Moy oh Moy

Middle 50%? Wha?

moyj — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:04:00 GMT

So, we had an excellent online chat yesterday. Thanks for everyone who turned out. One question that came up often I've chosen to answer below:

Q. Jason! I have X GPA and Y SAT Scores. Will that be enough to get into Seattle University?

A: We use a holistic review process, meaning we take many different things into account. That being said, our freshman middle 50% is roughly a 3.3 - 3.8 unweighted GPA, and 520 - 630 on each section of the SAT (or 23 - 28 on the ACT).

For those who haven't taken statistics, trying to conceptualize the middle 50% can be difficult. It's basically the middle range of students - 1/4 of students were above that range, and 1/4 were below that range. To boost your odds of getting in, you should definitely be shooting for that range.

Or, a picture:

Beautiful, right? There's a nice, normally distributed bell curve right there, drawn to exceedingly exact specification*. You ought to be in that green shading, or even better, in the top 25% of students.

*so, I'm a bit rusty at statistics, so my terminology might be slightly off. Apologies to Rex Toh, my stats professor. Also, for those who have taken AP Statistics (Go you!) may say, "Hey Jason, wouldn't GPA distribution be skewed to the right? That's what I would guess, too, with grade inflation these days. For the sake of simplicity, just pretend that GPA distribution is normal.Or that a median GPA would probably be more meaningful than the mean GPA.

International Online Chat

moyj — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:30:34 GMT

Hey people in different time zones (and insomniacs),

Have you ever wanted to chat with an admissions counselor at 2:00AM Pacific Time? I can tell you, I'm downright charming during those wee hours of the morning. So, if you want to chat with me or some of my colleagues, you can chat with us online.

When: August 27, 2:00AM Pacific Time

Where: Click here.

College of Science and Engineering Projects Day

moyj — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:45:18 GMT

I just dropped by to see the culmination of work all the seniors in the Science and Engineering Department have been working on for the past year.

There were many cool projects, but this one caught my fancy:

RFID Technology Project for Ultrasound

...with RFID technology, a quickly growing trend, Philips Medical Systems has asked the design team to implement an RFID solution for patient data entry on their ultrasound machines. The team researched and designed an RFID system consisting of a reader/writer and a patient data application complete with compression and encryption algorithms.

You could even make your own nifty tags at the display.

Wing Luke Asian Museum Opening

moyj — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:24:20 GMT

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to attend the Wing Luke Asian Museum grand opening. It's a beautiful space, and I gained a deeper understanding of the trials of South Asians (the Sikhs, in particular) and their immigration experience. The NY Times has a particularly neat commentary and slide show here.

Thanks to Wendy for inviting me!

Counterpoint: College Diplomas are Overrated

moyj — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:58:14 GMT

So, quickly on the heels of my post regarding the value of a college education comes this rather scathing article from Marty Menko from the Chronicle of Higher Education titled, "America's Most Overrated product: The Bachelor's Degree."

Menko's main arguments? Colleges are businesses that accept unprepared students, with little to no regard for quality of education that the institution produces, or preparedness of the college graduate to enter the world.

...year after year, colleges and universities turn out millions of defective products: students who drop out or graduate with far too little benefit for the time and money spent. Not only do colleges escape punishment, but they are rewarded with taxpayer-financed student grants and loans, which allow them to raise their tuitions even more.

I would argue that, institutions like Seattle University place a high priority on teaching, real-world experience, and only admitting students (through a careful and holistic process) who are prepared for college coursework.

You can read the full article for free here. Seattle University students, I'm always curious to hear your thoughts.

Is a college education worth it?

moyj — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:29:00 GMT

While grabbing my cup of coffee from the business school, a headline from the NY Times business section caught my eye: "A Diploma's Worth? Ask Her." (registration required).

The collumnist, David Leonhardt, examines the economic advantages of a college diploma by comparing the average increases in salaries for men with vs. increases in salaries for women . Since women have been earning their college diplomas at a much higher clip than men the past few years, the results are not surprising.

Armed with college degrees, large numbers of women have entered fields once dominated by men. Nearly half of new doctors today are women, up from just 1 of every 10 in the early 1970s. In all, the average inflation-adjusted weekly pay of women has jumped 26 percent since 1980.

And men? Their pay has increased about as much as their college graduation rate — it’s up just 1 percent since 1980.

Leonhardt also accounts for gender discrimination in salaries and such, as well. It's a great read, especially in light of the Feminist Week events going on at campus.

May 5th! Start your registering

moyj — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:10:24 GMT

Well, it's May 5th, which means for those freshmen that have paid their deposit, you can start filling out your online forms for such wonderful things as housing, class schedules, and orientation dates. Exciting times all around. For those having trouble with your online account, you can call the help desk at 206-296-5571.

As my colleagues and I waited with bated breath last week, you all responded with a flood of confirmations. This made us literally jump for joy.

The other impact of this action is that, effective immediately, we are no longer accepting freshman applications for fall 2008.

Back In Seattle

moyj — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:01:22 GMT

Home sweet home. I felw back to Seattle this Sunday, and was promptly greeted with 60 degree weather and a healthy amount of rain. Good ol' Seattle weather!

This last week and a half in the Bay Area has simply been delightful; it's been a pleasure getting to know the region better and to say hello to all the prospective students out there.

Still, I couldn't stay in California forever (who would feed my fish?), so I soaked up as much sun as I could, and here I am. Fortunately, it's also gorgeous and sunny right now, so I can't complain too much.

If You're Going to San Francisco

moyj — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:16:27 GMT

Well, I fly out today to go to all those Bay Area fairs. Feel free to swing by and chat at my booth, that's why they pay me the big bucks.

In more philosophic terms, I'm excited to spend some time down in the Bay area, as there's obviously a lot of similarities between San Francisco and Seattle. So for you SF kids who love the city but need a fresh geographic location for college, Seattle might be right up your alley.

Opportunities to Check out Seattle University

moyj — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:48:36 GMT

Yesterday marked our last regional accepted student receptions. You have two more opportunities to pick our brains this week:

Accepted Student Chat this Thursday, from 6 - 8 pm PT. I'll be there, as will some current students, and recent alumni. These always promise to be fun and somewhat wacky.

Accepted Student Open House @ SU this Saturday from 8:30am - 2:00pmish. Call us to save a spot - this is a great opportunity to tour the facilities, quiz faculty members from your department, and meet with financial aid.

This is the time of the year where we switch gears; I leave for the California Bay area next week to start recruiting those intrepid juniors.

Spring Break. Wooooooo!

moyj — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:12 GMT

I wish that I could say that I'm spending my spring break in some warm, sunny beach, but alack, there's no rest for the wicked. We've actually been quite busy these past few days, as many of you have decided to come visit over your vacation time. Wisconson, in particular, has been a particularly popular point of origin for many of you that I've met with.

The small reprieve for me comes in the fact that I'm done with statistics, but it's balanced out with the sad story that I have some marketing homework due on the first day of class. Onwards and upwards!

I've been taking advantage of the sunny but cold weather to hit the bike trails hard last week and this week. The Lake Washington bike trails have been particularly stunning, and a pretty decent workout.

Accepted Student Receptions are getting underway this week and next; I'll be down in Portland during my birthday to welcome all you hip Oregonians to the university.

A Fount of Files

moyj — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:56:30 GMT

As per usual, February has found me hunkered down, reading stacks of your lovely applications over a hot cup of tea. This is my third time around doing application review, and yet I always find myself engrossed and engaged by your essays, your activities, and achievements.

This marks the first year that I've read international applications, so I've been pleased to read applications from students I met abroad, and I'm glad to have visited many of the institutions where you all have studied. It makes me hungry thinking about all that delicious food I ate abroad...

I digress. Last week the weather was unseasonably sunny and warm, giving us a sneak peek at what spring has in store. Alas, I've been battling a cold these last couple of weeks, so I've been pretty much shuttered in my apartment, diligently reading applications.

Soon, however, I'll be on the road again, particulalry the Portland Accepted Student Reception and the WACAC north California college fairs.

Early Action Online Chat is Wednesday, January 23rd

moyj — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:37:30 GMT

For those Early Action Students who have been accepted to Seattle University, you can get your questions answered online by visiting our online chat tomorrow from 6-8pm PT. The link is here.

In other news, I did some snowshoeing in Snoqualmie Pass this Monday. It was a cloudless and beautifully sunny day, and it was delightful to escape the city for a brief moment.

Now, back to reading all those lovely files you've submitted.

Farewell, Sullivan Day. Hello, Statistics!

moyj — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:48:53 GMT

Last Thursday I whipped out my scientific calculator, sharpened my pencils, and did something I haven't attempted in eight years: take a math class.

Sure, I've done plenty of math in my accounting and economics class, but this is a beast of a different color. I think I'll do fine.

Sullivan Day went swimmingly, thanks to everyone involved (especially Pauline Benson). There was some interesting discourse from various staff and faculty members who were highly critical of this year's book, The Accidental Asian. I'll have to re-examine his memoirs, but it was a deeply moving and personal book for me.

[amazon:type=Blended:search=0375704868X:results=1]

Finalists for the Sullivan should be announced in early February.

Happy New Year, etc.

moyj — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:49:22 GMT

Congratulations to the Early Action students who received their decision letters over winter break. For you regular-decision kids, most of the admissions staff devoted a goodly amount of time opening and processing your applications. Please note that you should give us another good week or so to continue processing your application, so please don't call this week asking if your application is complete.

Sullivan Scholars day is this Saturday, and good luck to all of those who have been invited to attend. I'll be there on Saturday with a bright, smiling face on display. For the rest of you, cheer on the Seahawks this Saturday.