Sermon: Three Heavenly Habits The sermon I preached at Barrington United Methodist Church on Sunday, August 8, 2010.

Labels: sermon

  ¶ 10:45 AM 0 Comments

  College Road Trip Day 12: Vanderbilt Visit: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (photos here)
Formal presentation by Admissions Counselor

Info Session

• 6800 undergraduate students
• TN most represent state, mostly SE US, 4% intl students
• Nashville - Music City USA. All music represented on campus. Rites of Spring 2 day event before finals week
• 1-1/2 mi from downtown
• Midtown is local neighborhood
• Commons is first yr housing area (10 dorms & dining) Faculty lives in each house
• 4 colleges: Arts & Sciences - largest, Engineering (25%), Music, Peabody - education
• Required curriculum: 10 areas
• 19 avg class size
• 8:1 student to teacher ratio, Research 1 university w/ undergrad opportunities
• 80 study abroad in 27 countries/6 continents. After soph yr 1-2 sem
• Community service local and away
• SEC athletic conf. All games are free
• 350 student clubs-organizations
• A,B,C intermurals
• CommonApp, Vandy supplement
  
• Grades, schedule within curriculum
• SAT, ACT/writing once - subject tests not required. Will be evaluated
• Essay - what is unique about you
• Recos: 2 teachers, 1 guidance
• Extracurricular: especially related to your life goals. What does ur group do and what u did to help
• 20k apps, 18% admit rate
• 1600 enrolled
• Early Decision is yes or no. No deferment. 35% admit rate for ED
  
• Need-blind acceptance
• Meets 100% of demonstrated need
• No need-based loans for students
• 97% grants 3% workstudy
• Three merit scholarships - 5% receive
  

1. Vanderbilt academic
2. Chancellor activist
3. Ingram community service

• 96% freshman retention
• 91% grad rate (6 yrs)
• 55% internship
• Interviews are optional
• Apps read 1-2 times

Tour

• Alumni lawn - site of graduation
• Vandy is natl arboretum
• Very secure campus
• Large classes are intro: 95-110, then study groups of 10-15 led by grad students; classes in History none above 30,
• 97% taught by profs
• Profs make time for students
• Old campus is Arts&Sciences classes
• 18 min walk across campus; typical 6-10 min
• No cars fr yr. Guaranteed parking Jr/SR yr
• Shuttles to airport during main times
• 8 libraries on campus: Peabody - group, Main - quiet
• Library will acquire what you need
• 60% research published includes undergrad
• Career Svs includes research and internships
• Peabody campus is where Commons is located
• All students can take classes at other schools
• HOD requires 1 semester Internship easy to dbl major
• Commons
• Writing Center - helps u improve ur college writing
• IT center open 8a-3a
• Freshman Rec center
• Freshman Dining (Rand other)
• 21 meals with swipe
• Also other campus locations take VU meal
• 225 vandy bucks/semester for 30 local restaurants
• 7 convenience shops on campus
• New fresh dorms with individ AC control. Desk, dresser, bed, closet
• U bring TV, frig, mwv (premium cable pkg)
• Faculty in dorms to mentor transition to college life
• Roommate is paired by interest. Can request room/floormates upperclass
• Dean of Commons
• 2 laundry rooms in first floor - Cash
• RAs on each floor (upperclass)
• Vandy card - dorm access. Security guard at each dorm
• Swipe onto any floor, but gender floor only after 12pm
• Suites for upperclassmen
• 95% live on campus all 4 yrs
• 25% engineering majors
• 35% females in engineering school
• 40% Greek participation . Non-residential, pledge second half of fresh yr
• Community service focus.

Trip Log
Location: Nashville, TN
Departure Time: 9:30 AM
Destination: Cary, IL
Mileage: 520
Breakfast: Comfort Inn (Nashville, TN)
Lunch: Taco Bell (Nashville, TN)
Dinner: Wendy's (West Lafayette, IN)
Lodging: Our own beds (Cary, IL)

Labels: college

  ¶ 7:00 AM 0 Comments

  College Road Trip Day 11: Davidson Visit: Davidson College, Davidson, NC (Photos here)
This visit began with a Tour, and then the Info Session followed. (This was pretty weird after having every other college visit work in the opposite manner.)

Tour

• Declare your major start of Jr yr. Interdisciplinary degree requires proposal and advisors from multiple depts - should be declared sooner.
• Students go to Charlotte - cars all 4 yrs. Or $1.6 bus trip.
  
• Vamanos bus between exit 25 & 36.
• Presby church on campus - with services held wkly
• All students can audition for theatre and music groups
• Prof do lecture and labs in sciences - Research opportunities available
• Lectures capped at 32 students, labs at 16; 80-90% med school accept rate
• Music lessons available
• Prof and Student led music groups
• 1900 students
• Avg class 18; Largest 32-35
• 100% faculty have office hrs in main bldg
• Distrib requirements: 2sci, 2soc, 1 fineart, 1math, 1hist, 1pe, 1 water, 1team - no req classes
• AP classes (4,5) avail up to 4 credits
• Classes have technology integrated
• FT Staff and Student librarians always available
• Library closes at 1:30 (11:30 on wknd) 1-24hr room available use swipe card to access
• Honor code: will not cheat honor or steal while at DC
• Take home tests are common
• Self-scheduled final exams; 1wk period to complete
• Div 1 21 varsity sports (wildcats)
• 23% participate in varsity teams
• 20 club & intermural
• 24hr weight/health club in Student Center
• Odessey - incoming freshman experience
• Top 1% in alumni giving. 60% participation
• Student Center - main student activity with performance and lecture facilities. Bookstore and convenience shop.
• College Union plans all events and activities
• LEED cert dorm (duke); all new/remodeled dorms to follow this model
  
• Study abroad: 80% participate 70% for credit. 75% thru other collegiate FinAid follows
• Laundry number / laundry service included in tuition
• Commons - main dining hall
• 19 meals served all-u-can-eat; includes bonus bucks (can add)
• Patterson court: 9 frats, 1 sorority, 8 female eating houses (all social/dining only no housing) all events open to all (except formals) 60% female participate
• All dorms have 2 Jr RAs
• Co-Ed by floor (belk coed by wing)
• 20x16 dbls 2 bed, desk, wardrobe & sink (hall bath)
• Upperclassman dorms have singles and suites
• 90% live on campus all 4 yrs
• Guaranteed housing all 4 yrs

Info session
Lead by the Assistant Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid - informal q&a to start, then a (very) brief overview of the Application and Financial Aid

• All majors are discipline based
• Core activities are all on campus
• Students support each other in sports and arts equally
• Events every thu-sat
  
• Crier email sent each day
• Great location. Small town, suburbia & large city in equal measure
• Top rank SLAC with Honor Code; Integrity is key at DC.
• Open campus is secure. Campus police with security poles.
• Research grant opportunities
• Not an internship focused school
• Career services avail during and after school
• Primarily teaching professors
• CommonApp & Davidson supplement
• 2 teacher, 1 counselor, 1 peer recomd
• Book list for last year
• Need-based aid, DC can help with an early estimate
• Merit-based aid looks at all accepted applicants
• Rigor of curriculum, diverse classes, grades, class rank, essay & recos, (looking at how you write); extracurricular (how u will add to the DC community ; SAT/ACT
• Need-blind application; complete the College Scholarship Profile
• 100% of need-based trust; No required student loans. $2k work study
• 1 in 10 students receive merit scholarship
• Belk scholarship (full ride). Must be nominated by your high school

Trip Log
Location: Davidson, NC
Departure Time: 8:30 AM
Destination: Nashville, TN
Mileage: 440
Breakfast: Sleep Inn (Huntersville, NC)
Lunch: Chick-fil-A (Statesville, NC)
Dinner: Jack's BBQ (Nashville, TN)
Lodging: Comfort Inn (Nashville, TN)

Labels: college

  ¶ 9:22 PM 0 Comments

  College Road Trip Day 10: Charlotte It's a Sunday - another no-school-tour day. Ten days on the road, and hotels and restaurant food are catching up with us. We opted for a movie to pass the time. Anna had not seen Inception, so we found an AMC theatre on the way to our next college (Davidson). We both enjoyed the movie (my second viewing), and analyzed it over lunch at Panera. This is a the great thing about watching your child mature - you can experience the same thing and have an intelligent conversation about it, learning about each other in the process. We've had many of these conversations on the road the past ten days, and I'm certain that she will be successful in college.

We collapsed in our room at the Sleep Inn. At this point, nothing sounded good to eat (we're discovering the limit on how many times you can eat out before it loses its appeal ;-) A call home brought the diagnosis: red meat (specifically steak.) The amazing thing is that this part of North Carolina has more hibachi/sushi places than good old-fashioned steak houses (who wudda thunk?)

I will be glad to be home in 2 days, but will be sad that this time with Anna is coming to an end.

Trip Log
Location: Charlotte, NC
Departure Time: 10:30 AM
Destination: Huntersville, NC
Mileage: 20
Breakfast: Comfort Inn (Charlotte, NC)
Lunch: Panera (Charlotte, NC)
Dinner: LongHorn Steakhouse (Huntersville, NC)
Lodging: Sleep Inn (Huntersville, NC)

Labels: college

  ¶ 8:30 PM 0 Comments

  College Road Trip Day 9: Charlotte It's a Saturday - no school tours available. Anna slept in today, and I had a work conference call. The weather called for rain in the afternoon, we we headed out to CaroWinds, an amusement and water park. We were primarily interested in the water park, with two wave pools, five water slides, one tube river ride, and three kiddie areas. My favorite was the tube river ride - which I could have stayed on half the time we were there (they keep you from repeating if the line is long.) We also took in the amusement park, with Anna really liking the wooden roller coaster. (I realized that my roller coaster riding days are coming to an end...) People watching is inevitable at a place like this - let's just say that every possible combination of body type was present (and in many cases too visible.)

Evening brought dinner (KFC in the room) and laundry (machines in the hotel, and on our floor!) and Pirates of the Caribbean/At World's End.

Trip Log
Location: Charlotte, NC
Departure Time: 10:30 AM
Destination: Fort Mill, SC
Mileage: 40
Breakfast: Comfort Inn (Charlotte, NC)
Lunch: McDonalds (Charlotte, NC)
Dinner: KFC in our room (Charlotte, NC)
Lodging: Comfort Inn (Charlotte, NC)

Labels: college, vacation

  ¶ 8:15 AM 0 Comments