College Admissions: Sample College Update Communication

Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Jodi Walder, GoLocal PDX College Admissions Expert

In last week’s column I talked about sending thank you notes to the people who helped you throughout high school. I also suggested that college-bound seniors send an update to people at the end of each semester of college.  Melissa M., a student who is completing her freshman year at Pacific Lutheran University, graciously gave me permission to share the update I received from her this spring.

Hello!

Where do I start?

How about with the New Year? Happy 2015 everyone (we're 25% through the year already...whoa)! Spending time at home for Christmas and New Year’s was absolutely amazing. I got to see all of my best friends and celebrate with family. I spent one day at home/with family and then one day with friends. Then I came back to school.

PLU has something called J-Term, which is between Fall and Spring Semester, and is just the month of January. During J-Term students take 1 four credit course. I took “Business Financial Accounting” and it was really interesting. I learned a lot from my professor who is from Italy, and earned both his C.P.A and his J.D. Finding mentors this year has been one of favorite things. Not only have I connected with a lot of my professors, but I have also found advisors, staff, and older students who have helped make my first year of college eye opening.

Spring Semester started at the beginning of February. First I'll talk about my classes and then all of the awesome things I'm involved in!

I'm taking 17 credits this semester:

Microeconomics (4): I enjoy economics a lot and am trying to see if I can minor in it. My teacher is trying to convince me to be an econ major (I don't think that will happen), and nominated me for a 1st year economics scholarship that I was pleasantly surprised to receive! My professor also connected me to one of her former students who is now in law school and I have learned a lot by talking to her. 

Statistics (4): I have the same professor for stats as I do for econ and I love her. She has a very dry sense of humor and she makes me laugh almost every class. Also enjoying stats. It's a lot of equations and information but fun to manipulate data and figure out what it all means!

Intro to Business (4): As an intro level course we're just skimming the surface of many topics ranging from marketing to finance. I have really connected to my business professor. We both have curly hair and she’s given me hair tips and tricks (professors are good for more than solely academic questions)! And she has a super cute micro labradoodle that I sometimes take out and play with.

International Honors (4): Straight from my professor’s site: "This course examines innovative ideas and institutions from the Enlightenment to today that have shaped the contemporary world. Themes include scientific, political, artistic, and commercial revolutions; emerging concepts of justice and natural rights; capitalism and imperialism; the experience of war; narratives of progress and their critics; and globalization, sustainability, and the environment". We've read a variety of pieces ranging from Pride and Prejudice to passages from the Communist Manifesto. We talk a lot about modernity and how the idea of the individual has changed.

Personalized fitness and health (1): This was just the first half of the semester and was a required class. Had information about health and physical fitness. We mainly just worked out.

Now to what I've been involved in outside of class:

Lute Ambassadors: I am currently working for the Office of Admissions as a Lute Ambassador. I went through a rigorous selection process, but I think they saw my passion and excitement for the opportunity. After completing 30+ hours of training and passing 2 evaluations and a final presentation I finally got my second gold name badge and my t-shirts. I get to give tours, host students and have lunches with prospective students and their families. It's a wonderful job that plays right into my skill set.

ASPLU: I am still a senator for our student government. I am currently working on getting a program going to give students the opportunity to get coffee with their professors for free to give them a more social atmosphere to talk to their professors rather than having to go to their office hours. The idea is to increase communication (which is already pretty good) and allow more opportunities for students to get to know their professors. ASPLU is going through a lot of changes right now and I am putting in a lot of hours to help the organization reach its full potential.

Habitat for Humanity: I am on the council for Habitat for Humanity. I asked about potentially doing a little bit more with our campus chapter and the next thing I knew I was in the council meeting. We talk a lot about advocacy, fundraising, and expanding our chapter and of course still have build days. 

ELL: English Language Learners! Every Monday and Thursday night from 6:45-9:15 I teach English to adult Spanish speakers (and we recently acquired a Russian woman.--it's hard communicating with her sometimes). I really enjoy this, even though it is a big commitment. Our class is wonderful and I can't wait to do it again next year!

With it written down it doesn't look like much, but I can assure you I'm putting a lot of time into all of these wonderful programs and classes, and still having fun along the way! You might be able to tell how busy I am as I write this email at 3am...

I got to go home this past weekend and Pa visited! It was really fun being home and seeing Lilly flower, the cats and my mom and dad. I also got to see some of my best friends and have a Passover Seder dinner with my best friend Margot and her family. Then my roommate (and one of my closest friends, Shannon) came up on Easter and my dad made a wonderful breakfast and Pa, Uncle Bill and the two of us ventured up to PLU and they went on to visit Seattle.

Ok, finally, plans for the future:

Right now I'm pretty set on majoring in business and minoring in non-profit leadership (with the hopes of doubling minoring in econ as well). Here at PLU we talk a lot about vocation,--where your greatest passion meets the greatest needs of the world. This year I dove right in o volunteer work and I kept asking myself how that work would play into my future - in my career or just in my life in general. I started to think about how a passion in my life has always been to help as many people as possible. Combine that with my passion for law, connecting and working with other people, and my major and minor and you have a non-profit consultant/lawyer on your hands.

Now I'm looking for an internship for the summer. Just interviewed with a non-profit organization today (that would pay me). But I'm still looking into some law firms.

Hope to hear all of your news and what you've been up to!

Best,

Melissa 

I often tell students, that it is not where you go to college, but what you do when you get there, that will matter most in life. Melissa turned down several more “prestigious” colleges because she felt that PLU would be the best place for her. She has certainly taken advantage of opportunities to explore academics, build relationships and invest herself in the school and local community. I am confident that all of the people with whom she is communicating are thrilled to be “in the know”, feel invested in her success and will go out of their way to help her in the future!

Follow her example and make a commitment to communicate throughout your college years.

Jodi Walder-Biesanz is the founder of Portland, Oregon-based College Admission Coach LLC, which helps students identify and gain admission to right-fit schools where they will thrive academically and personally. Contact her at [email protected].