Homecoming

The Office of Admission

Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back the alumni of a school. Each year during TU’s Homecoming, TU Alumni visit to go on tours, attend events, and go the homecoming football game. To current TU students, Homecoming means an entire week of activities, including street painting, tailgating, competitions, lectures, performances, and of course, football.

In honor of Homecoming, I wanted to share the TU fight song with you:

Down the Field to victory
On Tulsa on.
Fight on University, Battle on and on.
March to the goal line, oh Tulsa,
Score on mounting score.
March to the goal line, oh Tulsa,
Let the Hurricane roar.
Drive those (opponent) back and back,
On Tulsa on!
Gold, Blue, and Red, go right ahead,
Down the field to victory!

According to the alumni website, this little ditty was written in 1932 by the then Student President, Ben Henneke. They had a contest to see who could write the best fight song. His mother encouraged him to enter, and sure enough, he won the big prize: $25!

Can you imagine? Writing the fight song for your alma mater and having it played and sung by thousands of students and fans for the next 79 years +?  Awesome.

You can practice singing the words as you watch the video. If you come to TU, it won’t be long before you are belting them at the top of your lungs. :)

Have a great weekend!

Go TU!

-Casey Reed

 

Advertising Career Fair

The Office of Admission

I ran over to ACAC today to grab some lunch, and I stopped by the Advertising Career Fair to see how it was going. There were so many corporate recruiters there! I saw several recruiters reading student resumes, and some of the recruiters were sitting down and interviewing the students right then and there. Here are some pics…

Students studying Art, Communication, English, Film Studies, Marketing, Organizational Studies or other similar majors were encouraged to attend. Also, did you know that as a TU student, you can earn a certificate in advertising? Check it out.

Good luck to all the TU students who attended the fair!

-Casey Reed

The 2011 Outstanding Seniors

The Office of Admission

Each year at homecoming, the TU Alumni Association honors 10 Outstanding Seniors. I was so excited to see this year’s list of Outstanding Seniors because I worked with four of them during their application process to TU! This is my “first” class of seniors, because their senior year of high school was my first year at TU, so I remember them fondly. I also know several of the other students on the list. I am so proud of each and every one of these wonderful students.

Here are the 2011 Outstanding Seniors…

Elizabeth Baldwin is the daughter of Tom and Terri Baldwin of Stilwell, Kansas. A Spanish major, Elizabeth has served as both an Associate Director and Executive Director of the Student Association, Vice-President of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and the Lantern and Scroll Honor Societies. She also volunteers for the Johnson County Health Partnership Clinic and The Court, a dementia-specific assisted living facility. Upon graduation, Elizabeth plans to attend dental school and become a dentist.

Ellen Beverley is the daughter of Andrew and Cynthia Beverley of Columbia, Missouri. A Spanish, Mathematics, and Education major, Ellen is member of Kappa Delta sorority, the Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge, Presbyterian Leaders and Scholars, and University Ambassadors. She also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and volunteers translation services during parent-teacher conferences at an elementary school near the TU campus. Upon graduation, Ellen plans to teach English in Mexico as an elementary school teacher and complete her doctorate in Comparative International Education.

Lauren Bull is the daughter of Terry and Janet Bull of Tulsa, Oklahoma. A Biochemistry and Spanish major, Lauren is President of Alpha Epsilon Delta, Co-Founder and Co-President of Students Acting on Poverty, and a University Ambassador. She volunteers with the Good Smaritan Medical Van and has worked as a translator on a medical service trip to Nicaragua. Upon graduation, Lauren plans to attend medical school and become a physician.

Jacob Cantu is the son of Sherry Cantu and Jerry Cantu of Owasso, Oklahoma. A Biochemistry major, Jacob is Vice-President of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Treasurer of Habitat for Humanity, Community Service Chair of the American Chemical Society and a member of Mortar Board. Upon graduation, he hopes to attend medical school at the University of Oklahoma and become a physician.

Mette Flynt is the daughter of David and Donna Flynt of Escondido, California. A History and English major, Mette is President of Kappa Delta sorority, Training Chair for University Ambassadors, and Vice-President of Finance for TU’s Panhellenic Council. She is a member of Mortar Board, Lantern Honor Society, Order of Omega, and the History Club. Mette is a volunteer docent at the Hinsdale County Museum and a volunteer tour guide for the Hinsdale County Historical Society. Upon graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school and obtain a master’s degree in History and later work as a historian for the National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management.

Hillary Hellmann is the daughter of Greg and Paige Hellmann of Wildwood, Missouri. A Political Science and Spanish major, Hillary is President of University Ambassadors, Vice-President of Delta Delta Delta sorority, Mortar Board Honor Society Historian and a Relay for Life Team Captain. She is Big Sister volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma and also volunteers for Up With Trees, Emergency Infant Services, and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Upon graduation, Hillary plans to attend law school.

Allison Price is the daughter of Richard Price and Blythe Fowler of Tulsa, Oklahoma. A Biochemistry major, Allison is Co-President of Colleges Against Cancer and a member of University Ambassadors, an Orientation Leader, and a Lab Assistant in Organic Chemistry. She also volunteers at St. John Hospital and the Day Center for the Homeless. Upon graduation, Allison plans to pursue a doctorate degree in biological sciences.

Neal Sharma is the son of Kusum Sharma and the late Bhushan Sharma of Tulsa, Oklahoma. An Economics major, Neal is a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, Treasurer of TU Peace and Justice, and an opinion columnist for TU’s student newspaper, The Collegian. He also volunteers at The Children’s Hospital at St. Francis and the Bedlam Longitudinal Clinic. Upon graduation, Neal plans to attend medical school and become a cardiothoracic surgeon, specializing in advanced heart failure.

Nanthiya Sujijantarat is the daughter of Kraisri and Kanokwan Sujijantarat of Bangkok, Thailand and the host daughter of Lonny and Donna Carter of Tulsa, Oklahoma. A Biochemistry major, Nanthiya is a member of Delta Gamma sorority, Director of Scholarship of Alpha Epsilon Delta Health Professional Honor Society, and President of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She volunteers for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, SouthCrest Hospital, and Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps. Upon graduation, Nanthiya plans to attend medical school and hopes to conduct research to find more effective and inexpensive treatments for brain tumors.

David Wyatt is the son of Bob and Kristine Wyatt of Bristow, Oklahoma. A Chemical Engineering major, David is President of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Associate Director of Operations of TU Student Association, and a member of Mortar Board and the TU marching band. He volunteers for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, the American Cancer Society and Habitat for Humanity. Upon graduation, David plans to work as an engineer in the energy industry.

Congratulations!

-Casey Reed

Campus Visitors

I love fall break. Well, let me clarify…I love high school fall break. TU students don’t get a fall break (they DO get the entire week of Thanksgiving off, which is even better, since most of our students come from out of state and have a long trip home and everyone could use an entire week off right before finals).

Some Prospective Student Visitors

Anyway, when high schools have fall break, it means that we have a TON of visitors on campus.

The fountain in front of Collins Hall

So things are pretty lively here in Collins Hall.

Most of our admission counselors are back in the office after all their fall travel to high schools and college fairs across the country, so they are thrilled to be here to meet with families who are visiting.  One admission counselor, Karen Chen, said she hadn’t spent a full day in the office since September 1st!

Lindsley, a prospective student, and Earl Johnson, Associate Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services and Dean of Admission

Our University Ambassadors have been working overtime giving extra tours and taking students to lunch. What would we do without our great UAs? Have I mentioned that they don’t get paid? They just love TU!

Some of our University Ambassadors about to give a tour

A campus tour leaving Collins Hall

Since we didn’t offer an official visit program this week, most of our (hundreds) of visitors this week planned individual campus visits. Some of them came with friends, and many of the visitors brought their parents, but they all got individual itineraries planned for their own personal interests. I met with one student who was thrilled because her class visits solidified her interests in biology and pre-med, and another student who decided to change his major after he really connected with a professor in another engineering discipline. It is exciting to see students exploring their interests and figuring out how TU will help them become the people they want to be.

Students and Ambassadors eating lunch

Some schools have fall break next week. It looks like it will be another busy week for The Office of Admission! See you then.

-Casey Reed

Tulsa Time

We just had our first Tulsa Time event of the year! The Tulsa Time Day Program on October 16th was so much fun.

Students went on tours, attended special interest sessions, and sat in on TU classes. Our University Ambassadors helped us with the program by giving tours, eating breakfast and lunch with students, and participating in student panels to answer questions about campus life.

Beverly Wheeler and one of our University Ambassadors

Grace and Solange, University Ambassadors

Thanks to everyone who came! We enjoyed meeting you and showing you around campus.

If you missed out on the Tulsa Time Day Program, be sure to sign up for our next event- the Tulsa Time Overnight Program on November 13th and 14th. We will offer all of the same great opportunities as the day program, as well as additional options (like staying overnight with a student host and going on a tour of the city of Tulsa)! Spaces are limited, so sign up soon!

See you in November!

 I hope to see you on campus this fall!

-Casey Reed

 

We’re too Young to Know Certain Things are Impossible- So We do Them Anyway

Hello!

Today, let me give you some encouragement and roommate situations and tell you about an awesome opportunity I had because I decided to get involved!

So I’m actually writing this post having gotten off of a plane from Chicago a few hours ago! I am a part of the Society of Women Engineers and had the opportunity to go to a conference this past week in Chicago! We got to go to sessions about everything from how to interview to how to know if a company is right for you. We also got to go to a job fair with about 250 different companies. I got to learn about different internship opportunities for this summer and a TON about jobs in the real world. While I am only a freshman, I thought that this was such a great experience to get to learn about the engineering world beyond school. I went with six other girls and while I learned a LOT form the sessions and the job fair, I probably learned the most simply from advice the other girls gave me throughout the week! The reason I got to go to this conference as a freshman was that I was eager to be involved in activities and learn about engineering and life. I say this to encourage you, a junior or senior, to start thinking about what you would like to be involved in at TU or wherever you decide to go. I decided I want to be involved in the Society of Women Engineers and pursued an officer position, even my freshman year. As a result, I got the AWESOME opportunity to go to a job fair in Chicago!

First, let me start by talking about something that I was nervous about when I came to college. I came to TU as only the second student from my town to ever come here, so I was uneasy, to say the least, about the roommate situation. I did not know anyone who was going here and had to sign up for a random roommate. Terrifying, huh? Let me tell you, though, my story has been a great success story!! My randomly chosen roommate and I love living together, and while we are very different people (I’m an engineer and she’s in musical theater!), we get along very well. And though we don’t always get along perfectly (I have an eight am class on mornings she wants to sleep in), we are both freshman and are both just as lost as the other. We have had so much fun figuring out how college and life without parents works! We’ve cried together, eaten PB&J on the floor together, and stayed up half the night together. I say all this to encourage you that while everything doesn’t always turn out perfectly, your roommate is probably just as nervous and excited about college as you are and, chances are, you’ll have a lot more in common than you think!

 

What I’m Waiting For

It’s Emily here. I have reached the point in the semester at which there is a brief lull in the total insanity characteristic of my life. It’s at about this point every year when I just want this semester’s classes to be over, and I start checking the utulsa site every day in the hope that the new schedule of courses has been posted early (it officially becomes available October 17). I couldn’t tell you why thinking about swapping this semester’s classes for a whole new batch is always soothing somehow, but I can tell you that it probably has something to do with getting closer and closer to graduation.

Source

In other news, I have a feeling not many seniors pick up new clubs and activities in their final year, but I’ve gotten involved in a couple of organizations I’m happy to have the opportunity to be part of. The Collegian, where I am a staff writer, has become an addiction, and it’s a  great excuse to talk to really interesting people on campus who I may not have gotten to know otherwise. I’ve also gotten involved with Earth Matters, and the dedicated people who are part of the group are really working to make TU a more sustainable place. We’re starting a campus garden and holding a kickoff October 22. Hooray for fresh produce!

Guess who finally has a game plan!

It’s Emily here. As anyone who knows me will probably tell you, I don not exactly excel at long term planning. I will obsess over every detail of an upcoming weekend, but ask me where I see myself a year from now and I typically haven’t got a clue.

All of that changed when I stumbled upon the CDC’s Public Health Associate Program. The two year program would be a great way for me to decide if I definitely want to pursue a career in public health. I’m planning to apply when the 2012 application goes live this winter. I’m the kind of girl who always has a backup plan, but I’m super excited about the possibility of being part of  PHAP.

Here’s the crazier part: I might even know what I want to do after the two year program ends. It turns out Tufts has a graduate program in agriculture, food and environment. At the moment it’s basically my dream program, and a killer way to combine my biology background, econ minor, and interest in food systems and sustainability.

We’ll see if this is still the plan a month from now, but at the moment this feels like a major step (and relieves a ton of future-related anxiety)!

Your Friendly TU Admission Counselor

Every student who expresses an interest in The University of Tulsa is assigned their own personal admission counselor, based on the high school the student attends. As Admission Counselors, it is our job to work with families during the entire college search process, from the first time you pick up a TU brochure until you enroll in your college classes. We offer information, read applications, and assist with scholarships and financial aid.

I think being an admission counselor might be one of the best jobs in the world. Each year, I have so much fun getting to know prospective students and their families as they go through the college search process, trying to find the university that is the best fit for them. Every spring I attend graduation and watch another group of students, who entered TU as teenagers, leave as men and women ready and able to change the world.

During the fall, our admission counselors hit the road and travel across the country to meet students. We go on high school visits, attend college fairs, and host information sessions so we can make sure students know about TU and all of our unique opportunities.

Do you know who your admission counselor is? Is TU coming to a place near you? Send an email to admission@utulsa.edu and tell us your name, grade, and which high school you attend. We will have your admission counselor contact you right away! He or she would be happy to answer any questions you have, schedule a campus visit, arrange an interview, or just say hello and thank you for your interest in our university. One of these  admission counselors is waiting to get to know you!

Another great way to get to know your admission counselor is through the applciation process. We try to reach out to all of our applicants in an effort to get to know each one personally. Visit apply.utulsa.edu to start your online application today! Don’t forget, November 1st is the Early Action deadline!

-Casey Reed

Gates Millennium Scholarship Workshop

On Saturday, The Office of Admission had the pleasure of helping three TU students host a workshop for area high school students about the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.

If you don’t know about the Gates Millennium Scholarship, you have to check it out in case you are eligible to apply. It is one of my very favorite outside scholarships and is life-changing, because because it covers a recipients’ entire unmet need and self-help aid. That means, that if you receive the scholarship, you can attend any accredited college or university in the United States, and Gates will cover the remaining cost after your other grants and scholarships. All you have to do is get admitted and choose a university!

GMS awards 1,000 of these scholarships every year to outstanding minority students with hgh financial need in order “to make a significant impact on the future direction of the nation.” The GMS Program wants to guide the way for the future leaders of the country.

I think it’s working.

After school started in August, I was approached by three Gates Scholars who currently attend TU. The girls, all juniors, wanted to host a workshop to help spread the word about the Gates Millennium Scholarship and offer their advice on how to apply. Of course, I thought it was a fabulous idea, so I helped the girls plan and market the event.

The girls didn’t stop there! They voluntarily got out into the Tulsa community and visited high schools to encourage students to attend the workshop. They must have done a good job, because I had to close registration to the event early because of a full-house!

The students did a presentation on the GMS program and walked participants through the actual application so families could get a feel for the essays that are included and how they might manage their time and energy for the application. They shared their own (inspirational) stories and talked about how the scholarship has changed their lives.

It was a great event! I loved looking at the audience and thinking that some future Gates Scholarship finalists might be sitting in that very room! I hope everyone who attended the workshop applies for the scholarship. Good luck!

Shaliah, Laura and Leah, you each did a fabulous job! I am so proud of you. You are already wonderful leaders. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the future.

If you want to learn more about the Gates Millennium Scholarship and see if you are eligible to apply, please visit http://www.gmsp.org/default.aspx.

-Casey Reed