What is Unique About St. Lawrence?

Hello everyone!

The title of my long-overdue post is a question I have been asked several times by high school students while traveling across the country this fall. Before I get to that, though, it has been a while since I've posted and I want to get you up to speed on what we have been doing in admissions. I have not been back to Canton in over two weeks! I recently checked in with my colleague Sara to see how things are back in the office and on campus. She explained that everyone in Payson Hall has been keeping very busy between processing pieces of applications, or welcoming prospective students and families visiting campus.

Most of us counselors are still recruiting on the road. To give you a sense of how scattered we are, I just checked our office travel schedule. Here is a sampling of where some of my colleagues are recruiting right now:

Jimmy is recruiting in Florida,
Tim is visiting high schools in Pennsylvania,
Eric is north of the border in Ontario and Québec,
Jess is currently in New York City,
Chad is in Illinois,
and Bridget is in Connecticut.
As for myself, I was just in Rochester and am heading to Buffalo tomorrow.

It will be a while until we all see each other in the same room!

OK, I will get back to the original point of my post. As I have been on the road meeting fantastic students, I have been asked this question on several occasions:

"So, St. Lawrence seems like a great place. But can you tell me what exactly sets St. Lawrence apart and makes it unique?"

I always respond with the following three examples:

1. Our Location. No, we are not in the "middle of nowhere!" We truly do utilize what we have around us both inside and outside of the classroom. I guarantee students they will use nearby Ottawa, Montréal, and the Adirondack Park while at SLU. I also remind students that we have three other colleges within a ten mile radius of campus. All of this combined with our small town charm and rural setting really does define who we are and create a tight-knit community.

2. Opportunities for International Study. Over 50% of our student body will participate in an off-campus program before they graduate. At St. Lawrence, it is not uncommon for a student to spend more than one semester abroad. In fact, 94 students in the classes of 2006, 07 and 08 studies off campus for two or more semesters, and 9 students in these classes studied off campus for three semesters! I just checked our International Studies website and it has recently been completely updated. Check it out for new pictures and specific information on each program we offer.
(A very unique program we offer = The Adirondack Semester)

3. The Alumni Connections. As the saying goes, if you decide to enroll at St. Lawrence, you become a "Laurentian for Life." Through our strong and active alumni community, there are numerous networking and internship opportunities for current students.

Last week, I was explaining these three points to students crowded around my table at a college fair in Binghamton, New York.

As I was talking, I realized there were four young St. Lawrence graduates working in the admissions field all in the same room! We, of course, had to take a group picture at the St. Lawrence table. Many other admissions counselors thought we were crazy taking pictures at a college fair, but we explained we all graduated from St. Lawrence. We instantly bonded -- and it didn't matter that we did not know each other as students on campus.

Pictured left to right are SLU alums:

Kevyn Hill '05, myself, '07, and Morgan Doherty '04. Not pictured is Erin Coakley '07, who was at the fair but very busy answering questions at the SUNY Canton table, where she now works!

Until next time...

- John