On the road again...

joepick@creighton.edu — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:08:00 GMT

Well a week of travel is on the board, touring Northwest Iowa and my old stomping grounds for Catholic College Week. Saw a lot of great students, and I am hopeful that a few of their applications will find their way across my doorstep.

It's already Thursday and I feel like I am just catching up from all of the road chaos, but it's a happy chaos because I feel like I am back out there with my finger on the pulse. One thing is consistent - many seniors still haven't sent in their application yet! Just goes to show that some things never change! Everybody has been enjoying their first month of school, for many homecoming is right around the corner and it's so easy to get caught up in those senior moments - but don't forget about life after high school!

We also have our first CU Sunday coming up this weekend so we are busy making preparations for that - we will have many students and professors there and an all around great visit is coming together. Hope to CU soon! get it? CU? I know, I know, don't quit my day job.

Until next time, Go Jays!

First Day of School

joepick@creighton.edu — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:25:00 GMT

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

So the question is, did your mom take your picture this morning? Don't be shy, my mom totally made get my picture taken in front of the house, and also turning around to take a picture of the backpack. So guess what I made my kids do...you got it! And the tradition continues - although it does make it worthwhile when my dauther is proud to sport her "packpack."

So what are some of your first day of school traditions or memories? I'd love to hear any and all of them. I have friends who take pictures of their kids not just by the house, but outside of school, walking into school, with their teacher, with their mom....

In a related story - Creighton has their first day of classes today! Students (and commuting counselors!) were greeted with a monsoon. So despite some wet clothes - and let's face it, I'm not exactly sugar and spice so I had no worries of melting - we were off to a good start here in Omaha.

Visits have slowed down a little with everyone heading back to school, but the reprieve will be short lived as Fall travel and those college visits kick into full swing!

Things to look for in the next post - some interest data shared with me via ACT on what classes to be looking for in high school not only to prepare you for the test, but for success in college!

Until next time - Go Jays!

Move in on Twitter, and catching up...

joepick@creighton.edu — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:24:00 GMT

MOVE IN!! I'll be here early on friday for move-in, so anyone who wants to see my perspective as I run around feel free to follow me on twitter at:

http://twitter.com/creightonjoe

You can also read below my past blog entries if you want to catch up on what I've been posting for most of the summer. In the meantime, stay tuned for a great weekend!

Thoughts from this summer........

8/12/09 Schools In!

My wife teaches, and today marks the first day of school for freshman, with upperclassmen reporting tomorrow. Hard to believe summer is officially over! Now my daughter is signed up for youth soccer, my son is ready to watch some football, and we're gearing up for a busy fall. The dog days of summer are here and we're looking at 91* F, going to be HOT! I also volunteer coach for football at a high school here in Omaha, and it's the 1st day of pads - hope the men are drinking plenty of water out there, and that goes for all of you out there who are starting fall practices!

Right now I'm planning my travel in the fall, a lot of college fairs and I'll be hitting some high schools on the way through - so make sure if your school is coming to a college fair to come up and say hi and let me know you read my blog! In the meantime, start looking at your fall schedule and see if a visit day lines up with your availability, I want to get you on campus before the school year gets too hectic!

7/28/09 What's left of your summer?

Hard to believe that in 2 days we will be in the month of August. Where did the summer go? Didn't we just celebrate the 4th with fireworks (legal in Nebraska :o) ? Alas, for some school will be starting in a matter of a few weeks if not sooner. But here's the good news - you're one step closer to graduation!

Seniors - This is your year! Time to shine and lead the last hoorah. We have already started receiving applications - remember, get them in now so that when you report back to school all you have left to do is report to your counselor to get the final items sent. And if you haven't visited campus yet, start thinking about when you can get here.

Juniors - Some say junior year is the most challenging, what with ACT's (or SAT's), securing your GPA firmly, finally becoming "upperclassmen" and taking over starting positions, first chairs, or becoming the respected leaders for your groups and ensembles. Keep prepping for those tests, buckle down and let this year be the best yet - and of course, start thinking about what you are looking for in a school (big or small, near or far, public or private, awesome blue jay mascot or not), and start planning when you can check them out.

Sophomores - Make sure you are preparing to take the challenging courses, build off the lessons of not being a freshman anymore, start thinking about when a good time to take the ACT (or SAT) would be. Evaluating your own personality right now is the best way to assist in your college search - because pretty soon we'll be knocking on your door to see if we're the right fit for you!

Freshman - You are near and dear to my heart. I coach Freshman football here in Omaha, so I know there is a lot of changes this year - enjoy being in High School! Make sure you have all of your physical forms and registration taken care of in the next week, keep an eye on any orientation materials that come your way, and start the year off right! If you can establish a great GPA right away your freshman year, it's one of the best ways to make sure your Senior year has a great pay off!

Until next time, Go Jays!

7/9/09 Countdown to Application time!

July 15 will mark the day when our application goes live - T minus 6 days! Seems like just yesterday I was sorting through financial aid and already it's time for you seniors to begin working on your personal statements and activities resumes! Hard to believe, and oh so exciting. We are also working with the Common Application, as well as the Universal Application, so feel free to choose which ever is most convenient for you - and remember, applying online waives the $40 application fee! If I were a senior, I would start working on those materials as soon as possible, so when the school year begins it's as easy as having your guidance counselor complete the process with their evaluation and sending in your transcripts.

For you soon to be juniors - it's never to early to begin studying for the ACT! Some say the junior year is the most challenging. I'd have to agree. You start to really prepare for college with the standardized tests, many of the advanced and honors courses are in full swing, and before you know it prom is around the corner and soon you are senior status. Just ask your senior friends how fast it goes!

Until next time, enjoy what's left of the summer, because the 4th of July means it's half over! I hope to see everyone on campus soon. And to answer your question, yes I saw Transformers - c'mon, summer movie season is the best!

6/22/09 On the first of Registration my student gave to me...

What an exciting week for our incoming freshman class. Some of you have begun registration, and so the hunt for text books and college materials isn't too far behind. C'mon, you didn't expect to spend all of your graduation money on fun stuff, did you? There's also the conversation of computers and cars on campus, and what really is the difference between twin sheets, and twin extra long. Hard to believe that in 2 months you'll be right here in Omaha - and hopefully move-in is a little cooler, as we are experiencing 95* F with a heat index of around 108* F.

I have had some great soon to be seniors and juniors come through my doors in the past week, and I commend you all for taking advantage of a less busy summer schedule to see our campus. Be sure you check out our visit days coming up this fall - and in a couple weeks, applications will begin to start rolling in - where has the summer gone?

As always, if you have any specific questions or any topics you would like me to write about, just shoot me a line at joepick@creighton.edu

Hope to see or hear from you soon.

6/2/09 Registration, Visitation, Animation, Birthday-ation...

Alright, so the last word was a stretch, but I can't deny the importance of the month of June and Birthdays :) Not only is it my birthday month, and my daughter's birthday month - but also my sister, father, a grandmother on one side, a grandfather on the other, and a few good friends. But enough about the personals - on to the meat and potatoes.

Today marks the day of Registration emails. The College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business, and the School of Nursing, are sending out their registration and advising emails over the next few days - so for you incoming freshmen, make sure you are checking your CU email, the fun is just about to begin! And of course, if you haven't signed up for Summer Preview, make sure you consider those possibilities as well. This next month will include advisor conversations and you will be given the day and time to register...and then you can get your books!

For my now seniors and juniors (not to mention the rising sophomores and freshmen!) start considering the times you want to visit campus. Summer visits can be very rewarding and without the chaos of school schedules and make-up work, but it never fails that if you visit during the summer, I will undoubtedly invite you back to campus for one of our Admitted Student Days or related visits because I feel it is equally important to see the campus from all different perspectives.

And on a random note (I couldn't let "animation" go without mention), I saw the movie UP this past weekend and thought it was fantastic! It's no secret that I am a movie addict and summer movies are just another great reason to enjoy the summer months. I've already seen Star Trek and Terminator: Salvation, and my daughter is going crazy with the prospect of seeing Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, and I have to be honest, seeing your childhood favorites realized is pretty exciting! Until next time, get outside and enjoy the summer!

5/12/09 Graduation, Summer Preview...Summer Vacation!

Did you happen to hear the good news? This is a record year for our Freshman class - I said before how it was going to be epic - it is a record setting class and will be 1,000 strong. Creighton is going to be a better place because of our students coming in this Fall. Remember, you need to be completing the deposit process (make sure housing/class reservation forms are all in, check with me to make sure) and because of the numbers in the class, make sure you sign up for Summer Preview Days sooner rather than later.

We will begin pairing advisors over the next 2 weeks, and registration information going out at the end of the month. Your advisor will be contacting you via your Creighton email so make sure you're checking it!

Graduation has already gone by for some, my sister graduates this weekend (congrats sis!), and many more in the weekends to come. Enjoy the day, make some memories, and get ready for the kick off of a great summer, and a great school year in Omaha!.

For you juniors - take pride in helping out with graduation, bidding the final high school farewell to your now collegebound friends - and most importantly - start seeing yourself in their shoes, and start the countdown for next year to when you'll be having that celebration! Remember, you can start applying July 1! Get ready for a great summer, hopefully you all have time to enjoy it just a little Until "Nest" time, C U soon! (ok that was lame, but I crack myself up!).

5/05/09 After May 1st....and Happy Cinco De Mayo

Our office is busy as bees trying to make sure all of our deposited students have their paperwork in and are accepting their financial aid. We had a great May 1 and a great weekend, and this class will not only be historic, but in many ways epic. For my Iowa students, it is quite literally the best class I have ever had the privilege to work with (and yes, a lot of it has to do that you're from my great state of Iowa!

If you haven't already finished all of your housing and meal plan forms - hop to it! We will have a more concise profile of the freshman class shortly, but now we need to start looking towards getting things in line for registration and summer preview days!

For my JUNIORS - did you know youhave less than 2 months before our application goes live for you? July 1 is the first day you can complete the application, make sure you start working on your personal statement and activities resume, let me know if you have any questions. Your other goal: start deciding which campuses you want to visit. You can visit me during the summer Monday through Friday, and I hope to see you on campus soon.

In closing - enjoy the countdown to graduation, enjoy the countdown until juniors will cease to be underclassmen and begin to be THE upperclassmen, and of course, start the countdown to summer!

4/21/09 Last Admitted Student Day

We just completed our last Admitted Student Day, and believe it or not I was sad to see it go. The day was filled with people making a lot of great connections, some students even found their roommates for this fall! A lot of planning and preparation goes into these days, but it is all worth it to see familes have their questions answered, financial aid understood, and calendars cleared for the Preview Days this summer.

Now....there are only 10 days until that May 1st Deadline for you seniors! And only a few more days of school left beyond that and soon you'll be moving in!

For you juniors - we have a great visit day coming up this Sunday, and I hope to see you on campus soon after that if you can't make it.

As always, get a hold of me if you have any questions - this is a fun time of year when the weather starts to change, so don't let the outdoors distract you too much - I'll be at home mowing for the second time this year, let the viscious cycle begin!

4/16/09 Launch of the Blog!

After speaking with another great family from Iowa, I decided to put a few more things on my page to let people know about their opportunities here. This week has been a lot of financial aid review and helping families understand their options. It can be a complicated process, trying to understand the diffences in loans, how work-study works, and what they should be arranging for move-in this fall...and a newsflash: YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIFT ANYTHING! We make upperclassmen share the load - that way you can keep your shirt free of sweat and save it for the parental tears.

With two weeks left before the big May 1st deadline, there are a lot of things to consider. I've been trying to touch base with as many families as I can to make sure we leave no stone unturned - and campus visits have been extremely beneficial in that process. We have one more admitted student day this coming monday, but I have had families visit during the week as well - either way it is nice to sit down one-on-one! I will also be helping with our overnight this coming Sunday, and that is always a lot of fun to see our Creighton students showcase their residence halls. That, and the free food doesn't hurt.

In closing, know that I want to be here as your resource. I'll be updating this page regularly now, so stay tuned for many updates. I'm also trying to put Twitter up here for more up to the minute stuff - sometimes I feel like I'm attached to this thing! Good thing my wife isn't a jealous woman :o)

Moving In...and a new Blog format!

joepick@creighton.edu — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:58:00 GMT

Through the incredible genius of my friend Christian who runs this well oiled online admissions machine, I have been able to take my blog into what I will now call Joe 2.0. Sounds catchy right? Now it's not just me posting at you, but with you, since now you can reply back to me, make comments, or just make fun of my lack of hair in general.

As always, let me know if there is anything in general you want me to post! Things are getting very busy around campus, as many students begin to come early to familiarize themselves with campus before they officially move in tomorrow and Saturday! By Saturday afternoon, we will have our entire record Freshmen class on campus, and ready for Welcome Week! We already have a lot of fresh friendly faces - so if one of those is you, don't be afraid to say hi, otherwise we will first!

Also, I'll be tweeting throughout move-in, you can find me at
http://twitter.com/creightonjoe

Until next time....

Go Jays!

Joe's Admissions Blog

On the road again...

First Day of School

Move in on Twitter, and catching up...

Moving In...and a new Blog format!