Wednesday, October 9, 2013

On the lighter side...

Last week was homecoming week at HIES. As a college rep, I always enjoyed visiting a high school during their homecoming week. There was something ironic and entertaining about sitting in a suit, telling a group of students dressed as superheros how seriously Emory would take their applications. I conducted high school visits with batman and superman, various pop stars and boy-bands, tacky tourists, the full Anchorman Evening News Team, and hippies.  It wasn't always easy to keep my composure, and there were times that I just couldn't keep a straight face while answering a question from a student dressed as Ron Burgundy.  I remember those visits as a welcome break from the monotony of travel. What I realize now is that for the students, those dress up days serve the same purpose - a break from the normal routine.  Some time to be silly among the busyness and seriousness of senior year. And I think that's important. I believe we should all take time to play, to be silly, and to not take ourselves so seriously. Students at HIES have shown an ability to do that this week, as well as a remarkable creativity and dedication to dressing up. From adult-sized onesie pajamas to gold MC Hammer jumpsuits; from life-size Gumby and teletubby costumes to some uncanny impressions of Toy Story characters, there have been some really thoughtful, imaginative costumes on display this week. Well done, HIES.  Oh, and then there's this:

Since this blog is about college counseling and college admission, I'll share an instance of some college admission folks taking a moment to be a little silly.  Rick Clark, Director of Admissions at Georgia Tech recently appeared on NPR's This American Life to share stories of the crazy things people do while applying to college.  A fellow admissions director at a different university in the southeast heard the story and crafted this hilarious email response, posing as a slightly overbearing parent.  Enjoy.



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