Submitted by Saint Martin’s University
South Puget Sound Community College, The Evergreen State College and Saint Martin’s University are hosting three South Sound College Planning Seminars in October for local high school students, their families and counselors.
The workshops will highlight the differences between the three different types of institutions: SPSCC, a public, two-year, community college,Evergreen, a public, four-year college, and Saint Martin’s, a private, four-year university. Topics to be covered are finding the right college “fit,” financial aid and the college application.
All three sessions are free and open to the public. No reservation is required.
This marks the second year of the collaboration, an idea originally proposed by Clarisse Leong, associate director of admissions at Evergreen.
“I was thinking about ways in which our three institutions could work together and promote higher education,” Leong says. “Since there isn’t much overlap between us and we represent three different types of college options, I contacted the two institutions to propose a joint event geared towards students in Thurston County.”
All three institutions will have representatives present at each workshop to speak with students, says Sarah Weiss, director of admissions for Saint Martin’s. But the focus will also include providing general information about planning for college.
“We want to provide the South Sound region with a comprehensive knowledge base about the overall college planning process, while at the same time highlighting the diverse academic options high school students and their families have right here in their own backyard,” Weiss says.
The following sessions will be held:
- How to choose a college that’s good for you: Learn about the differences between all three types of institutions, degrees offered and how to choose a school based on “fit”. This seminar will be held Wednesday, October 8, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., in Lecture Hall 1, at The Evergreen State College, 2700 Evergreen Parkway, NW, Olympia. For more information, contact Clarisse Leong at 360-867-6170.
- College essays and applications 101: Find out how to apply for admission, the differences in admission requirements and tips on writing your college application essay. This seminar will be held Wednesday, October 15, in Building 26-101, at South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia, WA 98512-6292. For more information, contact Christina Winstead at 360-596-5446.
- Financing college: Discover the different kinds of aid available at all three types of institutions, including scholarships, financial need and federal aid, merit aid, deadlines and processes. This session will be held Wednesday, October 22, in Cebula Hall, third floor, at Saint Martin’s University, 5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey. For more information, contact Kacie McPartland at 360-486-8121.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent, four-year, coeducational university located on a wooded campus of more than 300 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 14 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 25 majors and seven graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education, nursing and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes nearly 1,200 undergraduate students and 323 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and 350 more students to its extended campuses located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Centralia College and Tacoma Community College. Visit the Saint Martin’s University website at www.stmartin.edu.
The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts and sciences college, created by the Washington legislature in 1967 to offer integrated, flexible and reasonably priced education that equips graduates for careers in public service, science, entrepreneurship, education and the arts. Visit the Evergreen website at www.evergreen.edu
