April 2008 Archives

... my vote goes to anyone involved in FIRST Robotics!

I've just returned from my second trip to the National FIRST Robotics Competition in Atlanta, GA. This year, I definitely had a better idea of what to expect but the energy and passion of everyone involved in FIRST never ceases to amaze (and inspire) me!

So I now present the weekend in pictures:

For those of you living under a rock (or don't listen to the news much) downtown Atlanta was hit pretty hard by a tornado last month, and I must say, several buildings looked rather beat up... okay, that's perhaps the understatement of the year. But at least the hole in the GA Dome was fixed and folks were able to find other hotel arrangements - I cannot imagine what would have happened if such a large even would have been canceled! Anyway, a shot of the downtown skyline (courtesy of Ash '09, from whom I've stolen many pics since she let me share her camera over the weekend - THANKS, ASH!)...

Nerd trading cards... (that's what Ash called them)...

Life-size cardboard cutout of Dean Kamen, Founder of FIRST and President of DEKA...

I became a little obsessed with Team Pink this year (and, I might add, they did have a nice robot!)...

Highlight of the weekend #1... George H.W. Bush speaking at the Opening Ceremony... he pauses and looks up from his script, briefly scanning the thousands of fanatical FIRST participants... "It's like the WWF - but for smart people!"

He also told the audience to "Go invent something to help your country." But I didn't find that nearly as entertaining. Sidenote - by Friday afternoon, at least one team had created buttons that read "FIRST - It's like the WWF but for smart people!" Check out the banner on the Blue Alliance website for another example of how quickly people have adopted this accidental(?) slogan.

Future Oliner Jeffrey "stalks" Dean to get his shirt autographed...

Highlight of the weekend #2... No one told me that my simple blue nametag had *so* much power! I had "all access" to the floor during competitions - and even though I'm a robotics idiot, I still thought it was amazingly cool and fun.

And Rebecca (potential Class of 2012 and member of the Team #111) doing an awesome job driving the WildStang robot to victory in the qualifying rounds...

Highlight of the weekend #3... Oh yeah, and in the middle of it all, I chopped off most of my hair to donate to Locks of Love. Coming home with a 10 inch ponytail in my suitcase seemed weird too!

By the way, congrats to all who made it to Nationals and especially to Nik, Emily, Chris, Jeffrey and Rebecca!

That's all for now,
Allison

allison.bahme@olin.edu
781-292-2203
IM: OlinAdmission
http://www.olin.edu/

Hi!! I am a little bit tired this morning, mostly because I was up late last night making sure that the student-led chats were working correctly. The chat went for 2 hours (!) and I don't think that any question went unanswered. Our moderators this week were Erik Kennedy and Jennifer Keene, both Class of 2010, and they discussed Student Life at Olin. We will have the transcript of the chat up early next week, so if you missed it you can catch up. You can read the transcript of last week's chat on the admitted student site with Alyssa Levitz and Kaelyn Stadtmueller, Class of 2011. The theme of that chat was ICB and First Year courses. Next Thursday, April 24th at 10 pm (I know, Lost is back, but you can TiVo Lost, right? And then watch it in slow-motion to catch even the slightest clue fast forward the commercials?), the moderators will be Michael Ducker ('09) and Nikki Lee ('10). I urge everyone who has been admitted to use this resource to your advantage. No one knows Olin like the students, and they are an invaluable source of information.

That being said, Spring is finally (and hopefully firmly) here! It has been so nice out lately, and everyone has been trying to get outdoors as much as possible. I have seen several classes held outside, with the Academic Center windows doubling as dry-erase boards! When Spring comes to New England after a long and cold winter, the good weather seems like a reward for making it through. Plus, the campus is being prepared for Commencement, so everything looks beautiful. It's a great time to come and visit, so if you haven't yet, try and make it.

See you soon!!

~ Emily

On Monday evening, an epic culinary battle went down at Babson's Trim Dining Hall. The teams had one hour to create an appetizer and a main dish for the judges. The teams were judged on cleanliness of work stations, teamwork, plate presentation, and of course, taste. Many members of the Olin community showed up to cheer on our team, which consisted of George ('10), Jen ('10), Connor ('08), Rachel ('11), Steve ('09) and Jeff ('08). The team was supervised and assisted by Lam, one of our fabulous cooks from the Olin dining hall, and advised by Shane Caledonia, the Executive Chef at Olin. Olin won by a margin of five points, and we now have a beautiful trophy displayed in the Dining Hall. Below are some pictures from the event- enjoy!

-Caitlin, Emily and Allison

From Left to Right: Lam, Steve, Connor, George, Jeff, Rachel, Jen, with Shane down front

Hard at work....

Three of the judges, including our own Matt Jadud (visiting Computer Science professor) and Nick Tatar (Assistant Dean of Student Life)

Olin students watching/cheering/eating ice cream

The winner is announced!

The victorious team with (big!) trophy.

So sometimes we forget how confusing and unclear the admission process can be... and I thought it might be good to talk a little bit about what it means to be admitted or waitlisted.

So you've been admitted...

First of all, congratulations! And I mean that with regard to all of the schools that sent you the "fat envelope." And if you're planning on joining the Olin family in the fall, head to your application account to let us know and pay the enrollment deposit.

So you're on one of our waitlists...

...Now what?

Since the letters dropped, we've been trying to give y'all some space (sort of...) to let your decisions sink in. Regardless of your decision, you have a lot to think about. Please know that our staff is here if you have any questions. Feel free to contact me or any other admission officer if we can be of any assistance to you or your family.

No surprise, there are usually questions about the waitlist. I completely understand. When you're on a waitlist you do feel a little like you're in limbo. I'd like to try to clear up some confusion about our waitlists.

• All waitlisted students must let us know (email Dean Charlie Nolan at charles.nolan@olin.edu) if you wish to remain on the waitlist; if we did not hear from you we must assume you are no longer interested in Olin College.
• For those of you who are on the waitlist with defer option, you do not need to choose between remaining on the waitlist and deferring for a year; if you expressed an interest in deferring and we are not able to offer you admission for the Class of 2012, we will offer you a spot in the Class of 2013 and officially confirm your deferment in May or June.
• If you choose to defer to the class of 2013, we will require a $1000 deposit.
• Deferred students will be asked to submit a plan for their sabbatical year. The plan should detail your goals and tentative schedule for the year.
• We encourage deferred students to do something meaningful- this could be learning a language, traveling, getting a job, writing a book, studying an instrument, joining the circus, taking classes or anything you want (but remember that you won't get transfer credit for any courses you may take!).
  
• Staying on our waitlists means that you will likely need to make a commitment to another college/university, especially since we probably won't be able to make any offers until May 1 or soon after. Consequently, you may lose that deposit to the other school if we have a spot for you in the Class of 2012 and you accept our offer!
  
• Historically, we have gone to the waitlists so there is a good chance that we will need to do so again this year. I wish I could give you a more definite answer, but unfortunately the waitlist is, well, about waiting.
  

I hope this helps clarify some of the fuzziness surrounding the waitlist. I think that's all for now.

Be well,
Allison

allison.bahme@olin.edu
781-292-2203
IM: OlinAdmission
http://www.olin.edu