Alvernia Admissions

Connection Day!

Incoming freshman, are you getting excited about starting your classes at Alvernia in the fall?  If so than this blog is for you!  In a mailbox near you, you will find information on how to take your placement tests and how to pick a date to come to campus for your Connection Day!  If you are following along on your What’s Next for Accepted Students Checklist you will now be on step 6-Placement Testing.

In your packet of information you will find:

-Connection Day Guide for New Students

-Student Login’s Sheet

-A letter from our Director of Educational Planning and Director of Student Activities

Please make sure that you carefully read over all three of these papers as they are very important!!

Make sure you follow the directions on our Connection Day Guide in order to do your placement testing, schedule your visit for Connection Day, complete the questionnaire, and prepare for your schedule Connection Day visit.  This is the first time that we are doing a lot of this online so if you have any questions or comments along the way please don’t hesitate to let us know!

A few helpful hints:

-You can take your placement test in the comfort of your own home! (Find a nice quiet place, sit down, relax and do your best!)

-You don’t have to do all the steps in one sitting. (You can take your writing placement test one day and your math placement test another day.)

-Make sure you take your placement tests at least two weeks before you plan on visiting campus for your Connection Day.

-You will start working on your schedule before you come for your Connection Day (“Prepare for Connection Day”) and will finish your schedule during your visit.

So, what is Connection Day all about? The whole idea of the day is to connect you to the campus this summer before you arrive for orientation in the fall.  We want you to be able to have a chance to meet some of your fellow classmates.  You could possibly even meet your roommate!  We also want you to become comfortable on campus so that you are ready to call Alvernia your home away from home.

The schedule for these days has not been finalized, but we do know that you will be registering for classes, learning about campus, (typically through some kind of hands on game), eating lunch, and making those connections with some of your fellow classmates in the class of 2017!

I know that you will have a blast on campus when you come for your Connection Day!  These are my favorite days over the summer becuase I get to meet everyone who will be attending Alvernia in the fall!

As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here in the admissions office, 610-796-8269.

See you soon,

-Christopher Fake-Admissions Counselor

About Alvernia University

Alvernia University is one of the leading Catholic colleges in PA. Receive a classic, liberal arts education in over 50 different subject areas, combining all the best features of an outstanding university, delivered in the personal setting of a college environment. Alvernia provides an affordable, private education in Reading and the surrounding communities in Pottsville, Harrisburg, Allentown, Lancaster, Kutztown and Philadelphia. For more information visit: http://www.alvernia.edu/

Senior Decision Day - April 26th

May 1^st (confirmation of enrollment deadline) is approaching quickly! By now most of you have decided where you will be attending school in the fall, but there are still a few of you who are finalizing your decision. Accepted Students Day back on March 16^th was a wonderful event for all accepted students. We understand some students and families were unable to make it to campus that day, so we have a similar event available to those individuals! The day is called Senior Decision Day and will take place on Friday, April 26^th! During that day, you will have the opportunity to attend classes while in session, meet with faculty, coaches, and current students to learn more about Alvernia and why we might be the perfect fit for you. Staff members from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Office of Student Financial Planning will be available to meet with to discuss your enrollment plans. Even if you’re just seeing campus for the first time or want one last glance, full campus tours, as well as residence hall tours showcasing our freshman and upper classmen residence halls, will be offered throughout the day.

We hope you leave the day with all of your last questions about Alvernia answered! If you are interested in attending Senior Decision Day, you can register online HERE! You can also contact your admissions counselor to find out more information regarding the event. We hope you will be able to join us for this great event, and we hope to see you on campus this fall!

-Amelia Guydish, Admissions Counselor

Accepted Students Day!

What a great time of year… Spring is right around the corner and high school seniors are narrowing down their college choices!  We know the college decision process can be both exciting and a little stressful, so we’ve designed several visit days for you to come to campus and make the process a little smoother and a whole lot of fun!  Our biggest accepted student event is coming up this Saturday, March 16^th! The 2013 Accepted Students Day will provide accepted students the opportunity to meet their future classmates while learning more about academics, student life, and touring our beautiful campus.

Here’s what you have to look forward to this Saturday:

Educational Planning
Learn about the academic support services offered at Alvernia including our Learning Center, tutoring services, First-Year Seminar program, freshman advising, Career Services, Freshman Foundations, and resources for undecided students in our Genesis Experience.

Student Life @ Alvernia
Learn more about the aspects of student life that make Alvernia distinctive, including Residence Life, Student Activities, Health Services, Campus Ministry, community service opportunities, and dining options.

Financial Aid
This presentation will walk you through the basic steps of the financial aid process, and explain what happens once you receive your financial aid award.

Transfer Students – Making the Transition to Alvernia University
This session will address the specific needs of students planning to transfer to Alvernia from another institution.  Credit evaluations will be reviewed and individual admissions and financial aid questions answered.

Financial Aid – FAFSA Filing
Take time out to complete your FAFSA while here on campus. Members of our Student Financial Planning Staff will be on hand to assist you in completing the form on-line.

Honors Program
Meet the director of Alvernia’s Honors Program and learn more about the benefits and details of the program. This session is open to both students who have already been accepted to the program, as well as those students interested in learning more about the Honors Program.

In addition to these great sessions, accepted students will have the chance to attend a mock class taught by one of our faculty members!  This will also give students the opportunity to meet other accepted students in their major.  After your mock class, attend some of the above sessions, take a full campus or residence hall only tour, eat lunch in our dining hall, or stop by the student activities fair!  Still haven’t had your fill of Alvernia fun?!  The bookstore will be open for you to stock up on some Alvernia gear, or you can stop up at the Admissions Office to ask any last minute questions you may have about the enrollment process, or to say hi to your Admissions Counselor!

And don’t forget to get your picture taken with the Crusader!

If you did not register yet, there is still time! To sign up for Accepted Students Day, click HERE! See you this Saturday, Class of 2017!

Stay connected the day of the event! Follow us on Twitter @AU_Admissions or like Alvernia University Admissions on Facebook!

-Amelia Guydish, Admissions Counselor

College Visits on a Saturday?

Are you thinking about visiting us here on campus?  If so we have two upcoming visit days just for you!  This Saturday we have our first Open House of 2013!  We also have an Information Session on Monday the 18th for Presidents Day!  I know what you are thinking why should I spend a Saturday or my one day off this month visiting a college?

Great questions, I want to focus in on why you should come to campus for a visit!

I know that many of you are driving and maybe even looking at purchasing a car.  Would you buy a car from someone without ever having the opportunity to look at it? Of course not! You wouldn’t even know if the car runs! You would want to inspect the car and make sure that it works and fits your needs before you purchase it.

The same concept can be used when searching for a college.  You need to visit several colleges before you make that all important decision on where to attend.  When you decide on a college you are making a decision to spend the next four years of your life there.  If you have never seen the campus that is a very hard decision to make.  This decision is huge and you need to make sure that the college you choose is a place that you will want to call your second home.

Here at Alvernia we have many students who come to campus and fall in love with campus and what Alvernia has to offer.  I was that student a few years ago and absolutely loved the time that I spend on campus as a student.  Of course we also have students who come and realize that this is not the campus they are looking for.  That is ok, that is what the campus visit is all about.  Obviously, we hope that you come to love Alvernia and we strive to make sure that all of our students enjoy campus, but the reality is that our campus is not for everyone.  We also want to make sure that you leave campus with all of your questions answered.  So come to campus prepared with questions and don’t leave until you have an answer for them all! 

Our next two events are great for both seniors who are trying to make their decision and juniors who are just starting their college search. 

I hope to see you on campus soon.  If you would like to visit us on campus you can go to http://www.alvernia.edu/admissions/undergraduate/visit/index.html in order to schedule a visit.

As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact our office at 610-796-8269 or contact your admissions counselor.

About Alvernia University

Alvernia University is one of the leading Catholic colleges in PA.  Receive a classic, liberal arts education in over 50 different subject areas, combining all the best features of an outstanding university, delivered in the personal setting of a college environment.  Alvernia provides an affordable, private education in Reading and the surrounding communities in Pottsville, Harrisburg, Allentown, Lancaster, Kutztown and Philadelphia.  For more information visit: http://www.alvernia.edu/ 

-Christopher Fake-Admissions Counselor

Day of Service

On Monday I had the opportunity and privilege of leading a group of Alvernia students during our annual Martin Luther King Day of Service.  This service opportunity is organized and run by our Holleran Center for Community Engagement and over 280 Alvernia students, faculty, and staff took a day on, volunteering at 21 service sites all around the Reading area.

My group volunteered alongside the staff at the Berks County Residential Center. The residential center is in the beginning stages of a big move.  The building they are currently in is crumbling and they are moving into a “newer” building next door.  We had the opportunity to paint what will be their new cafeteria.  The Chaplin explained to us that they could have just moved in to the building but are trying to make the place seem a little more like home by putting on a fresh coat of paint.  Our group worked hard for four hours and with amazing grit and determination we ended up completing the job early.  I was completely amazed at the determination of the students that I worked with and their desire to make a difference.

Many times at the University and especially after big days of service we will reflect with our students.  During our reflection I asked the students that I worked with if the commitment to service here at Alvernia played a part in their decision to attend the University.  A few said it was nice but not really a deciding factor, but the majority of the group told me that the community service requirement and the Universities commitment to service made a big impact on their decision.  Our students are passionate about serving the Reading community now and getting themselves ready to serve their future communities.

Service is one of the five core values at Alvernia that is expressed in our mission statement.  Here at Alvernia we put a lot of emphasis on serving and giving back to others.  Will we see you at the day of service next year?  I hope so and I think that you will find the Alvernia community to be a great place for you to call home for the next four years.  I hope to have the opportunity to volunteer with you at next year’s event!

If you would like to learn more about our MLK Day of Service you can visit http://www.alvernia.edu/news/2013/01/mlk-article0114.html.

-Christopher Fake -Admissions Counselor

About Alvernia University

Alvernia University is one of the leading Catholic colleges in PA.  Receive a classic, liberal arts education in over 50 different subject areas, combining all the best features of an outstanding university, delivered in the personal setting of a college environment.  Alvernia provides an affordable, private education in Reading and the surrounding communities in Pottsville, Harrisburg, Allentown, Lancaster, Kutztown and Philadelphia.  For more information visit: http://www.alvernia.edu/ 

Happy New Year-Time To Work On That FAFSA!

Happy New Year!  I hope that your 2013 has started off well.  Last night I kept my New Year’s resolution and played tennis for the first time since graduating high school.  My shoulder is a little sore today, but I had a ton of fun!  Make sure that you take time to complete your New Year’s resolutions.  I thought that I would follow up on Amelia’s post and include some information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.

Below are the first two steps in the financial aid process.  These the steps that you need to complete in order for our financial aid office to build you a financial aid package.  Please note that if you ever have questions along the way please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Alvernia.  

Step 1:

Apply for admission to Alvernia University! Do not wait to apply for financial aid until after receiving an admissions decision.  Both the admissions and financial aid applications should be submitted as early as possible.  However, in order to receive a financial aid offer, you must be accepted for admission to Alvernia.

Step 2:

As soon as possible after January 1, you and your family should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which can be submitted online.  Pennsylvania residents should file the FAFSA before the May 1^st State grant deadline.  Be sure to list Alvernia University as one of the schools that will receive the information.  Our school code is 003233. Your information will be processed and forward to Alvernia within approximately two weeks.  In order to sign and submit the FAFSA form you will need two pin codes, one for the student and one for the parent.  The student will need a new pin, parents if you have other children in school you can use the same pin as before.

Typically Alvernia begins to build financial aid packages in late February.  Many times families would like to get an idea of what they are eligible for.  If this is the case for you as well you can use the net price calculator to get an estimate of what you may see on your financial aid package.  This is a great tool to use in order to see what your financial aid package might show, but please remember it is an estimate!

Also, if you would like help with completing your FASFA our financial aid office runs a FAFSA and Fun event after our winter open house on February 16^th!  You can come to campus and fill out your FAFSA with the help of our financial aid counselors. 

If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to contact us at 610-796-8269.

Interested in what happens once Alvernia receives your complete FAFSA?  Look for future posts to cover this topic as well as what you might see in your financial aid package.

-Christopher Fake – Admissions Counselor

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I am back from a long but much needed holiday vacation.  Travel season can wear a girl out, and with all of the excitement of reviewing applications, it was nice to sit back and enjoy time with family and friends.  There is a lot of look forward to in this new year, especially for our high school seniors!  You will be graduating in 6 months and arriving on college campuses across the country in less than 9 months to unpack picture frames, new bedspreads and dorm room decor to begin your journey as a college student.

Although it seems like move-in day is a lifetime away, it will get here faster than you know it.  The Alvernia Class of 2017 will be moving in on Thursday, August 22nd and classes will begin on Monday, August 26th.  There is a lot to do before then, so I’ve come up with a list of what comes next!

Next steps:

1. File your FAFSA (Alvernia School Code: 003233)

2. Call your Admissions Counselor to stay updated and ask questions.

3. Review your Financial Aid packages (Do a cost comparison between schools!)

4. Attend Accepted Students Day at Alvernia! :)

5. Go to your senior prom and have an AWESOME time! You’re only a senior in high school once.

6. If Alvernia is your chosen school, submit your confirmation of enrollment form and $300 dollars by May 1, 2013.

7. GRADUATION! Congratulations, you did it!

Of course there is much more excitement after that like enjoying your summer, housing assignments, Connection Days, and orientation, but I’ll save that for another day.

Until then, keep up those new year’s resolutions and have fun!

- Amelia, Admissions Counselor

About Alvernia University
Alvernia University is one of the leading Catholic colleges in PA. Receive a classic, liberal arts education in over 50 different subject areas, combining all the best features of an outstanding university, delivered in the personal setting of a college environment. Alvernia provides an affordable, private education in Reading and the surrounding communities in Pottsville, Harrisburg, Allentown, Lancaster, Kutztown and Philadelphia. For more information visit: www.alvernia.edu

AU Scholarships

I hope that everyone is having a fantastic holiday season!  We are gearing up for the season here in the admission office with holiday music playing on most of our computers.  Our students are also getting ready for their winter break, but before they get a few weeks off they have to get through those final exams!

Many of you have already received your acceptance packet in the mail from us!  Many more of you are working hard on your applications.  In the recent weeks a lot of students have been asking about scholarships and when they will find out what scholarship they have received.  This is a fantastic and extremely important question.

The great news is that we have begun sending out information about our scholarships to those students who have been accepted and are eligible to receive one!  This year Alvernia, one of the leading Catholic colleges in PA, was able to increase the merit based scholarships that are offered by $2,000 in each of the three categories without changing the requirements! 

If you have been accepted and are wondering about which scholarship you have received, it typically takes about two weeks after you have received your acceptance packet to get your scholarship award letter in the mail.

You can learn all about the different scholarship options that Alvernia offers by visiting our Financial Aid webpage. 

A couple of notes about our scholarships:

-   In order to receive one of our merit based scholarships you must have both the GPA and SAT/ACT test scores listed.

-   If you qualify for one of our merit scholarships and one of our partnership awards you will not receive both of them.  You will only receive the higher merit scholarship.

-   You do not need to apply for our scholarships (except the Boscov Scholarship for residents of Berks County) you will be review for the scholarships that Alvernia University offers after you have been accepted.

As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact your admissions counselor or our office at 610-796-8269!

-Christopher Fake –Admissions Counselor

About Alvernia University
Alvernia University is one of the leading Catholic colleges in PA. Receive a classic, liberal arts education in over 50 different subject areas, combining all the best features of an outstanding university, delivered in the personal setting of a college environment. Alvernia provides an affordable, private education in Reading and the surrounding communities in Pottsville, Harrisburg, Allentown, Lancaster, Kutztown and Philadelphia. For more information visit: www.alvernia.edu

The Application

I am meeting lots of seniors on the road who are working on completing their applications. Don’t worry you have plenty of time, Alvernia has rolling admissions, but we encourage you to apply early! Applications are rolling into the admissions office and I know that many of you have already applied, but today I thought that I would talk quickly about our application.

You can meet us at college fairs, high school visits, at campus, or be put on our mailing lists in order to receive a paper application.  You can also visit us online in order to submit an online application. We have no preference to which application form you use, it is completely up to you!  If you decide to use the paper copy, please make sure that you write everything legibly so that we can read it.

Last Monday I had the chance to moderate a panel with four professionals from the various admissions offices around Berks County. Local sophomores and juniors from schools around the county had the opportunity to ask questions of these professionals. 

One question that was asked of the panelists was, what is the biggest mistake student’s make when completing an application?  Dan Hartzman our interim director of admissions told the students that the biggest mistake we see here at Alvernia is not actually completing the whole application. 

Many times we receive applications with parts not filled in, without a correct address or where students have completely missed a page. If this happens we will reach out to you to let you know that we are missing some of the information. 

If you receive a call or email from one of us in the admissions office asking for more information, please get back to us as soon as possible. Most likely we will be unable to process your application until we have the missing information. We understand that in the mad rush to complete your application that sometimes things happen so don’t worry about making the mistake.

Just remember before you submit your application look over it, make sure that you have filled in all parts, and make sure that you have checked the one major that you are really interested in. 

Helpful hint: at Alvernia we give out fee waiver cards so you don’t have to pay the $25.00 application fee for various reasons, such as visiting us on campus. If you meet with myself or one of the other admissions counselors, ask for one of those fee waivers.

Hope to see your application soon! 

-Christopher Fake – Admissions Counselor

About Alvernia University
Alvernia University is one of the leading Catholic colleges in PA. Receive a classic, liberal arts education in over 50 different subject areas, combining all the best features of an outstanding university, delivered in the personal setting of a college environment. Alvernia provides an affordable, private education in Reading and the surrounding communities in Pottsville, Harrisburg, Allentown, Lancaster, Kutztown and Philadelphia. For more information visit: www.alvernia.edu