Evan Grenier Blog |

Letters Mailed/Open House Season!

You've Got Mail!

Hi Everyone,

At this point just about every applicant should have a decision letter from us. As you can see from the photo above, everyone gets involved in sending the letters out. It is a big deal for us here in admissions and we hope it’s a big deal for you too. Choosing your college is a big decision!

For those of you that got the letter you’ve been waiting for: Congratulations! If you did not get positive news in your letter, I want you to know that this year’s class is incredibly competitive. We had 7,200+ applications for under 700 spots, with applications from 49 states (What’s up ‘Bama? I guess you aren’t into competitive, Catholic, Liberal Arts colleges only 22 miles south of Boston).

ACE

In other news, Ace has been floating around campus lately and that can only mean one thing, Open House Time! We have already had our first two early Skyhawk Welcome Days but there are still two more Saturday Skyhawk Welcome Days and two Hill Days (not as extensive as an Open House but still gives you a great feel for campus). So come see us, we’re waiting!…..and so is Ace. We have been holding a competition over on the “Class of 2015” facebook page for the students who upload their own pictures and tag themselves, so if you’re coming to an open house be ready with your smartphone or camera.

CT Reception

This weekend we held an accepted students reception at an alums house in Fairfield County. You can’t really beat that view. We had a great time meeting some really interesting students. It was also nice for me because I was able to go home and see my folks for awhile. We have two more accepted student receptions coming up. One in Long Island in one in Bergen County, NJ. You can register for all of our events through our Visit Stonehill page, or by calling 508.565.1373.

Most importantly, though, it’s baseball season. I can’t wait for the Yankees to start cruising. Yea the Red Sox are good but the Yankees are like a sleeping bear right now that you don’t want to wake…a sleeping bear with a lot of money and prospects. March madness is also in the air, all I have to say is UCONN. You heard it hear first, as long as Kemba doesn’t get tired he is bringing back another title. Boom goes the dynamite.

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Winter/Application Season

Hi Everyone,

First of all a big CONGRATULATIONS to all the accepted students frmo our Early Action program. I hope the letter brightened up your day. We have just started reading Regular Decision applications and we are looking to get those decisions out to you in early March.

For those students that have already gotten an acceptance letter, we will be hosting a number of Open Houses throughout the Spring. The dates are all posted and you can start registering now! Check in here

In other news, we have been getting a crazy amount of snow this winter. It’s great for me because I love to ski, but it even caused Stonehill to shut down for a day while the students were home for break. We are expecting some more snow tomorrow. Students from warm weather climates, don’t worry it’s not that bad! It really makes the campus sparkle….see!

Snow Day!

We really do have a great campus, and when you see some local kids sledding down our hill in front of Donahue Hall you know it’s really winter time.

I think you’re going to be seeing some great videos soon on our Admissions Youtube Channel, as well as our Twitter feed, and don’t forget to become a fan of the Class of 2015 on Facebook

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Travel Top 10 (Part Two 1-5)

Alright, I know you have all been waiting on the edge of your seat for the top 5 of my travel season. Before we get started I really want to thank all the little people who helped me on the way up, all of the airport employees that made my trips possible, and the wireless internet available in the airports for keeping me sane.

Drum roll, please.

#5 The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum – Kansas City, MO

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

As someone who thinks they know everything there is to know about baseball, I learned so much frmo walking through the museum. Did you know the first night game was played in the Negro Leagues? There you go, I just broke an egg of knowledge on you. The museum is in Kansas City because that is where the first charter for the setup of the league was signed. The exhibits are really fun and take you back to a time when baseball seemed like the biggest things in the world (other than the war). Eventually, with the integration of Major League Baseball the Negro Leagues faded away, but the league played a huge part in American history.

#4 Chicago

Chicago

This one is pretty broad. I have always wanted to go to Chicago and this year I was able to spend a pretty significant amount of time there. I went up to the top of the Sears Tower (I know, I know, it’s the Willis tower now), ate Deep Dish Pizza, and went down to Navy Pier, so I did all of the touristy things. I also ran into Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, took the subway, and walked the Magnificent Mile multiple times. I had a great time in Chicago, but I have to say the traffic is out of control. I thought we had it bad in Boston. Nope. Chicago is much worse, good luck getting to that college fair south of the city, there is construction everywhere. Despite the traffic I absolutely loved it so I guess that’s sayin’ something.

#3 The College Basketball Experience – Downtown Kansas City, MO

The College Basketball Experience

You have to love a place that has the slogan “This is not a museum, you will sweat”. Every single exhibit is interactive, from shooting free throws, to 3 point competitions, to dunking challenges. They even have a big open basketball court you can just go to play on. Those of you who know me probably know what happened; I ran around like a 12 year old until I was too tired and sweaty to continue. They also have the College Basketball Hall of Fame which is pretty cool to walk through.

#2 The Harvest Festival – Stillwater, MN

Harvest Fest

There is no way I can fully describe what the Harvest Festival is. Basically, everyone comes out and celebrates pumpkins, they had the new Guiness World Record holding pumpkin there, grown men raced down the river in pumkins, a pumpkin was dropped from a crane (pictured). Pumkins. There were a few things that added to the excitement. First of all, it was 80 degrees and sunny, a rare fall event in Minnesota. Also, the river was probably 20 feet above it’s normal height. We jus thappened to wander into the Harvest Fest, but it really seemed like good old fashioned Midwestern family fun, you can’t beat it, I just feel like I was lucky to be there.

#1 Yankees Playoff Game at Target Field – Minneapolis, MN

Yankee Game

Yea, yea, I know we didn’t win it this year but this game was so much fun. I was able to walk to Target Field from my hotel, of course I was wearing all my Yankees gear so the walk through downtown was….interesting. Target Field is definitely one of the nicest new fields I have been to. I was so lucky that my travel schedule matched up with the playoff schedule and I was able to get tickets. The Yankees won on the night I was there and dominated the series.

Well that’s it folks, we can put that travel season in the books.

As always check us out on Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Travel Top 10 (Part One 6-10)

Hello again everyone,

As you may know our admissions counselors do a lot of traveling in the Fall trying to make it out to each of your high schools to give you some more information. This travel season was a particularly interesting time for me, I was able to visit a number of places in the Midwest that I may not have otherwise visited. Now, I have tried my best to narrow my experiences down to a top 10 list. It was a difficult process, there were so many great places I was able to see, so here goes nothin’:

#10 Chicago White Sox Game

Chicago White Sox Game

I was able to attend the game early in my travel season. Unfortunately the White Sox were quickly falling in the standings and really did not have a playoff shot any longer. It was a nice field with great food, I also saw a huge number of tailgaters for a baseball game. It felt like a football game as I walked through the parking lot. I have to admit I would have rather gone to see a game at Wrigley but the Cubbies were not in town so I had to settle for the White Sox, sorry South Siders.

#9 Whatever is going on here:

High School Parking Lot

This picture was taken at a high school near Champaign, Il. Yes, that is a uniquely colored limo and a tractor. When I could not find a parking spot I started driving around and stumbled upon this scene. I have to assume students drive these to school everyday, right? If anyone out there has any more information I would love to hear from you. Pictures like this are what makes the road fun, you never know what’s going to make you laugh on any given day. For instance, in an incredibly long line to get through airport security I saw a man try to sit on his roller carry on bag. The bag rolled out from under him and he fell pretty hard. You just don’t see that everyday!

#8 Memorial Stadium – Home of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini

Memorial Stadium- University of Illinois

While I’m traveling I also like to get a look at colleges in the area. The University of Illinois has a great campus in Champaign so I started to wonder around. I was just wandering around when I saw an open gate leading directly to the playing field for the Fighting Illini. 50,000 people cheer on the team every Saturday so it’s a pretty impressive place and I can say that I was right in the middle of it. I had to imagine the 50,000 cheering fans of course.

#7 The Mall of America – Minneapolis, MN

Mall of America

I’m not a big mall/shopping guy but this place is pretty cool. If you ever go you HAVE to go on the Spongebob rollercoaster. Now I know you’re out there thinking to yourself “Spongebob Rollercoaster? That sounds lame”. Well you are wrong. It is not lame, it is awesome. While I would not recommend most of the rides in the indoor theme park for adult use, the Spongebob Rollercoaster is fun for all ages. I was a little disappointed that the huge mall had some repeat stores (i.e. four Gaps), but there were also some pretty cool smaller stores, like a store dedicated to Wisconsin cheese. Now who wouldn’t want to go to the cheese store?

#6 The Food

Chicago Style Hot Dog

Any college admissions counselor will tell you, one of the best parts of travel is the food. I was able to try all the local specialties int he Midwest. In Chicago I was sure to have a Chicago Style Hot Dog (yes there is a hot dog under everything in the picture). I am a big NY style pizza fan, I like the thin crust, but I have to hand it to the folks in Chicago:Deep Dish pizza is legit. It literally is a “pizza pie”, it’s so thick you can only eat 1 or 2 pieces. In Kansas City I was sure to try out some great BBQ. Their specialty is the Burnt Ends which I had never heard of before, so I had to try it. I’m sure Burnt Ends must be the least healthy cut of meat available because it was delicious-melt in your mouth- type food. In Minnesota every time time I cleared my plate (so every time I ate a meal) the server would say “Hey, here’s a member of the clean plate club”. I encourage you to follow in my footsteps and continue your membership in the clean plate club, it is a great group. Then you can get a membersip to the gym when you get back to lose the extra 20 pounds you put on.

Start looking for Part II in this amazing blog series early next week.

Check out the rest of our blogs at www.stonehillblogs.org

Continue to follow us on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook (class of 2015)

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EA/ED Around the Corner/ Minneapolis

Hi Everyone,

This is a quick reminder that the deadline for EA/ED applications is Nov.1, it’s just around the corner! As long as your Application is in before the deadline the application will be considered “in time”. If you have any questions about the application process feel free to send me an email or get in touch with your counselor.

Now for the fun. Last week I was lucky to be traveling in Minneapolis to visit high schools and attend the Minnesota National Fair. Thanks to everyone who came out to get excited about Stonehill! I spoke to a number of great, very interested, students from the Twin Cities and beyond.

On a personal level I had a fantastic time exploring Minnesota, out of all of the Mi9dwestern states I have visited so far, Minnesota has reminded me the most of New England. It is a little more hilly than other areas, the leaves were changing, and there was a nip in the air (at least early in the week)….O and THE YANKEES WERE IN TOWN.

That’s right folks, yours truly is a huge Yankees fan. So of course I had to go see the playoff game on Thursday night. Target Field is a beautiful park, and I did take a ribbing from the normally cordial Minnesotans. I was able to get close to the Yankees dugout for pre-game, I was filmed for a NY sports station, and the Yankees won the game! I could not have asked for a better day.

Target Field, MN

The game was not the end of my highlights in Minnesota, far from it. I was also able to enjoy the Mall of America. MOA is HUGE! I went on the most intense Spongebob Coaster ever. It really is an impressive building and the park inside is a lot of fun…even for adults.

The moment I consider the most “Minnesota” of the whole week was the Harvet Fest in Stillwater, MN I stumbled upon with a few friends. Stillwater is located on the St. Crouix river that separates Minnesota from Wisconsin. On this day the river was about 20 ft above normal and the temperature was a record 85 degrees. Not bad for October in Minnesota. The focus of the fair is on, what else, PUMPKINS. The world record was set for world’s heaviest pmpkin (about 1,800 lbs), huge pumpkins were hallowed out and grown men rode them down the river like kayaks, and a pumpkin was brought up to the top of a crane and let go to smash on the ground. What part about this festival does not sound fun?

There was music, fun, and games….and you could take a picture with the world record pumpkin. We were so lucky to stumble upon the event put on by Stillwater’s finest. I might have to take a trip back next year.

As always, check out our YouTube channel, and Twitter page

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Travels

Hi Everyone

I am now on my second week of fall travel and everything has been running smoothly so far. I have been able to see a lot of the country that I have never seen before. There are definitely a lot of difference between the Midwest and New England, but the people here have been so friendly!

Last week I was in the Chicago area visiting some great high schools and attending college fairs. I was also able to do a few “touristy” events like going down to the Navy Pier and going to see a White Sox Game. The Cubs were not home so I just walked around Wrigleyville to get a feel for it.

White Sox Game

I helped myself to a lot of the interesting cuisine in the Chicago area, including Italian Beef and Italian Sausage. I also had a Chicago Style hot dog which was unbelievable. I’m heading back to Chicago for some more time and I definitely plan to try a real deep dish pizza. By the end of fall travel I will have gained a significant amount of weight.

I almost forgot to mention, I randomly ran into the White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on the street.

This week I am in Kansas City, the land of ribs and football! I helped myself to a great serving of Burnt Ends (I had never heard of this before) and Ribs at a famous ribs place down the street frmo my hotel. The students here in KC have been very welcoming so far.

The highlight of the trip, so far, has been my visit to the Negro Baseball Leagues Museum. I learned a lot of new things, like the first night game was in the Negro Baseball League. If you’re ever in KC you should stop in, and also take a look at the Power and Light area, those are my recommendations.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

On a serious note, it has beena great experience visiting all of your high schools out here. I am impressed by the response so far. Nov. 1 is our EA/ED deadline so get moving!

as always, follow us:

http://twitter.com/whystonehill

www.youtube.com/whystonehill

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Welcome Back!

This weekend all of our First Years moved on campus for the first time and our upperclassmen returned. It is a great time of the year, the college is so much more lively. Classes begin on Wednesday, so students have some time to get everything in order- bunk beds, debunk beds, then bunk again (No one wants the top bunk). When arranging a dorm room I feel it’s best to have an entire summer of watching HGTV behind you. There are so many options and difficult decisions to make. Should I loft my bed to put my dresser under it? How much closer to the Dining Commons will I be if I move my bed towards the door? I can’t answer any of these questions for you, but remember in a week you will probably move things around again.

Our students are going to be coming back to a number of exciting changes to the campus. First of all, there is a brand new Residence Hall.

New Residence Hall

The new residence hall is the largest on campus, 5 stories high. All the designs inside look great. The next big change to campus is the renovation to The Hill. The renovations are not yet complete but the final plans look awesome, I’m sure students will love the new style. The Hill is a meeting spot on campus that frequently has bands, trivia nights, dances,a nd a number of other fun events.

Look for more media to be up on the blogs soon, also please follow Stonehill Admissions on twitter and on youtube.

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Evan Grenier, Assistant Dean of Admissions

Hi Everyone, I’m originally from Bridgeport, CT but I’m now enjoying life in the Boston area. I love to do things outdoors like hike and ski, and I’m a big NY sports fan (Yankees, Giants). I like getting to know the students who will be applying to Stonehill and helping them through the application process. Your choice of college is a major life decision, the admissions counselors here are just trying to make it a little easier.

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Evan Grenier, Assistant Dean of Admissions

Letters Mailed/Open House Season!

Winter/Application Season

Travel Top 10 (Part Two 1-5)

Travel Top 10 (Part One 6-10)

EA/ED Around the Corner/ Minneapolis

Travels

Welcome Back!

Evan Grenier, Assistant Dean of Admissions

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