October 11, 2007
College planning session tailored to UW faculty, staff
On Tuesday, Oct. 30, UW faculty and staff and their children who are interested in the college admissions process will be able to get “inside information” from a bevy of UW and outside experts. Dubbed “A College Planning Evening for Faculty and Staff,” the event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on campus. It is free, but registration is required because space is limited. Location information will be given at registration.
UW Director of Admissions Philip Ballinger will open the session with a presentation on the UW Seattle admissions process. Participants will then have a chance to attend two 45-minute sessions of their choice from the following topics:
- “The Admissions Process at Selective Privates,” by Pat Goldsmith, vice president and dean of admissions at Scripps College.
- “Information Session for Prospective UW Applicants,” by Ballinger and Jim Rawlins, associate director for recruitment and outreach.
- “Understanding Financial Aid and Scholarships,” by Kay Lewis, director of student financial aid.
- “Using Your College Counselor Effectively,” by high school counselors Christopher Obenchain and Ann Nault.
- “The Admissions Process at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma,” by Fiona Johnson, UWT; and Lindsey Wille, UWB.
- “Navigating the Washington Community College and UW Transfer Process,” by a UW admissions counselor and a Gateway Center counselor.
- “How Do You Make a Big University Feel Small?” by students Deva Wells and Loc Trinh.
- “International Student Admission at the UW,” by Kim Lovaas, assistant director for international admissions.
“We’ve been thinking about doing an event like this for two or three years,” Ballinger said. “We know we have a large community here — the children of faculty and staff — who are college-goers. We just felt that matching up our expertise with the people who could use it would be a good service.”
Ballinger said the University offers information sessions and tours for the general public, and they participate in programs sponsored by high schools. But he said the Oct. 30 program will be more intensive and broad than what is usually offered.
And it is something that faculty and staff have, in a way, been asking for. “We have informal contacts all the time from UW colleagues,” Ballinger said. “They talk about situations with their children and ask for our advice.”
For the last two years, Rawlins has offered a lunchtime presentation on college planning sponsored by Work/Life. Between 80 and 100 faculty and staff have attended each time.
“One of the main things people say after the presentation is, this is great but I wish there was more. Could you do a longer session?” Rawlins said.
They’ll get their wish Oct. 30. After the formal sessions that evening, the presenters will be available to talk to participants until 7 p.m. And if the program proves popular, the admissions office plans to make it an annual event. To register, go to https://catalysttools.washington.edu/survey/gblume/43123.
