning 3-0 (our 2nd shut-out of the season!).

Tuesday kicked off with a favorite annual-highlight - Prof. Joe Martin (see a clip of him below!):

Students also learned about navigating financial matters with another Making It Count! presentation. The Brick (Brickstone Grill) officially opened for the year and the rest of the afternoon featured free ice cream sundaes as well as the students painting "the rock." (A huge boulder in our quad.) Tuesday night our students will be able to watch an outdoor movie "Twilight" underneath the stars.

See you on campus!

~ Nicole

Take ACTion on Your ACT Prep @ UW-P!

Attention high school juniors and seniors!

High school seniors:  Have you taken your ACT yet?  NO?!?  Well, if you haven't registered to take the ACT do so ASAP at:  www.actstudent.org and keep reading this blog entry!

High school juniors:  We recommend that students take the ACT for the first time during spring of junior  year which is usually the April national test date that ACT offers.  Why?  I'm glad you asked!  This is a great time to take the ACT because if you do not like your score the first time you have a couple more national test dates to take it again before applying to colleges during the fall of senior year.  All colleges/universities treat multiple scores differently so check with the institutions you plan to apply to.  UW-Parkside will accept multiple ACT scores and will use the highest one submitted for admission consideration and scholarships (apply for admission and scholarship by Feb 1 of senior year to be considered for scholarships).  Please note that UW-Parkside will use the most recent ACT test scores for placement purposes.

JUNIORS & SENIORS:  It's important to do all you can to prepare for the ACT.  The matter of a point or two can help (or hurt) you with admissions decisions and for placement within math and English classes (thus saving you money and time).  

UW-Parkside's Precollege Programs will be offering ACT Prep throughout the fall!  The cost is only $125 and is open to all students who wish to participate.  $125 may seem like a lot, but just think if you improve a math or English score enough to place you out of one class - and one 3-credit class currently costs $786.47 (WI resident rate).  So your investment of $125 can possibly save you that much in tuition and time!  Attached is the registration form and further information: Download 2009 Fall ACT WORKSHOP REGISTRATION Form 

See you at the UW-P ACT workshops!

~ Nicole

Calling all KUSD Youth Options Students & Parents!

Save the date, mark your calendars and plan on being at this MUST-ATTEND meeting to get everything you need to know on being a KUSD Youth Options student!:

The Kenosha Unified School District Youth Options Information Night
Wednesday, September 9th
At the KUSD Educational Support Center
(3600 52nd Street in Kenosha) 
Two sessions are offered, 5:00p.m. and an encore at 6:30p.m.

The program is hosted by Tremper High School's Evening with the Counselors Series and is OPEN TO ALL KUSD STUDENTS (and their PARENTS) who are interested in learning about the Youth Options program.   

The purpose of the informational sessions are to help those interested in the program be aware of important deadlines, understand changes to the state law as well as district policy (which govern the program) and to facilitate students in the application process.  Whether you are new to Youth Options or a returning student to the program, it is important to attend this event. 

Each session will offer:

- Introduction to Youth Options, State & District Policy, Paperwork & Deadlines, etc.

- Youth Options Presentation for UW-Parkside, Gateway Technical College & Carthage
  (each 5 to 10 minutes)  

- Q&A/Information tables with KUSD Staff,  UW-Parkside, Gateway Technical College & Carthage.

In the meantime, here are some helpful links to get you acquainted with Youth Options:

State of Wisconsin's DPI: Youth Options Website (for any public high school student in WI)

Kenosha Unified's Youth Option Website (for KUSD YOP students)

UW-Parkside's Youth Options Website (for all students interested in YOP at UW-P)

See you September 9th at the KUSD's YOP Info. night!

~ Nicole

Move Over Susan Boyle, Here's Inspiration UW-Parkside-Style!

Susan Boyle was the story of inspiration last week, but this week I give you...(drum-roll please).... our very own UW-Parkside students, faculty and staff!

Last Thursday night I attended the Communication Department's Spring Celebration.  It was a gathering of current Communication students, alumni and professors.  Students were inducted to the national Communication honor society, Lambda Phi Eta and the seniors were recognized for their scholarship and outreach work over this last year.  Most notably, Dr. JonathanShailor 's students work with those who have experienced harsh economic and personal hardships was truly inspiring.  Through facilitating “The Theater of Empowerment,” their counsels discovered the courage of overcoming current life challenges.  The student's stories were extremely poignant and it was obvious that the students learned valuable life lessons from the individuals they worked with.

Inspired yet?  Check this out:

I also learned about one of our Campus Ambassador’s (Camilla Simon) spring break experiences in Mexico.  Professor Peggy James and her students were far from the beaches of Cancun and giving back deep in the heart of Chiapas, Mexico.  Learn more about it here and there was an extensive post-trip article in the Kenosha News!

Ready for more inspirational UW-P folks? 

Next week everyone is invited to come to campus to see the great research, creative endeavors and scholarship that our students and faculty members have been a part of over the last year!  These are excellent days to visit our campus,especially for those students who may be considering on attending UW-Parkside!   Read more about it here for the full schedule of events! 

Finally this week we end with various end-of-year celebrations.  Thursday evening, Student Activities sponsors an invitation-only event, the Leadership Banquet.  This recognizes students who are involved on campus and serve in various leadership positions. UW-P alum Luis Benevoglienti will be the keynote speaker.  On Friday, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) sponsors yet another invitation-only event, the TCB is a banquet.  TCB honors high academic achievers, student leaders and graduating seniors of color.  This banquet allows the opportunity for OMSA to thank the students for their many contributions through their service to the University.

Bidding farewell to inspirational people...

This year's TCB banquet is extra special as we celebrate the contributions of Carmen Ireland and pay tribute to her as she leaves UW-Parkside for her upcoming retirement.  Talk about inspiration, Carmen is a shining example!  Carmen began at UW-Parkside as an Admissions Counselor where she was a key player in reaching out to first-generation college-bound students and doing whatever it took in helping them along the college admission process.  She served as Advisor for UW-Parkside Latinos Unidos and developed the Latina Mother-Daughter program to name a few of her accomplishments (there are many!).  Working alongside Carmen in Admissions was not only a pleasure, but an honor.  Carmen continued on her career path and left Admissions to become an Advisor in the Office of Multicultural Affairs.  She went from getting students into college, to helping them along the way to get to graduation day and even sending more off to grad school!  Carmen has been 2nd Madre' to many students here.  She's laughed with them (lots of laughing) and she's cried with them.  She never misses their graduations and in turn she's attended many of their weddings.  Retirement and Carmen are unusual to see in the same sentence because they really do not seem go together.  Even through Carmen is retiring, there is no doubt she will still be assisting students somehow, and in someway, in achieving their dreams of higher education.  Carmen truly lives this passion - it's who she is.  Carmen, we will dearly miss you - UW-Parkside will never be the same.

Last but not least, Marv our Information Specialist at our front desk will be retiring.  Believe it or not, Marv has been "retired" from his years in Customer Service at Case while he's worked for us for almost 10 years in Admissions full time!  Marv has welcomed thousands of students to UW-Parkside as he arranged their admission counseling appointments, signed them up for open houses, campus tours and warmly greeted them upon their arrival to our office.  Students (and parents) never forget Marv and often come back to stop at his desk for chats.  Marv has been the epitome of amazing student-service, going out of his way to make students comfortable and informed.  We wish Marv all the best as he rides of into the sunset either on his motorcycle (or his horse).