Admissions and Financial Aid Blog

We have been pummeled with snow this week, which is a good thing.  You have to have lots of snow for Wynterfest festivities on campus.  A long-time annual event run by the SBA, students form teams to compete in various activities.  The tug of war event was quite a show, there is little finesse when competing in a foot of snow!  Yesterday afternoon was some kind of scavenger hunt where students had to take digital photos of items on the scavenger list.   Our campus is also perfect for the snow ball war.  We have 17 buildings on 13 acres, providing lots of nooks and crannies for strategic cover.  Luckily, we on the staff know when not to risk life and limb by stepping outside our buildings!  This afternoon is the final event, the broom ball games in the town green.  I had never heard of broom ball before moving to Vermont.  It is basically the same as hockey, but the players don’t wear skates and they use brooms to whack the puck.

What’s the point of all this snow if you can’t have fun !!

Anyone who reading this blog can easily tell that I am not a native Vermonter.  I moved from Central Florida 6 years ago to work for the law school.  Having never lived further north than South Carolina, this was a huge life change.  Both husband and I love our life here and have no plans to leave.

However, this is the most difficult time of year to “experience” and I heartily empathize with 1st year students who are struggling.  It’s cold, icy and dreary.  Today, we have a delayed opening until 2nd period classes (9:45) because the roads are so icy.  I didn’t realize how bad it was this morning (or that we even had the delayed opening) until I let my large, sturdy dog out and watched him gingerly step across the driveway to get to the snow.  He did his thing and came right back in the house - with a coating of ice on the top of his coat.  Usually, he tears around, protecting the homestead from the squirrels and chipmunks - but not today.

Grades for the fall semester have been posted.  For many students, it’s a harsh awakening.  They have always done well academically and now they are competing among peers who are equally strong.  I have been giving lots of hugs and words of support.  They will succeed.

One of the very positive problems we have on the VLS campus is that there are many more speakers, activities, events, etc. each week than one can possibly attend.  With over 30 active student organizations, something is always happening.

One event on this week’s schedule caught my attention, the annual Student Leadership Dinner and Speeches.  In addition to a nice dinner (advertised as including fine wines and four-star cuisine) members of the Student Leadership Collective will discuss the following topics:

“Reverence for Life: Why the Philosophy of Albert Schweitzer is Paramount to the Legal Profession”

“Why Being Bad Feels So Good  _ A short-ish Rant on Thoughts About Counterculture As the New Mainstream”

“Inspiration”

“Land Use Law and Policy Implications of the 2005 Hurricane Season”

“Synthesis of the Social Justice and Environmental Movements”

I am looking forward to a delightful evening!

The last week has been very quiet on campus.  Students were still on winter break and the faculty were hidden away grading exams.  It was a nice, peaceful time to catch up on everything in the office.  Just as we couldn’t stand the quiet any longer, the campus came back to life.  Spring semester classes started today.  The financial aid office is directly upstairs from Admissions, so all the students are coming through our office to head upstairs and pick up their refund checks.  It is nice to see them.

The weather has been weird this past week.  In my last posting, I talked about how much snow we got in December - over 4 feet!  Well, this week we are in the midst of the traditional January thaw.  Temperatures are in the 40’s and 50’s for several days - and today, we have had several bouts of heavy rain and wind.  Randolph and other surrounding towns have had no power for a couple of hours.  Snow is melting fast, but we still have well over a foot on the ground.  The primary concern is flooding from ice jams on the rivers.  However, all will be back to normal by the weekend with temps in the teens and snow predicted again.

Such is winter in Vermont !!

Today is New Year’s Day.  I have reached a stage in life where I tend to think of the new year as a time for being grateful for blessings - and tend to not take new (or repeat) resolutions quite so seriously.  Yes, I have goals to improve healthly habits.  However, more importantly, I am grateful for my family, both in other parts of the country and here in my home in Vermont.  I am grateful to have a warm, comfortable home during this very, very snowy season.  I am grateful to live in Vermont, a magnificently beautiful and most progressive state and to be affiliated with Vermont Law School, with it’s amazing and passionate student, staff and faculty community.

Speaking of snow - WOW, This has been a whopper of a winter so far !!  Typically, we receive about 15 inches of snow during December.  By the end of the month yesterday, we received over 50 inches.  Today, we begin January with another 6 - 10 inches predicted.  Because much of the state economy is based upon the snow industries, all of this snow is quite a boon to all aspects of the economy.  At the same time, all are grateful to the snow plowing industries that keep the roads and driveways clear - except when it would be really nice to have a snow day!   Having never lived further north than the Mason-Dixon line until the move to Vermont, I never understood how life just keeps on going through all this snow.  You keep good snow tires on the car and depend on the plow guys to keep the driveways, parking lots and roads plowed.  It’s a very efficient and effective system.

The law school has been closed since Dec. 21st for the holiday break.   We are scheduled to open again tomorrow morning, but might be running a bit late if overnight snow predictions come to fruition.   Oh Darn !

Best wishes to you, your hopes and dreams in this new year of 2008.

you can definitely tell that the 1L’s are freaking out.  This tends to happen every year at every law school in the country.  Friday was the last day of classes; we are currently in our reading period; final exams begin on Wednesday.  If the 1st year students were not freaking out about now, I would be more concerned.  They are taking their exams very, very seriously - as well they should be.  However, they will do just fine.  We would not have admitted them to law school if we did not have complete (well, almost complete) confidence in their academic abilities.

We do something special for our students at VLS -  Student Appreciation Days.  The first couple days of exams each semester, the staff bring in loads of mostly healthy food for the students.  We set up shop in the Chase Student Center with big bowls of fruit, bread and sandwich fixings, crock pots of soups and chili, big jars of peanut butter, crackers, etc.  It’s our way of thanking the students for being at VLS and wishing them well on exams.  Needless to say, there is never a crumb left behind!

Best Wishes on Your Exams !!

The winter storm that has been whipping cross country for the last week has hit Vermont with quite the winter blast!  The snow started about 10:00 last evening and is predicted to continue until about midnight tonight.  We have at least 6 inches of snow right now (about noon), so will receive quite the base for winter by the time the storm moves out.

Because the snow has been mixed with sleet and freezing rain, the roads are quite slippery and the state police are advising everyone to stay off the roads.  Therefore, VLS has a snow day!  May we never be too old or too serious about work to dance a little jig when we check the campus message system and hear Theresa’s voice say “Due to inclement weather, Vermont Law School will be closed today.” We only close 1 or 2 days a year, so it is very special indeed.

This is the last week of classes for the students before the reading period and final exams.  Today gives them one more day to catch up on reading, outlining, etc. - I am sure that most will take at least a few hours to play.

I have a quilt to finish for a holiday gift, so better get to work.  Happy Snow Day, Everyone!

It has been a very long - and productive - recruiting season.  Now we are all back home safe and sound.  Today was the first day since early September that everyone has been in the office at the same time!  We had a wonderful time traveling cross country, spreading the word about Vermont Law School, but we all missed Vermont, our families, etc.

We began reading completed application files this week.  The goal is to send out decision letters prior to the holiday break for all applicants whose files are complete by December 1.  This is an intense period in the office.  We have a lot of files to read (Thank you very much!) and recognize the need to move fast, yet devote to each application our full and undivided attention.  We take our role as gate-keepers to the profession very seriously.  We are also inspired daily by the stories told in essays; of sacrifice, of dedication and of perseverance.

So, I get up this morning, let the dog out, and begin getting ready for work.  Nothing is falling out of the sky.  When I go back to the door in about 10 minutes to let him back in, it is snowing like crazy.  The snow continued throughout the day - in late afternoon we have several inches.  The snow plows were a bit late getting moving.  I think they we caught off-guard.  Many people don’t have snow tires on their cars yet.  It takes this initial snowfall to wake us up and force us to get organized.  I have had snow tires on for a couple of weeks, but do not have the other winter supplies in the car yet - kitty litter, blankets, water, granola bars, flash lights, etc.  Another project for the weekend.

It’s Thanksgiving weekend.  The school will be closed on Thursday and Friday.  I also plan to take tomorrow off as a vacation day.  We will be so nice just to stay home for a few days - lots of household projects to keep me busy, along with football.  Georgia is back up in the top 10, so the pressure is on!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you.  May you enjoy time with family and friends.  We are so grateful for our VLS community and for those who seek to attend.  Best wishes . . . 

It has been a long travel season.  Kara was back in the office today to drop off names and pick up a few supplies.  She is very excited about all the energetic prospects she is meeting on the road.  Becky has sent in several e-mails regarding prospects is various parts of the country. 

I head out to Pennsylvania early tomorrow morning - visiting Gettysburg, Dickinson and Franklin & Marshall this week.  I always look forward to this trip because of all the great students on the three campuses.  Am driving down from Vermont, about 7 hrs each way, just because I can’t face another airport this week!  I love the travel season, but by November I have had enough of airports.

We begin reading files in 2 weeks.  Jen has been busy in the office with the processing - we have quite a large group of completed files.  As always, our goal is to review all files completed by December 1 and get decisions out in the mail by the holiday break on December 21st.

Snow showers are predicted for Wednesday morning!  

The Admissions Open House on Saturday was a great success!!  Our visitors included over 50 prospective candidates along with another 30 or so partners, parents, friends, etc.  The day began with campus tours about 9:00 and did not end until almost 3:30.  The weather cooperated beautifully; fall foliage is still glowing with color.

Thank you for coming to visit our campus, we enjoyed talking with you and look forward to greeting you as applicants in the near future.

Finally . . . last night the Red Sox won the American League division title.  Could the series have gone on any longer ??  Now I can’t decide who I am really supporting in the World Series.  Being a New Englander for 6 years now, I have to cheer for the Red Sox.   After all, this is the center of Red Sox Nation.  But I have been a National League Braves fan my whole life, so part of me wants the Rockies to do well - especially because this is their first Series.    We should have a good series this year.  Go Baseball !!