the Biblioholic's Blog

Falll 2008 freshmen; we're feeling sated

2008-05-07T18:33:00Z

Last week we felt cautiously optimistic about our freshman enrollment; for many weeks commitments had been tracking where we felt they needed to be. Last week, however, we were pinching ourselves; by April 30 we had exceeded our freshman enrollment goals; on May 1 we were giddy -- and many students were calling seeking assurance that they would make the deadline if it was postmarked by that night.

At this point we are running ~ 100+ deposits beyond our enrollment target. Lest incoming freshmen become concerned let me share a few points to reassure them:

-- we know that for various reasons between now and the start of fall quarter classes some of those currently committed will decide they are unable to join us. This is true at all universities; the term in the admissions profession is "summer melt".

-- we had anticipated the possibility of a larger than targeted freshman class back in March, and we were in dialog with our colleagues in advisement/registration and student development (e.g. housing). The university will comfortably accommodate the additional freshmen and assure them the individual attention and small classes/individualized instruction for which a Seattle University education is known and respected.

Of course, this means more planning and work for the faculty and administration over the summer months. It will not impact incoming students other than to result in a perhaps even more vital and engaged campus life. If anything, everyone is excited by greater synergy that some additional freshmen will provide.

Friday we closed freshman admission. Yesterday we sent letters to all those on our waiting list advising them that we would not have any openings to offer them.

Currently we are still accepting deposits from those who have been admitted; however, it is unlikely that we will be able to continue to accept late deposits a few weeks from now.

So, now the admissions staff finds itself focused on the class of 2009. Ever onward.

April showers and the Candidates' Reply Date

2008-04-28T15:44:00Z

I know it will surprise you to read that it was raining this morning in Seattle. Actually, it was real rain for a bit: not drizzling, not showering, or any of the other euphemisms we have for water coming out of the sky. It actually represented a downpour for a few minutes. However, it was 58 degrees as I drove into town, and everywhere the air is fresh and actually fragrant; spring is here and sunny days are ahead. Actually, Friday afternoon and Saturday were drop dead gorgeous -- in the high 60's and I was able to begin tacking the jungle my garden has become. Everywhere you look plants and trees are blooming and the perfume of the flowers is pretty pungent; we turned off the heat and opened all the windows to let the air into the house. You could feel the collective frustration of the Puget Sound region yesterday when it began to shower again. This, too, shall pass.

Confirmation deposits have been coming in steadily; so have calls from those on the waiting list hoping to secure a spot. It is important for those who have been admitted to note that confirmation deposits need to be postmarked by this coming Thursday, May 1. This is true not just at Seattle University, but at colleges and universities across the nation. We need to have a clear idea of who is actually coming so that we can determine whether to offer anyone on the waiting list a spot. It is really helpful if people have decided where they are enrolling to notify the other universities to which they have been admitted. Doing so isn't just nice, it is kind: it means that someone else might have an opportunity -- not just to be admitted, but perhaps an opportunity for a scholarship or admission to an honors program, inclusion on a athletic team, and the like. This is true at universities across the country and with the ease of e-mail it isn't hard to do so.

By the way, I am not attempting to blow smoke in your ear, but the May 1 deadline has teeth at many colleges and universities; even schools you might assume will be flexible might end up having more people accept their offer of admission than they predicted. Both at Seattle University and one of our major (but collegial) competitors in recent years we have been confronted by the unpleasant situation of having to note postmarks and refuse late deposits. Typically we have some flexibility, but it isn't a certainty. Sending a late deposit is particularly inadvisable if you want to be assured campus housing -- and we can't enroll out of area freshmen (the majority here) if we can't house them. If you are pretty sure you want to enroll here or at another university, and there is some compelling reason you can't send your confirmation deposit by May 1 then it is critical that you contact that college or university and secure a deposit deadline extention. Please be realistic: every year we have people calling and saying they need till June; in that case the answer is no; we have to be mindful of the needs of those on the waiting list. Usually 10 days or so is considered reasonable provided there is a substantive reason. An example might be that you have provided Student Financial Services with additional information on your family's financial circumstances and are awaiting notification whether that will result in a change in your financial aid award. I need to be honest, telling a university that you are waiting to learn whether you are going to get off another university's waiting list isn't going to be warmly received; in all likelihood they have a waiting list also.

If you are struggling then you ought to write up a list of your requirements, what you like and what you don't like, and then to compare the institutions you are still comparing to the list and see how they compare.

Best wishes to you and your family as you make your decision.

Surfacing for Air, and waiting...

2008-04-15T01:37:00Z

Once again it happened; once I allowed myself to pause three months had passed. My last blog entry was in January and here it is the middle of April -- life in admissions at a selective, independent university. Much has happened (besides multiple readings of 5,000+ freshman applications) but application review has consumed my life and that of the staff since January.

Saturday marked the 15th and last accepted student reception. Of course, it was one of our two on campus Accepted Student Open Houses, so it was an uber reception, and with well over 800 guests visiting it was the uber uber reception. While the Open House on April 5 had characteristically mercurial Seattle April weather, we were trully blessed this past Saturday. It passed 70 degrees and was a truly gorgeous day, greatly facilitating hosting so many people. Andrea Frangi's coreography was truly splendid and students and parents seemed to have a great time -- we even didn't run out of food, which was a tremendous concern with the last ~ 200 guests confirming in the last four days before Saturday. The program on April 5 was a home run also, with ~630 guests in attendance.

All of this year's receptions have been large and, for the most part, fun. I had 140+ guests at a reception in Honolulu last Tuesday, and there was good energy. Unfortunately, the day after I arrived in Hawaií I was bitten by one of two relentless flus that have been making their way through campus and was pretty debilitated, but was able to pull myself together for the 2 1/2 hours involved. However, I had incredible alumni participate and the charismatic president of *** O'Nani, Blaise Baldonado, flew out to assist me, and his mother helped as well. I'd been so looking forward to relaxing a bit in Hawai'i after the unforgiving demands of the past few months that it was really frustrating being sick, and the morning I arrived it was cold and rainy,and the same when I went. So, had to focus on my wife's adage of positive mental attitude. So I concentrated on appreciating the soothing sound of the waves, and watching the breezes rustle the palm trees, and appreciated the books I am reading -- David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War, and Trail of Crumbs, by Kim Sunee, which is a memoir by an adopted Korean American. Both are excellent books (the Halberstam book is hard to put down; after finishing it I might have to start on William Manchester's American Caesar -- a biography of Douglas MacArthur that I have always intended to read.) Anyway,I took steady doses of antihistamines and I managed to make lemonaide out of the lemons, but it is always great to see the students whose applications you have devoted so much time to reading -- and seeing students you met in the fall at their high schools, or interviewed, is icing on the cake.

The receptions are when we can see light at the end of the tunnel: the financial aid packages have been sent, the vast majority of the applicant pool has been notified, and it is the students' time to determine whether we meet their requirements. For them the edge has been smoothed a bit since they have been admitted, yet is still an emotion fraught time. It is a huge decision. We have had some incredible receptions though. Gwen Jackson in her characteristically fine style did a superb job with the African American reception, making it a tail gate event for the Alvin Ailey performance at the Paramount. Of course, she had the awesome alumna and Regent Anita Crawford Willis collaborating with her. It sounded like a slice of heaven. And, it was great to see how jazzed Victor Zamora was by his Latino reception at Gallerias (an upscale Mexican restaurant on upper Broadway that is a very fine dining experience and is highly recommended.)

So we are now in an anticlimatic phase -- the workload was so unrelenting, and the need for careful but immediate turn over has kept the staff under steady pressure for so long that now everyone is adjusting to the ability -- and need -- to resume attention to ongoing long term projects. And, we now wait to learn the decisions of those admitted. By intention I direct that at this time we need to have a moritorium on contact with those we have admitted. They need the chance to breathe -- so we stop sending them mailings, and stop calling or offering chats, and want to allow them some quiet time to compare opportunities and to make a thoughtful decision about which is the best fit.

Please remember that if admitted you have until May 1 to make your decision. Your deposit only needs to be postmarked May 1. Note that this is true at 99% of the colleges to which students are accepted; May 1 is the national Candidate's reply date. Colleges and universities agree to allow you to make your decisions without fear of penalty by May 1.

Reflections on our diversity

2008-01-13T18:39:00Z

Yesterday was the initial round in the Sullivan Leadership Award competition. Annually, while the students are across campus writing essays, listening to panel discussions, and engaged in other tasks I manage a day long program for the family members who accompany them. Yesterday was a long day for the entire admissions staff; most of us arrived ~7:15 and wrapped things up at 5 p.m. Kudos to Pauline Benson who did the yeoman work of coordinating it all.

Our provost spoke during the program for family members and one of the Seattle University distinctions he touted was our noteworthy diversity -- at least 37% of our students are Americans who are "people of color". We see this diversity as one of our greatest learning resources, as well as the fact that it makes for a richer and more vital and engaged campus. Also,we have found that it is perhaps the major attribute in attracting highly motivated students to Seattle University. It has been our experience that bright, highly motivated students who are seeking college education in an urban setting typically have a diverse student body as one of their primary requirements for the university they select. Beyond the satisfaction from being exposed to people from different experiences and cultures they also recognize how familiarity with such diversity leads to enhanced communication and leadership skills.

What prompts today's reflections is a comment made by one of the parents' participating in yesterdays' program. Shortly after the Provost left, and as our academic deans were about to begin their presentation she stopped me and challenged the Provost's assertion that we are a diverse campus (note: we are the most ethnically diverse campus in the Pacific Northwest, and this has been repeatedly confirmed by enrollment statistics for many years). She said to me that she was looking around the auditorium where the family members were seated and didn't see alot of diversity, and that she thought it was a pretty "white" campus (the speaker in question was Caucasian, fyi.) Unfortunately, the moment didn't allow me to offer a thoughful response, as I was about to introduce the deans. However, I was knocked off balance by her assertion and gave considerable thought to it as I sat on the stage, causing me to carefully study the audience. As I did I did note a very significant number of Asian American parents; there were a few parents who were African American (of course, I'd always like to see alot more); I wasn't sure how many Latino parents might have been present, nor if there were any who were Native American (I am not given to assuming ethnicity based upon appearance.) Some people I guessed might be "multicultural".

What I had offered as a candid, knee jerk response to the parent in question in the short moment allowed as that one of our concerns is that the applicant pool for the Sullivan program tends to be less diverse than the student body as a whole. We recognize some of the reasons underlying this. Unfortunately, merit scholarships at any university tend to be tilted toward the advantage of "advantaged" students who tend to have more support (high schools with more resources, less need to work, more opportunity for extracurricular involvement, more support to take advanced coursework). But as I sat on the stage, having reviewed the ethnic breakdown of this year's Sullivan applicants (which I noted was higher than average and pretty signficant) I began to question why the assembly of parents wasn't more diverse. And then I recognized that the obvious had eluded me.

People of color are in all economic strands, but due to the many inequities in society they tend to be underrepresented in the professional and upper midddle class stratas, and more concentrated in the working class/lower income stratas. So, regardless of the increase in ethnic students applying for the Sullivan Leadership Award I recognized that it was probable that the reason that we didn't have more ethnic family members in the audience was that they didn't have the resources to accompany their students to the competition. They were either compelled to work that day, or could ill afford the costs required to travel to Seattle. Many students each year come to the Sullivan competition alone, or with friends. I will go back and study the statistics, but I am pretty confident that more often than not these tend to be students from working class backgrounds (both Caucasian, as well as people of color.)

Concern about possible disadvantage to working class students is something about which the Sullivan Leadership Award Committee gives considerable thought. Currently the University has a separate subcommittee studying this as well as other affects and outcomes of the Sullivan Program. Please know, however, that the Sullivan program is one of the things of which we are proudest at Seattle Unversity. The students chosen do represent a wide variety of backgrounds -- not just geographically and ethnically, but also economically. The Committee of faculty and administrative staff selecting Sullivan award recipients takes its responsibility to all of our students very seriously, and is also very concerned about the need to identify leaders from many different backgrounds with diverse leadership styles. It is recognized that only that way can the Sullivan program have the desired outcome of creating leaders not only who know good, but who can do good in as many different parts of society as possible.

Easing into the New Year and Scholarships

2008-01-06T21:06:00Z

December was quite a month -- in the past, it was reasonably relaxed the two weeks before Christmas, but introducing early action this year made sure that there was no slack time. It was pretty frenzied till that Thursday at 4:30, and everyone remained task oriented till 3 p.m. on Friday when we opened a few bottles of champagne to toast meeting the early action challenge and the advent of the holiday season. I was determined not to do any work during the holiday break (other than serving as chief bottle and dish washer at home). My wife and I welcomed in the New Year at our home with the Director of Admissions at UW and his wife (yes, we not only get along, but we are friends :-)

Of course, the work load at this time of year is unforgiving and we had to hit the ground running upon our return January 2. The counselors have begun reviewing those completed regular decisions in hand, some of us have also been involved in the preliminary review of Sullivan Leadership Award program applicants. This coming Saturday, January 12 is another command performance for the entire staff with concurrent student and family member programs for ~280 admitted applicants competing for the Sullivan Leadership Award. Friday I was working on ordering names and addresses of students who had taken the PSAT who will be graduating in 2009 (later this week I will work on 2010 as well). The admissions process now -- if you include "recruitment" -- is a 16 to 28 month process. And, the beat goes on...

Big news, approved last month, is an increase in our freshman merit/no need (i.e. need is not factored in their determination) scholarships. After the Sullivan Leadership Award (full tuition, room, and meals for all four years) our top scholarship -- the Presidential Award-- will be equal to $18,500 (or as our colleague competitors would say $74,000). The next award, our Trustee Scholarship, is now equal to $15,000 a year (or $60,000) and our Campion Award is equal to $11,000 ($44,000). I need to offer one caveat: at Seattle University if you get a scholarship you must attend full time and maintain a 3.0 grade point average to retain (read keep) a merit scholarship, which is the reason we list the amount per year in our letters. I am pleased, however, to share that very very very few people fail to meet the criteria for the renewal of their scholarships. The new Presidential amount is equal to ~70% of our current tuition (actually 69.8%, but who's counting? Also, in the interest of truth in advertising tuition is certain to increase this year, as our operating costs -- energy, employee health care benefit costs and salaries, will increase due to the relentless cost of inflation.)

Our transfer scholarships also increased. The Transfer Trustee Award is now equal to $16,000 per year; the Loyola Scholarship to $14,000 per year, and the Washington Articulation Scholarship to $11,000 per year.

At Seattle University our scholarships aren't automatic discounts determined at the point of admission (except for the transfer Washington Articulation Scholarship.) After an entire cohort has been reviewed and applicants are selected for admission we then, several weeks later, review the most noteworthy applications again to determine whether to offer those students scholarships -- scholarship consideration is highly competitive. We will be reviewing the early action freshman cohort at the end of January to make scholarship offers. Accepted regular admission applicants will be reviewed for scholarship consideration the first week of March. Comprehensive financial aid packages that factor need and include other gift aid as well as self help will be sent ~the third week of March to those who submitted completed admissions applications and the FAFSA by February 1.

Anticipating the questions of some, we expect to complete the Sullivan Award determinations the first week of March. This weekend will be round one of the competition; we expect to have 45 finalists chosen by the end of January, and round two of the Sullivan competition is scheduled for Friday, February 29. Yes, alot is going on in the coming couple of months.

So what was the qualification above about the Washington Articulation Scholarship? Said scholarships are available to transfers who have or will complete associate of arts or associate of science degrees from Washington State community colleges immediately prior to entering Seattle University who have cumulative grade point averages of 3.5> (You cannot receive one if after receiving an associate's degree you entered another baccalaureate institution; sorry.) They are also the only scholarships that are available to students entering winter or spring as well as fall quarter. (The all other scholarships are limited to accepted applicants commencing fall quarter.)

Besides eating (and cleaning) I did get in some reading during the break (actually I am always reading something, but haven't shared anything here recently.) My son bought me a fun collection from the New Yorker "Secret Ingredients: the New Yorker Book of Food and Drink". On a more sober note I also read a fascinating study of the Mormons by Jon Krakauer Under the Banner of Heaven. Presently I am reading Patrick Symmes The Boys from Dolores, a study of those who attended the Jesuit high school in Cuba attended by Fidel Castro.

I finished my Sullivan Award applications last night. Tomorrow, on to regular decision applications.

the Early Action tsunami

2007-11-21T19:54:00Z

Today is a optimal autumn day in the Northwest. As the sun rose everything was bathed in a soft warm light. Walking outside I was refreshed by the crisp clean air and driving down the freeway noted that Mt. Rainier in the distance is no longer blue with white veins, but an almost entirely white presence. Apparently there has been a good deal of snowfall in the mountains and we will have drinking water as a result. It's been great being back on campus since my travels all fall in warmer climes. Late a recent afternoon I was savoring the scene -- it was dusk with brisk weather, leaves blowing about, and faculty and students purposefully scurrying from building to building on campus.

Last week was the Early Action application deadline.While we have had the Sullivan Leadership Award for quite some time, and it has acted as a quasi-early action program for those eligible, this is the first year we have made an early action option available to all interested. We have nearly a thousand e.a. applications to review before Christmas, which should keep us all out of trouble for a few weeks.

Shametrice, Victor, and Cory are new to application review here, so we have been trying to allow them to adjust to the responsibility gradually. Accordingly, they were assigned application review days flanking the weekend, which I advised them would be more humane. My logic was that since readers are required to complete 35 applications a day that they might appreciate the opportunity to spread that responsibility over the weekend since your first couple of reading days it is difficult to get through 35 without making it a 17 hour day. An experienced reader usually takes 9-10 hours to get through 35 applications; it is a long day's work. There are essays and recommendations to be read as well as a careful study of the transcript, test scores and applications. An academic grid needs to be completed for each student noting courses taken, their academic level, and trend. More importantly is a full application review summary as well as the notation of something distinctive about each applicant.

I am not sure how "humane" it was to assign a folder reading day back to back with last weekend. We had a Preview Day last Saturday, so the result was that with folder review the new counselors pretty much had no weekend. Except me the entire staff is out today reading again (with the logic that they'd be able to stretch out their "daily" reading responsibility over the extended Thanksgiving weekend.) Monday we "take off the training wheels" and thereafter the new counselors will, like the seasoned staff, have to complete 35 within a day. We have no choice; we have promised that we will have admissions decisions mailed to early action applicants by December 22 (note: they will be mailed that day; students will not receive them until after Christmas. Please don't call before then to inquire where your letter is if you are an early action applicant.)

So the intern, the internal staff, and I are here alone today. Fortunately the phones are pretty quiet and their aren't many interviews, allowing me to work on "second reads". I have a wealth to work on the rest of the week, though I will take tomorrow off.

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Watching Al Jazeera

2007-11-12T19:28:00Z

This morning's New York Times includes an article by Roger Cohen on the op ed page, which among other things, discussed the Al Jazeera news channel based in Qatar. Al Jazeera has been demonized by a number of American politicians and much of the right press for, most imfamously, showing videotapes of various diatribes by Osama Bin Laden. This particular reporting has been used to condemn the network and its reporting as a whole.

During my travels in the Middle East I found Al Jazeera in the networth lineup in most hotels (so were CNN and BBC.) Being interested in being exposed to different perspectives I tuned into Al Jazeera and braced myself for possible anti-American broadsides. What I experienced, however, was very balanced reporting. I fully expected harsh and critical reports on the American presence in Iraq but instead saw informational updates on the latest events there. Actually, I didn't see anything that was particularly critical of the United States; some of the news reported didn't particularly reflect well on the U.S. but the reports weren't embellished with any discernable anti-American bias. Al Jazeera's reporting staff is from across the world with the English influence being most evident. Al Jazeera really struck me as being very much like CNN, just that it seemed to provide more comprehensive coverage of events across the world. Many days, for example, that network focused considerable attention on the presidential election in Argentina. There was also ongoing and compassionate reporting on the tragic wildfires in southern California. The coverage conveyed genuine concern for the well being of the affected Americans.

Today's NYT article by Roger Cohen indicates that Al Jazeera is only available in a limited number of very small media markets in the United States; what a shame. It's difficult to communicate effectively if you don't engage in dialog and close yourself off from opposing views. Frankly, I don't think Americans have anything to fear from the reporting by Al Jazeera; it comes across as responsible and balanced.

Allahu Akbar

2007-11-02T19:03:00Z

This is a second entry for today because my evening brought my impression of Jeddah 180 degrees from that I initially received when entering the country. We were taken on a tour of the old city of Jeddah set up by a counselor at one of the local British schools. As we walked through the masses of humanity on this late afternoon Friday I immediately found myself immersed in a classic scene from the Middle East that one might imagine would have been similar 50 years ago. The savory odor of shops with mounds of herbs and dried pumpkin and melon seeds for sale, shops specializing in dates, women in abayas and hejabs most with their faces covered, and men in dishdashahs. We walked past buildings built of corral mined from the Red Sea that were hundreds of years old with delicate lattice work coverning their windows along narrow winding alleys. I am in the midst of the final volume of the Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz's trilogy "Sugar Street" and the scenes brought to mind the author's descriptions of Cairo in the 1930s.

A local cultural historian and guide took us on a brief tour. We ended up at a building which, 150 years ago, was the home of a member of the royal family (Jeddah is a big city and we are currently about 50 miles from Mecca; in the airport we saw men dressed for the Haij (pilgrimage to Mecca). The building is a cultural site which is a collaborative effort between the Saudi government and some historians and anthropologists from Texas. We climbed to the top of the building and sat on Oriental rugs in a room open to the air and drank tea -- this too could have been a scene from one of Mahfouz's novels. As we sat and rested breezes swept through the room and we listened as scores of pigeons alighted the roof. The guide encouraged us to wait for sunset and then we could hear the call to prayer from the many mosques of the city. It is a melodious and lovely, if somewhat haunting,sound beginning with "God is great." First the call came from one mosque, and then it became a cacophany floating from four directions. It was both beautiful and emotionally moving. We moved out to a lower roof and witnessed people scurrying to prayer as the sun set. The commitment to God which is such an integral part of Saudi life touches you when you witness the call to prayers and multitude of mosques.

The local historian began his university studies in Oakland and finished in Sacramento. He was warm and welcoming and positive about Americans if not our government. While he was receptive to our questions, he was clearly proud of Saudi society and its institutions and deftly responded to various questions posed by my colleagues such as the status of women in Saudi society. It is evident that this is a conservative society that is quite confident and proud in its conservatism. While I might not identify with it I do have to respect that this is this people's culture and heritage, and they certainly have every right to determine their structures as we ours (there are other signficant issues with the Saudis' society with which I have concerns, but I am a guest in this country and certainly wouldn't question them while enjoying their hospitality. It is also important to engage in dialog in an effort to understand their perspective.)

We later made our way back to the hotel shuttle and stopped at a date shop with a dizzying array of dates. The counselor recommended the white and milk chocolate covered dates (quite good) but I chose dates encrusted with pistachio nuts (surely from nearby Iran) and others stuffed with almonds. They had fresh dates which were incredible; and the shop clerks were quite generous in allowing you to try the many different varieties. Recognizing the potential for getting out of control I had to leave the shop, but bought two boxes of saffron before I left (it is Iranian saffron, so I hope I can get it through customs.) Driving back to the hotel we passed a massive fountain whose plume makes it the highest shooting fountain in the world -- it genuinely is impressive.

Clearly Saudi Arabia is a distinctive society and walking through it is definitely a step back in time.

Stepping Back in Time

2007-11-02T11:52:00Z

Last night we did a college fair in Manama Bahrain. Many of those in attendance were potential graduate students from Saudi Arabia, attired in traditional Arab dress. Saudi Arabia is next door to Bahrain. One of the Bahrainian parents told me that the Saudis all come to Bahrain for the weekend because that country is more open (e.g. alcohol is permitted) and people from Bahrain go to Saudi Arabia on the weekends because it is a less expensive place to shop. One of the people in attendance was an American living in Saudi Arabia whose daughter is currently a sophomore at Seattle University. He was there representing a scholarship program through Saudi Aramco, so was not there as a "consumer".

We just arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; a two hour plane ride from Manama. On the plane I noticed women slipping cups of coffee under their face scarves (only the eyes showing) to sip them. This is a distinctly different environment than any we have experienced so far in the Middle East. As we were coming in to land we flew over miles and miles of sand dunes. Exiting the plane we were confronted with a wave of heat -- dry heat, surprising in light of Jeddah's location on the Red Sea. However, it is reminiscent of opening an oven door. Fortunately the hotel air conditioning here is working aggressively -- in hot and h u m i d Bahrain the hotel air conditioning wasn't great -- the thermometer in my alarm clock read a steady 74 F. I am liking this.

My colleagues and I expected something different when we arrived; the airport is very worn and tired. However, signs were up indicating it is under construction by the BinLaden Construction Corporation. We exited the plane on to the runway and then were bused to the terminal. It would be an understatement to say that security here is tight. Despite the complex visa application I submitted several months ago (which required a photograph, and after being granted occupies two full pages of my passport) I was sent back to fill out a entry form which repeated most of the same information. A number of my colleagues were sent to a computer room where they double checked the information on their visas. No smiles were wasted on us by the customs people; my passport was slammed down on the counter after the official had examined and vigorously stamped it.

All the women on the trip immediately proceeded to the airport bathroom to don abayas and head scarves. They indicated some kind women there were helping them drape themselves in the appropriate fashion -- apparently no hair is supposed to show. Some were a bit nervous because apparently they are supposed to wear closed shoes, but those wearing sandals managed to fly under the radar. They are also supposed to walk 3 feet behind the men; we unwittingly didn't follow that protocol in the airport. However, it is reported that Jeddah is more "relaxed" than Riyahd.

Driving in I expected everything to be gleaming, modern, and new. Actually it is pretty modest: alot of simple, functional, older buildings with some in various states of disrepair. Much of what we saw driving in was reminiscent of the early 70's. We did pass some pristine, majestic government buildings. And of course, the omnipresent McDonalds. Looking out on the city from my room I am primarily seeing low rise buildings in various shades of beige and white; it's actually pretty monochromatic.

Shortly we are going on a walking tour of the old city here. I just ordered a sandwich from room service. (The waiter bringing it was from Manila; the men bringing our luggage in from the bus were from India.) Scanning the menu I saw cocktails listed including a Saudi Cooler (apple juice and Perrier with fresh cuts of apple, lemon, and mint), a Tropical Banana (banana, orange, coconut cream and strawberry syrup) and a Shirley Temple (7 Up, Ginger ale, and grenadine). Shirley Temples make me flash back to my elementary school days when after Sunday mass my father would take us out to dinner and I'd be allowed to order one. Like Kuwait, no alcohol is to be had in KOSA (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Upon check in, like in Kuwait, we were greeted with fresh glasses of juice -- again I opted for mango juice.

As I eat my chicken sandwich I can hear the faithful being called to prayer from the minarets. This stop is clearly going to be a distinctive experience.

The Asian Diaspora

2007-11-01T07:57:00Z

It is All Saints' Day and I am in Bahrain; as I type this it is 11 a.m. here, I note that it is 1 a.m. in Seattle. I have an hour between visits and no one is awake in Seattle to exchange e-mails with so it's time for another blog entry. No, there were not any Halloween celebrations in Kuwait when we left yesterday nor here in Bahrain, though they did have Christmas decorations (including a flocked Christmas tree) in the Bahrain airport (go figure). There were Halloween decorations in the schools we visited in Dubai, but they were American schools.

Yesterday was primarily a travel day; a considerable amount of time is required to clear customs leaving one country and entering another. Experiences like this are important for us to be more sensitive to the hurdles undergone by international students en route to the U.S.

Bahrain is incredibly humid; up until this point it has been primarily dry heat; I am way out of practice with humidity and fully appreciating the air conditioning. So far this seems like a cross between Kuwait and the UAE; lots of skyscrapers, but somewhat worn down at the heels. Last night after arriving and getting settled a few of us decided to burn the midnight oil and head for the midnight market. Most of the college reps on the trip travel abroad regularly and a number were just in India. They felt like they'd returned when we went to the market; nearly everyone was of south Asian extraction. In the gold souk here I was advised that ~85% of the merchants are from India. It has been evident since we landed in Dubai that Indians are the backbone of much of the gulf states' labor force. The Indian merchant class is reflected by the very strong Indian secondary schools. At the fair in Dubai most of the parents with whom I spoke were from India and they were very savy about American education.

As I've mentioned, people from the Phillipines are everywhere also (I actually noted a Filipino restaurant in the alleys where the night market is located.) They, however, haven't the same economic status as some of those from India. As I have encountered them they have been the housekeepers, waiters and waitresses in the hotels. The Indians also hold such positions (last night the flight attendants on Kuwait air were clearly from India). They are also largely represented among those with the grueling jobs building the skyscrapers and highways in the Gulf States. Apparently there are a number of Indonesians here as well. Their plight is extremely moving.

After cruising the market (my colleagues were checking out knock off "Rolexs", Burberry and Coach handbags) I went to the hotel for dinner -- my colleagues went off to Papa John's Pizza. American fast food is everywhere; yesterday after clearing security the two sole food options in the Kuwait airport were McDonald's (it was called McCafe, I kid you not. It offered eclairs and mango juice in addition to the usual) and Pizza Hut. I noticed KFC and Burger King and a host of other places that I don't eat at in the U.S. both after we arrived; I am not going to begin here. It depresses me to think that this is the world's image of American cuisine. Anyway, I sat in the hotel bistro and ate chicken biryani (it was excellent; lots of cloves and cardamum pods that I washed down with some French white wine since tomorrrow we are off to Saudi Arabia and back to fruit juice. As I ate my Indian food in a Bahrainan hotel restaurant I was listening to Toni Braxton and reading an Egyptian novel (I just finished the second of the Cairo trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz, "Palace of Desire"; I am going to start "Sugar Street" later.) Yes, it is a small world. However, when speaking of students I have been surprised by their being unaware of Seattle, Washington. They all know about Boeing and Starbucks (here as well, and one American food option of which I do avail myself) and Microsoft but not the city from which they hale. Interesting. So, while the world might seem smaller perhaps awareness isn't expanding as much as well assume.

Fresh Juice, Camels, and Sand

2007-10-31T07:57:00Z

This morning I got to sleep in a little big later, and slept for over 6 hours for the first time since arriving in the Middle East. I woke up feeling like I died and went to heaven. I am now in Kuwait and looking out over the turquoise blue waters of the Persian Gulf with Kuwait City on the horizon. It is a beautiful day, 36 degrees C (still struggling with Celius; it is almost like attempting to understand the ongoing local currency conversions.)

As we continue to travel east the culture and lifestyles become more traditional and conservative. Here in Kuwait, for example, no alcoholic beverages are served, or available. However, they certainly have fruit juice. And, it is outstanding fruit juice. Last night I had a glass of kiwi juice that was so good I wanted to rub it in my hair. It was thick and dense; I suspect they simply pureed kiwis. Later I had a glass of what they called "lemon". My colleagues avoided it because it was green. It was also excellent; it was lemonaide that wasn't very sweet and was infused with mint and exceedingly refreshing.

In Jordan, and Dubai we were often offered small cups of tea and, as you might expect, there are often platters of dates. However, much to my surprise coffee isn't readily available unless you are sitting in a restaurant (though, when you can get it the Turkish coffee is great, but really sweet.) We are constantly being offered Nescafe, which I find gross. Sorry, I should be more gracious -- we are guests here. However, instant coffee brings up bad memories of late '60's food in the U.S. like instant mashed potatoes, "Minute Rice" and canned vegetables -- nasty! The Arabic food is quite good though. I have tried as often as possible to go local when eating and had "foul" yesterday and this morning for breakfast. It involves mashed red beans that are like a porridge, which you garnish with chopped herbs, onion, tomatoes, hummus, olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin. I had something really decadent yesterday at breakfast that involved boiled sweet milk, a crepe, boiled raisins, cinammon, and chopped pistachios. Of course the pita is excellent.

Last night I was dead dog tired (we did mini-fairs at 4 schools, came back and had 20 minutes to change, when and did a fair and I talked with parents and students non-stop for 3 1/2 hours.) So I went to the hotel restaurant. They subtilely (well a tad overtly) pushed me to order the buffet dinner. I was hungry, but not that hungry. I don't eat beef, and unfortunately there was lots of beef on the buffet. Of course there is no pork offered (on the Air France flight to Jordan a note on the tray assured that the meal was certified to include no pork. Since arriving I have seen lots of beef sausage on buffets, and turkey bacon, both of which I have avoided.) I am not wild about lamb, but last night I had some dumblings like falafel with lamb and pine nuts in a yogurt sauce, and lamb biriani (the raisins and cashews in the rice compensated for the lamb, which wasn't bad.) However, what I liked were the array of pureed savory items to have with pita. There was hummus, of course, but various other things that I couldn't readily identify but that included things like eggplant, lentils, and the like. Some were topped with kernels of pomegranate, which provided a nice crunch. Sometimes the language barrier makes understanding what I am eating difficult (also they seem astonished that I want to eat Arab food.The Arabs typically speak English but the servers are typically Filipinos, Bengalis, or Indians. I of course recognize the Filipinos since we have such a large Filipino American population in Seattle. I always ask where they are from in the Phillipines and they are pleased to have their culture recognized. I haven't seen Filipino food on the menus (too bad for the Arabs) but Indian food has clearly crept into the Arab diet -- with good reason. At a few of the high schools they have been incredibly kind and offered us American lunches, which is nice but disappointing. I'd far rather eat local food (yesterday I was pretty horrified when the group was bused to McDonalds in between visits; apparently my colleagues haven't read Fast Food Nation. And no, I didn't eat at McDonalds...for philosophical and social justice, as well as nutritional reasons. And I don't drink soda/pop either, though my American colleagues are constantly ferretting it out.)

As we have traveled beyond Jordan more women are wearing abayas and head scarves. I have been encountering more in burkas, which is bringing back visions of the excellent chronicle by a Norwegian female journalist "The Bookseller of Kabul" and the novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns". Last night a mother spoke with me in a burka, and apologized for not speaking "good English" (I responded to another parent, a father, that his English was far better than my Arabic, which brought a smile.) The challenge of our communicating was my inability to see beyond her yes; it is amazing how much of communication involves facial expressions. Of course, this is compounded by wanting to be courteous and not stare or appear to stare. The men are more likely to be in full gowns, I don't know if theirs are called abayas. The men wear white, the women black. Actually, they look pretty comfortable; I can see beyond the traditions why they'd resist western clothes -- the men, at least. It has been amusing to see guys in white gowns and baseball caps -- a fushion of east and west. Last night we walked by the beach en route to the hotel; seeing women sitting on the beach fully draped was a bit surprising.

When in the UAE we drove outside Dubai to a nearby town to visit a high school. Along the way we saw lots of the long awaited camels; I am not making this up, but they had lots of camel crossing signs on the highway. In Jordan we saw many tents where the Bedoins were camping with their livestock next to their crops. Yesterday, we were all getting covered by blowing dust and when driving back into Dubai noted reduced visibilty from a light sand storm. Yes, all those textbook descriptions of the Middle East from my elementary school days are, in fact, based in reality.

Kuwait is actually pretty modest in comparison with Dubai, but refreshingly so. The infrastructure is good, but not glitzy and not flawless (the relentless construction in Dubai is pretty tedious; traveling around is a nightmare.) Kuwait is much greener and aesthetically more pleasing; the location is quite lovely. Its people are formal, and polite,warm, and gracious. I have been struck by the boys, and their fathers, immediately wanting to shake hands when introducing themselves, and their patience and appreciation waiting to ask questions and for information. The kindness here is moving and inspiring.

Renewing My Faith in Human Nature

2007-10-28T18:42:00Z

While admissions travel is more often than not exhausting and not glamorous, despite the location, there are some perks. Distinctive shopping opportunities are among them, particularly when traveling abroad.

So, when in the Middle East the touted destination is the gold souk in Dubai. Last night Michael Gaynor from Villanova and I were treking the gold souk looking for presents. Despite considerable pressure from salesmen, Michael resisted and determined to meditate on what he'd seen. I demonstrated my characteristic lack of restraint and made some impetuous purchases.

The first store we went to left me cold. There was a push to look, and a push to get it over with, and a push to buy: I pushed back and said I needed to think about it. I might have gone there if there had been some humanity in the salesman's approach.

So Michael and I decided to go elsewhere. We found a small shop and the atmosphere was solicitous and accommodating with no pressure -- it was all about taking your time, gracious service, and finding what you wanted. I was impressed when the salesman asked if we'd like some bottled water or a Pepsi; I don't need a soft drink, but the kindness of the offer warmed me.

The salesmen there inquired why we were in Dubai and what we did for a living. They also seemed pleased that we were interested in them: the guy helping me was from Sri Lanka, so I of course had to get into a discussion of Sri Lankan food with him; the other guys were from India.

I really wanted to find a signet ring for my son Kieran. Today is his fourteenth birthday and in our family it is a tradition for boys to get a signet ring at 13. My eldest has had his ring for 4 years, I wanted Kieran to get his. However, with the increased price of gold I was frozen by sticker shock last year when looking at home. This store didn't have any signet rings; I showed the salesman mine and he indicated that he could have one made for me, by tonight. The price was less than half what I'd been quoted last year, and was less than the one I bought for my eldest 4 years ago, despite the price of gold going up.

The deal was tempting, but would I ever see the ring? We have next to no flex time in our visit here. The salesman asked our schedule and we indicated we were finishing a college fair and that the only time would be after 10 p.m. He assured it would be delivered. My hard boiled New York cyncism comes out often in shopping, but I got a good vibe here. So I handed over my credit card.

I don't know Dubai so I couldn't predict the outcome. However, I got the feeling that these guys were the real deal: gentlemen. Michael reinforced my impression by assuring me he thought they were honest. So, I spent the day wondering about the outcome.

As I walked in the room, my message light was on; the jewelry store had called. They would have a driver here between 10 and 10:30. However, you can't take a promise to the bank. At 10:25 the phone rang, and the courier was in the lobby. It is absolutely incredible to me that they made an exact replica of the ring I wear in 24 hours. But, the best part of it is the fact that I actually got the ring; that trusting someone else, from a different culture, and across the world actually worked. Kindness and honesty prevailed, trust prevailed: wow.

Actually, this was sort of deja vu (or "deja vu all over again" as Yogi Berra said.) A negative (and in my experience untrue) stereotype is that Colombians are dishonest. 20 years ago I was in Colombia on business and wanted to buy my wife an emerald ring. Again I had a tight schedule; the ring needed to be sized, I bought it in the morning and was flying out that afternoon. It was a big investment. I did my college fairs and went back to the hotel and waiting there, nervous that I'd left the country, was the woman from the jewelery store worried I'd left without my ring. Her relief that I was there to receive my purchase was palpable. So much for nasty stereotypes (it was one of many experiences with honesty and kindness I experienced in Colombia.)

Just yesterday I finished a great new novel "Breakfast with Buddha" by Roland Merullo. It starts as a funny novel, and keeps you smiling throughout, but is zen like and focuses on the importance of kindness and releasing one's ego to trust and savor life. I guess it was a foreshadowing of my small experience a few hours later. Maybe it inspired the confidence to take a risk on the side of assumed decency. Anyway, beyond getting what I wanted, I am pretty psyched right now over taking a risk on honesty with no evidence to support it, and that honesty prevailed. That alone made the experience worth it.

As I write this story I worry that readers will think that all we are doing is shopping -- in all honesty this was my free evening in Dubai -- after 6 p.m. with my needing to be in the lobby to leave for a visit at 7 a.m. the next morning, and today before 9:30 p.m. we had an hour and 15 minute break -- you need to make the time on these trips to have distinctive experience (i.e. sacrifice some relaxation and sleep time.) However, you need to also maximize the opportunities that you might never enjoy again.

I don't think Kieran is reading my blogs; not now at least. He's on a camping trip and doesn't get home till after I will be asleep; the time difference (11 hours) is thwarting phone contact. So, if you know him, please don't spill the beans. He has no idea he's getting the ring.

Getting My Feet Wet in the River Jordan

2007-10-28T11:43:00Z

My Middle Eastern sojourn has challenged a few perspectives. On Thursday night we experienced daylight savings time in Jordan (apparently the time varies from nation to nation) and the weekend began on Friday (and, I am having a brief break on Sunday, which is a regular full work day here in Dubai.) Anyway, we had Friday off to relax and then headed east from Jordan to Dubai yesterday -- most of the day involved getting here -- leaving the hotel at 7, arriving at the airport, clearing customs, the flight (a couple of hours) and then the luggage/customs/arrival at hotel jig -- I got into my room at 5.

Well Friday was interesting. For r&r we headed to the Dead Sea, which is a resort area -- the Israelis on the west side and the Jordanians on the east side. I really hadn't factored how incredibly close we were to Israel (however, I should have; Jordan is pretty small.) Well en route we stopped at various holy sites.

For the past few months I had been focused on experiencing Middle Eastern culture. However, I really hadn't thought about the Bible. Friday was a little overwhelming as we went to the general area where Moses was buried, and then to where Jesus was baptised. Of course archeologists have uncovered a number of things which give us a fairly good idea generally where these things occurred. Remnants of churches mosaic floors have given the greatest clues. I was pretty overwhelmed though when we went down to a platform on the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. The river is modest, pretty narrow -- but I had to stand in the water. It was pretty surrealistic when I thought about it. The Jordanians are quite proud of this having occurred on the east side of the Jordan. But as we walked down the steps onto a wooden platform so that we could stand in the water we were overwhelmed by something else.

As you approach this Holy Site you pass through a number of Jordanian military check points. The soldiers are good natured and recognize the motives of the tourists. But as we stood in the river on the east side of the Jordan,with the Jordanian flag behind us, a very short distance away (an easy baseball throw across the river) were other soldiers on the west bank, and the Israeli flag flying. The west side is clearly not the tourist destination of the east side and the fortifications on that side made me immediately flash back to when my wife and I were driving from the Republic of Ireland and cross into County Fermanaugh, one of the 6 Irish counties that are part of the UK. The Republic was low key and relaxed; the red bereted soldier as we crossed into Northern Ireland with a submachine gun was all business, and so were the razor wire and fortifications.

My short stay in Amman, and relaxed trek down to the Dead Sea masked the volatile situation just across that very narrow river. Jordan is clearly an island of peace in a tense region. The emotionally moving experience of being where Jesus was baptised was quickly eclipsed by the harsh reality of current events staring us in the face. Our charming Jordanian guide suddenly became subdued and temporarily lost his humor seeing the three Israeli soldiers immediately across the river; he visibly relaxed after they got back in their armored vehicle and left.

The Dead Sea by the way is amazing; the buoyancy is incredible. You didn't need to worry about anything biting you; nothing lives in it. People swear by the cosmetic qualities of the water, and were also slathering themselves with mud, allegedly also a major beauty treatment (I skipped that part). The area was full of Europeans there on vacation; their holiday atmosphere helped to dispell the cloud caused recognizing the uneasy detente close by.

Dubai is everything you've heard, and more. I need to get ready for a college fair in a few minutes. It will need to be the basis of another blog entry.

Navigating the web site and International Student Scholarshps

2007-10-26T05:04:00Z

Often I need to leave the office to find out how well (whether?) things are working. Anyway, last night after a very well attended college fair in Amman I went to the website to look up some graduate admissions questions. I work primarily in undergraduate admissions, so my graduate admissions knowledge is almost as rusty as my French.

Anyway, cruising the web I went to the International Student section and noted no mention of scholarhship eligibility for international students, nor our introduction of need based financial aid for international undergraduate applicants starting with fall quarter 2008 admission. I was frustrated and embarrassed as I'd been referencing this much of last night.

This past summer involved a redesign of the admissions home page; information that had been pasted into the former format was reorganized and, clearly, in some cases deleted. We are in discussion with other departments where information should be appropriately listed in the admissions section of the university website. There has been concern about possible redundancy cluttering the web design. I will strive, however, to have it more conspicuous so as to be most helpful to international students and their advocates.

Till we get this resolved a few notes:

International undergraduate students are eligible for first time freshman and transfer scholarships -- the same ones for which U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible.

There is no separate scholarship application; your scholarship for admission is your application for scholarship consideration.

We do not employ a formula or matrix for scholarship consideration. Selection involves reviewing all applications and then indentifying those most qualified. We batch scholarship decisions and mail them at once: early action first time freshmen will be notified at the end of January; regular decision applicants will be notified the first week of March; transfer applicants will begin to be notified in late March (all these opportunities are for fall quarter applicants.)

A means of application for need based undergraduate international student scholarship consideration is still being determined by the Student Financial Services personnel. I expect that we will have a form posted on the internet sometime in December.

Hopefully this will clarify matters a bit for those who might choose to read my blog. My regrets for any inconvenience heretofore.

By the way, I don't think I have met students any more courteous anywhere in my career than those I have met so far in Jordan. What incredibly lovely people, and apparently very academically focused. They are inspiring.

Red Velvet Cake and Admissions Notification

2007-10-25T02:10:00Z

Well I have been tossing and turning since 2:30 Amman time; it is now 5; might as well write an entry (I will be back to a zombie like state after today's school visits and the fair tonight...sigh).

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly 5 weeks since I was at the NACAC national conference in Austin, Texas. As PNACAC president-elect I also served as a delegate in the NACAC assembly, which consumed a fair amount of time and energy while I was there. It required me to miss the annual meeting of the nation's Jesuit admissions directors, and then admissions directors with school counselors from Jesuit high schools from around the nation; this was the first meeting I have missed in 13 years. Ironically, next year Seattle University will host both meetings, and the annual Jesuit banquet, but I won't be able to attend the business meetings for the same reason (the national NACAC conference will be in Seattle, a 1/2 mile from campus at the Convention Center; I suspect there will be a number of things keeping the admissions staff busy that week.)

Back to Austin. One of the most discouraging admissions developments in recent years was a measure that was passed by NACAC's assembly in Austin: allowing freshman admissions notifications to be mailed prior to September 15 for the subsequent fall. With all the sanctimonious rhetoric I continually hear about US News and World Report and other ratings exacerabating the frenzy over admission I found myself incredulous (but not surprised). This was pushed by a number of public universities asserting that they needed to mail notifications earlier because increased applications, and no further processing budgetary allocations, necessitate this in order to "serve" students. We are talking notifications 11 to 12 months before the start of the entry term. I also heard assertions that this would assure access to the underrepresented, and to the other disenfranchised students. However, my experience has been that as a rule those seeking admission in the beginning of the senior year are typically the most advantaged; those who have the greatest support, the greatest savy, the greatest resources and, perhaps, the most unhealthy obsession with the process at that point. I see no justification for students needing to receive admissions notification that early; as a "concession" the institutions that pushed this through (the vote was close, and the discussion in the assembly -- passionate and contentious -- was ultimately shut down, prematurely in my estimation for such a philosophically important decision.) was that students couldn't receive such notification prior to the posting of their final sixth semester grades. Part of the rationale was that community colleges want to get into notifying students earlier -- I think the community colleges were used as a beard in this case. Many community colleges are having students both only apply and register in the weeks immediately preceding the start of classes -- not a full year in advance.

I think the public institutions in question made a specious argument. Earlier in the summer I had read in the New York Times how some of these same institutions were increasing their recruitment and support of National Merit Finalists in an effort to burnish their images of selectivity -- hardly a disadvantaged group; hardly an assess related motive as typically National Merit Finalists are among the most advantaged. Perhaps if they redeployed some of the resources being used to give full rides to National Merit Finalists they could put more money into processsing application resources. However, the University of Washington and the University of California at Berkeley -- both awash in tsumami after tsunami of applications have devoted their scare resources in a time of increasing applications to the more cumbersome, and costly, process of holistic evaluation.

What I suspect is really driving this is the desire for institutions to lock in students early, and to blow the competition out of the water. This will play directly into the hands of the many commercial vendors advising admissions operations that have created much of the marketing and admissions frenzy. This doesn't even touch on the egregious undermining of the entire senior year of high school. The entire matter is terribly depressing. My sentiments are shared by many in NACAC, particularly school counselors.

A lovely treat at NACAC this year was getting to travel with Andrea to the conference. It was her first NACAC conference. As she now is on the PNACAC executive board overseeing regional college fairs she too had a number of meetings. We shared several meals together, and one was at a wonderful southwestern oriented cuisine restaurant in downtown Austin the name of which currently escapes me. One afternoon we shared a piece of red velvet cake there. If you haven't experienced this, it is the epitome of decadence -- it is largely butter and sugar and to add to the crime they use red food coloring to dye the cake red (the icing, however, is white -- probably the amount of sugar defies coloring). Maybe the color is intended as a warning. As we felt our arteries closing, we enjoyed every hedonistic bite. Of course it required a cup of coffee --- black, who needs cream when you are eating a stick of butter?