Schubert Honors Competition II

For part I of the Schubert Honors Competition, we were lucky with the weather. (Read more about the first competition here). The February round took place on a sunny, crispily-cold day just after a big snowstorm. The campus buildings and trees were in their best winter dress and ready for photos.

 

See what we mean? Freshly fallen snow makes even your dear blogger's lack of skill with a camera seem adequate. (The bottom photo, though, comes from Communications, to show what photos ought to look like when done by a professional)

You can also find galleries of both Schubert Competitions online. Peruse at your pleasure. Now on with the photos!

 Students and parents filing out of Gray Chapel after an introduction by President Rock Jones

  

The lunch spread in the west wing of the Ham-Will Food Court.

  

A little music to go with your couscous?

  

The Benes room diners get a bright blast of sunlight.

  

Your dear photographer tried not to interrupt a good conversation to take this photo, but she may have failed.

 

Senior Claire Everhart waits for her group of Schubert participants outside Beeghley Library. Hey, it may be cold, but at least it's not raining!

The Honors student panel, reading to help Dr. Amy McClure talk about the OWU Honors Program

And now, some photos from the reception from the Conrades-Wetherell Science Center, Hamilton-Williams Student Center, and Chappelear Theatre.

The second Schubert Competition occured on the same day as the Super Bowl (yeah, sorry) but we made sure everyone who participated in the event would not get to miss the big game. This fall, some flat-screen TVs were installed in the Ham-Will lounge, and we set up tables with pizza, chips and dip, and drinks. After a long day of work, people could finally kick back on the couch and cheer on the Saints their preferred team. It might not have been home, but it was close.  

A great end to a great day.

Aside from the galleries, find more photos from the Schubert Competition on Facebook. Also, sign up to be a fan! We love fans.

Schubert Honors Competition I

 

Tour guides with a group of prospective students moments before they 

write the MOST IMPORTANT ESSAY OF THEIR LIVESish!!

On January 24th, an unusually warm yet rainy day, we kicked off the first Schubert Honors Competition. Every year we used to host an Honors Celebration Dinner, to welcome accepted students who had received a merit scholarship of a Dean's Award and above. This year, along with the restructuring of our scholarship awards, we decided to do things a little differently.

Each student who receives a Schubert Scholarship is automatically enrolled in the Honors Program; however, those who attended the Honors Competition were invited to vie for an additional award ranging from $1000 up to full tuition, room, and board. The competition consisted of students writing an impromptu essay on a given topic and then discussing their essays in small groups led by a faculty member.

The total time of the competition segment was two hours: one for the essay, and one for the round table discussion. However, 400 students and parents do not show up at Ohio Wesleyan merely to sweat over an essay. Not without some good food, good information, and good entertainment (opinions being purely objective, of course).

 

The day begins bright and early (11:45 am) in Gray Chapel with a brief welcome speech by Dr. Jed Burtt, Zoology professor and Co-Director of the Leland F. and Helen Schubert Honors Program. He describes the Honors Program and the many benefits it offers the students. Although Schubert Scholars are automatically enrolled, any student who meets the criteria can apply for the program once at OWU.

OWU students ready to mingle with prospective families during lunch.  

  

The Benes Rooms in Hamilton-Williams filled with prospective families, current OWU students, and faculty representatives.

 

 Families enjoying lunch.

One should never take photos on an empty stomach, because instead of taking photos of students, one gets a little...distracted.

 

Another group of prospective students and tour guides ready to take them to the Conrades-Wetherell Science Center, where they will write their essays.

  

 Since it was raining, the groups gathered outside Beeghley Library. Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do to get attention.

  

Off to write their essays! We asked some of these students if they were nervous at all. Some said "a little", while others said they were just nervous about the fact that the essay topic would not be given until the start of the essay. Then again, complexity of thought and sentence structure are often prioritized at the expense of other qualities that make a great essay. Honesty, clarity, and focus get you a long way.

  

Dr. Jed Burtt gives a more detailed presentation about the Honors Program in Beeghley Library. This was open to both students and parents.

  

Darrell Albon, director of International and Off-Campus Programs, lays out study abroad and off-campus options.

Also during this time, students can attend a music recital, music receptions, take a campus tour, and (if they have preregistered) audition for the Music, Theatre, and/or Economics departments.

  

A welcome speech from Dr. Rock Jones before the reception with faculty and current students.

  

  

Mingling and eating, eating and mingling.

  

 

 

Those interested in the Social Sciences went to Hamilton-Williams Center.

More mingling in the Ross Art Museum, where those interested in English, Arts, and Humanities could learn more about those programs from students and faculty.

You can check out more of the Jan. 24 Schubert Honors Competition photos on Facebook. Whille you're at it, sign up to be a fan, yes?
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OWU Celebrates New FAFSA by Giving You Money**

**terms and conditions apply. Sort of.

Nutshell:
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is better. File your FAFSA by Feb. 15, and OWU will automatically add $1,000 to your financial aid package. Go watch the Super Bowl.

Expanded:
The FAFSA form was once like being lost in a perpetually uphill maze. It was like pulling out your hair one strand at a time. It was like teaching a squirrel to recite Shakespeare. It was like--eh, you get the picture.

Now things have apparently changed for the better.

Many of you who have already filed a FAFSA may have noticed that the form has undergone a makeover. The Dept. of Education changed the form amid complaints that the old form was confusing, repetitive, and ultimately ineffective. The new FAFSA:

• Can be filed electronically
• Will have 30 instead of 120 questions, and students can skip non-applicable ones
• "Real time notification of aid amount and eligibility" to give families more time to plan
• Reduces burden on colleges to verify financial information

(Image taken from educationgrant.com)

USA says that what was once a 2-hour ordeal is now streamlined and easier to use. More pretty features: color coding for student and parent sections, more instantaneous information like Pell Grant and loan eligibility estimatations, and less duplication.

Applying for aid becomes easier for everyone, but especially for the 1.5 million low-income students who are eligible for aid but don't apply because, perhaps, of the "daunting" process.

Why are we telling you this? Well, firstly because a simplified FAFSA is like the last beautiful ten seconds of an anti-migraine commercial. Life is wonderful, and life loves you.

But more importantly, if you file before February 15, OWU will automatically add a $1,000 early bird bonus to your aid package. That's an extra grand simply for filing 2 weeks before our March 1 priority deadline.

I know.

So how can you file your FAFSA for Ohio Welseyan University?

1. First, gather all documents needed to file.
2. File electronically at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. OWU's Title IV code is 003109.
3. Apply for a PIN. A PIN is important. Find out why.
4. Brush off shoulders and do a happy dance, ESPECIALLY if you applied before Feb. 15.
   

Frank Palmasani over at Managing College Cost has some very useful tips to remember when filing your FAFSA. Check his blog for more vital information on getting the best financial aid package you can.

Finally, go to http://finaid.owu.edu/ for more options and types of aid provided by OWU and outside sources. You may be surprised at what you're eligible for.

Experiences with the new/old FAFSA you want to share? Comment below.

Now go watch the Super Bowl. Now, we're not really supposed to take sides, but let's just say that we hope people stop horsing around and play a "saintly" game. Wink. Nudge. Though we really shouldn't antagonize our next door neighbors...