We are all back in the office this week to organize the Open House on Saturday.  Fingers are crossed for a perfect day.

First of all, we have had to move the campus location because of the large number of rsvp’s.  What a great problem!  Usually we have about 60 participants; this year we are anticipating well over 120.  I think the excellent response is due to moving the date from late October to mid-November and people have had a couple more weeks to be thinking about law schools.

The program is excellent.  During registration, we have currently enrolled students giving campus tours.  We have had so many students volunteer to be tour guides that we have had to turn some away.  First on the program, Prof. Latham is doing a short mock class.  He will introduce a case and then ask quesions of the participants.  This always gets people loosened up and interactive for the remainder of the day.  Then we talk about the biggest academic programs on the campus:  Environmental Law, International and Comparative Law and the Clinics and Experiential programs.

Lunch is always excellent.  Our cafe’ staff make incredible soups (vegetarian of course) and we spread out the ingredients for people to make their own sandwiches or salads.  Excellent home-made cookies round out the meal – yes, chocolate is a food group in Vermont!  Most of the ingredients for our meals come from local farms, so they are fresh and flavorful.

After lunch, I am leading the admissions and financial aid conversation, which usually lasts a bit over an hour, depending upon the number of questions.  And then, people just hang around and talk and talk and talk . . .

The weather is predicted to be excellent; you never can tell in November.

If you are interested in the Open House, just call the office to RSVP.  We need head counts for the food.

See everyone on Saturday.

It is now November 3rd, the first work day since the time change.  I must say that the hardest adjustment I had to make when I moved from Florida to Vermont was how early it gets dark.  It is 4:39 and the sky is dusk.  By 5:00 it will be completely dark – and it will only get darker of the next 7 weeks.  We are now paying the price for the 9:00 evenings of summer.  This too shall pass . . . the cycle of the seasons.

We had incredible wind and rain on Saturday night, the leaves are completely blown away and we have entered stick season – that brown flat period before the snow truly begins to cover us up.  I can’t believe that I am saying this, but I am ready for snow and winter.

Students are hunkered down for the long haul.  If you have been reading their blogs, you can easily see that the euphoria of entering law school has worn off.  Some classes have papers due, others have mid-terms, and final exams are next month.  All I can do is give hugs.

Had a great time last week on the campus of Schneider Univ. in Kerrville, Texas.  Thanks for the warm welcome!  Am off tomorrow for Iowa.

Open House is the 14th.  Info is on the admissions page – we are expecting quite a crowd, the more the merrier!

Yes, I know that I have been very slack the with the blog postings.  The fall is incredibly busy for admissions people because we are traveling all over the country.  Last week was especially cool for me because it was a driving trip rather than dealing with the airlines and I love to drive.

When I have a major driving trip, I always rent a car.  There are not many options in the upper valley, but we have a good Thrifty office in White River Junction – small, but efficient.  It is always a bit of a surprise to see what kind of car they have for me.  This week, I had a candy apple red 2009 mustang – wow!  It was so much fun to drive throughout upstate New York and Pennsylvania.  My biggest challenge was watching the speed limits and keeping an eye on the state police.  A red mustange is the biggest bulls-eye on the road!  It was also amusing to see the reactions when I stopped for gas.  I had more young men come up to the car for a closer look and to ask about it.  When I told my husband about all the attention, he just harrumphed

Tomorrow, I am off to Kerrville Texas to talk with the students at Shreiner University.  Have never visiting that campus, so look forward to meeting the students and faculty.

(This posting is copied from the Albert Schweitzer blog.  Congratulations to Lise!!)

In the fall of 2008, as Vermont Law School student Lise Daniels was beginning her second year of law school, the mother of four saw a need for lower-income legal aid in her rural New Hampshire community. Daniels’ Schweitzer project, which began as an ambitious attempt to open a satellite office for an existing agency (Mascoma Legal Assistance), became the launching of an independent entity, the Mascoma Legal Resource Center, which offers low-income individuals legal information and advice.

I recently finished a recruiting trip in Upstate NY. I made it to Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Cornell, Binghamton, Syracuse, Colgate, Albany, and Potsdam. This was my first “big” trip, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted with an abundance of recognition from the many students I encountered.

I grew up in Albany, so upstate is no stranger to me. I am used to the rural nature settings (similar to VT), the small towns, and large farm machinery that you must pass through while traveling. I heard a few grumbles from recruiters about the tractors they were stuck behind for extended periods of time.

I really met some great students. I was impressed by the direction and vision they had.  I find that generally, individuals that visit the Vermont Law table already have a passion and a plan to manifest this passion into existence. It’s very rare that I get the, Tell me about VLS?, question. I tend to get excited when I do, since it’s so rare! The rewarding aspect about not being asked, is that I can then talk about my experiences as a student, and how VLS helped me achieve my goals and passions.

I am looking forward to my next trip which will take me into the midwest! I will update you from the road!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for instant quick updates!

John

Today was the LSAT exam.  Earlier this week, I posted that we had 74 test takers registered, it was actually 72.  I knew that we had a number of overflow testers from other sites because people were calling from Hanover (Dartmouth) and Boston.  However, when I arrived at the school this morning at 7 am, there was a cab sitting in front of the admissions office.  I walked over to see if I could be of assistance, it was two people from  New York.  Wow, I didn’t think to ask if they were from the city or from upstate.  I sent them up the street for some breakfast before the exam.

We ended up with 64 actually sitting for the exam – and as always, it was very smooth.  We had a late start, just because it takes so long so check in 64 people; between checking ID, signatures and finger printing, we can only move so fast.  Accuracy is more important.  Anyway, the exam started by 9:10 and lasted until about 1:30 – a long morning for all.

The leaves are magnificent.  We have an autumn chill in the air and rain is predicted for the next 6 days.  Summer is over . . . . and the cycle of the seasons of life continue.

Last week I was down in Central Florida – my old stomping grounds – to visit undergraduate campuses.  On one hand, it felt like home again (I did live there for 16 years), but it also felt different.  The construction never ends.  Every place I went was just enough different to be confusing with new buildings, streets and even more traffic congestion.

It was great to renew acquaintances with pre-law advisors, career services officers and faculty; many of whom I have know way too long.  It is also invigorating to talk with new prospects as begin their research about law schools and discover the array of programs at Vermont.   Vermont???  The initial thought of moving from Florida to Vermont is daunting, but what a great adventure!

The September LSAT is this Saturday.  I am the site administrator for VLS; we have 74 registered participants.  Best wishes to all!

Part of the richness of the VLS community is our diversity and the interest in sharing who we are with each other.  The student organizations lead by providing really great events.  The wonderful problem is having to choose from numerous options!

Just one example:  This is an email that went out on campus yesterday, advertising an event for next week:

VLS Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) invites the everyone to sign up to attend the Moon Festival held on September 16, 2009 at 6:00pm in Yates.  This is an opportunity for the VLS community to learn about the moon festival, eat Chinese food, and an opportunity to learn about APALSA.  All is welcome (Asian or non-Asian or student or partner or faculty or staff)!

Cost:  Free
Date:  September 16, 2009
Time:  6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Highlights:  Food (vegetarian/ non-vegetarian options), guest presentation by Chinese scholar, and informational session about VLS APALSA!
Sign up:  First 35 people to sign up on APALSA board in the Chase Breezeway.

The office has emerged from an intense week long training with LSAC. We were introduced to our new software as Kathy explained in a previous post, and are now one of the handful of schools who have taken the leap to a paperless admissions office. This is so important for who we are, an institution that lives its mission. We not only facilitate our students to realize their visions, but we make sure that we are also doing our part by — “practicing what we preach.”

Travel starts up this week! I am really excited (and a bit nervous), to get out there and speak to individuals looking at law schools. First stop is NYC for the Idealist graduate fair. I am confident that I will end up talking to some interesting and diverse people. Hope to see you there!

If you have been reading the student blogs, you can easily see that the first two weeks of classes have been a whirlwind of activities – both academic and fun.  As I mentioned in my last posting, the admissions staff spent last week in training.  Corey from LSAC was on campus to teach us the new LSAC software – an amazing product.  Every time he showed us something new, there was a collective “whoaaa” of appreciation.  I am glad that we have a few weeks to work out the kinks before the floodgates of applications open!

The students are not the only one to appreciate the holiday weekend.  The staff and faculty also need the short break.  Summer session ended just a week prior to be beginning of Orientation, so none of us have had a break.  Not that this weekend is a real break.  I have lots of work to do, but it is so much easier to do while watching the first week of college football.  That being said, my dearly beloved Georgia bulldogs just lost to Oklahoma State – and it was not a pretty site.  Hopefully, this is not a portence of things to come.

Husband, dog and I drove up to Montpelier this morning.  Fall is definitely in the air.  Even though the temps are still in the low 70’s, the leaves have started changing.  I think our peak is predicted for the first week of October – and that is only one month off.  Watch out for the leaf-peepers!

Enjoy the holiday weekend.