August 2010 Archives

If you live in one of these states and are thinking about applying to Olin this fall, please consider scheduling an interview with Duncan Murdoch! Duncan is our former Dean of Admission and VP of External Relations, and he helps us out by conducting interviews with students on the west coast. His schedule can be found here. Interviews are not required, and in fact, we do not have the staff to conduct them elsewhere, so please do not worry if you are unable to meet with Duncan!

If you are interested, please use the schedule to find out when Duncan is near you, and then contact him directly. He can be reached by phone (909-821-0171) or by email (duncan.murdoch@olin.edu).

The Princeton Review Rankings are in and Olin College did very well! We are pleased with our results. We know that we have amazing students, faculty, and staff and a fantastic and welcoming community but having the Princeton Review confirm it is icing on the cake! 

Fantastic news, high school seniors! It's time to apply for admission to college! What? You're busy enjoying your summer job/internship/time on your parents' couch? You don't even want to THINK about the college application process? We understand. 

However, we should note that you DO have some free time right now, and in about three weeks, you will have zero free time. It would be a good idea to create an account, select the colleges you're planning on applying to, and take a look at their essay requirements. This tends to be the most time-consuming part of the entire process for applicants. It can also be the most important part of your application. Waiting until December 31st at 11:30pm is a popular method for dealing with scary application essays, but let me assure you- this is not a good idea. Start brainstorming now, maybe even write an outline! The sooner you finish the essays and the rest of the application, the sooner you can breathe easy. If the essays are too much for an August afternoon, at least consider filling out the required portions of the Common Application. It is a lengthy application, so the sooner you can finalize your home, family, school and activity information, the better.

If you find yourself on a roll and want to check off some other items from your college application to-do list, consider registering for required testing through the College Board or ACT.  Olin requires the SAT or ACT with Writing as well as one SAT subject test in Math and one in a Science of your choice. Registration deadlines sneak up quickly, and we often hear from panicked students in late November who suddenly realize that they have missed all their chances to complete SAT and ACT testing.

Please give some thought to who you will ask to write your letters of recommendation. Teachers generally prefer to receive these requests early in the school year, so they can budget their own time during the semester. These letters take time to write, so asking a teacher the day before winter break is not a good idea. Olin requires one letter from a math or science teacher, and the other letter should come from a teacher of your choice.

That's it! See? Easy! Create an account, start a few essays, fill out a few data fields, register for a few tests, and you are starting off your senior year WELL AHEAD of your peers. If you have any questions about the application process at Olin, please do not hesitate to contact our office! Please email apply@olin.edu or call 781-292-2222.

Thanks!
Caitlin