Opus says...

CONGRATULATIONS ACCEPTED STUDENTS!

I've heard that all regular decision applicants can now check Emory's decision on Opus. So, Congrats to all accept-ees!

Though I, and the great majority of my friends, LOVE Emory, I realize that many potential students have other great college options to consider. Don't take this decision lightly, but also pleeease don't go crazy with stress. Just do some research and then go with your gut; you'll likely end up chosing the place where you'll feel most at home for 4 years.

If you haven't done so yet, I strongly encourage you to visit Emory. Maybe you'll even get me as your tour guide! Go here: http://www.emory.edu/ADMISSIONS/visit/visit-schedule.htm. During the month of April, there will also be several panels for accepted students, in which current students will take questions from the group and mingle with everyone. Attending a class, looking at the 3D views of the rooms online and even just exploring the Emory website will also be extremely helpful in making your final decision. If you know what you want to major in, visit the department's website. Look up campus on google-maps to get a feel of the surrounding area. Read all my blog entries and ask me a gazillion questions. Join the Emory 2013 group on facebook, and ask current student questions and/or get to know potential classmates. And, then do similar research for all your other colleges. And THEN, I hope to see your smiling face in August.

I'm very excited to welcome more people into the lovely Emory Community!

Oh... but also, don't give up hope if you've been waitlisted. The year I applied, not a single student was accepted off of the waitlist. However, the last two years, many students were. It really just all depends upon how many accepted students decide to enroll. I suggest you research Emory, so that you can be prepared to accept or decline a possible enrollment offer.

By the way, the above picture was taken by yours truly in the spring of 2006. I already 100% knew that I would be attending (since I applied Early Decision), but just wanted to visit the campus again.

A major decision

My first few months at Emory, a typical introduction to another student involved three questions:
1. Where are you from?
2. What hall do you live on?
3. What's your major?

I easily gave quick and concise answers to the first two question, but struggled with the third. A typical conversation went like this:
curious Emory student excited to meet me: So, do you know your major?
me: wellllll...
CESETMM: I'm double majoring in anthropology and political science, with a history minor.
me: Wow. Wellll, I'm considering English, Poli Sci, Journalism, Jewish Studies, Psychology and Sociology. Oh and possibly History. Or Religion.
CESETMM: Whoa.

Clearly, I was confused. I went to a public high school where we didn't have courses in many of the subjects that Emory offers as a major. I hardly knew what Sociology was, but it sounded interesting. I liked my one high school government class and my one human behavior class, so I added PoliSci and Psychology as possibilities. Writing for a newspaper or being a TV anchor sounded cool, so Journalism was added to the list.

Though many of my peers knew exactly what they wanted to dedicate their four years towards studying, I didn't feel too much pressure to decide. Emory students aren't required to declare their major until their 2nd semester sophomore year. And, exploring many different classes wouldn't hurt me; I knew that those credits could all count towards General Education Requirements.

So, my first year, I took a variety of basic intro courses and somewhat more specialized courses in Sociology, Psychology, History, Philosophy, Dance, Political Science and English. Though I enjoyed the majority of those , none felt quite right. My classmates who were majoring in the subject of the course all seemed so passionate about the material. Learning all about it seemed to come natural to them, whereas my interest was slightly forced.

By the time fall 2007 rolled around, I felt a bit frustrated. I looked at the course atlas and realized that I had already dismissed nearly every major. Then, I saw creative writing. I had forgotten that Emory offered that! I loooved writing short stories and poetry as a kid. In 2nd grade, I swore that I would become an "a-four and illumastrator." So, I decided to take a course entitled "Into to Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Writing." I wasn't hopeful that it would turn into a major, but I figured it would at least be fun.

And fun it was! I actually found myself not just not dreading class, but I was excited to enter the classroom every week. Plus, my writing received great reviews from my classmates and my professor. I had found my major. Just to be 100% sure, I took another CW class the next semester - Intro to Screenwriting. I loved that too, and after just a few weeks, I officially declared my major.

Here are a few details about the Creative Writing program:
- Majors are required to take 5 CW seminars and 6 courses in the English department
- This is also a minor offered.
- Seminars include intro, intermediate and advanced courses on fiction and poetry. Depending on semester, there's also classes in non-fiction, screenwriting, play writing, novels and more.
- Seminars are super small. They are all capped at about 16 students with a full-time professor. Most of mine had been smaller (including intermediate fiction with 7 students).
- The professors are all fantastic; super approachable and amazing talents. I honestly haven't heard anything bad about any of them. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about any other department that I know of.
- Professors realllly take the time to get to know their students personally and as writers. They work overtime to help students fine tune their personal writing style. A large portion of class time is spent work-shopping your writing. The whole class will read your work and comment on it. It may sound scary, but its ridiculously helpful.
- Fun fact: all the CW professors I've had have insisted that we call them by their first name. So Bruce, Jenna and Lynna are great.
- Seminars are all once-a-week classes, lasting three-hours. It may seem long, but I personally LOVE this format. It's great for classes that are mostly discussion based. And don't worry - you'll get at least one 5-10 minute break.
- Guests speakers come nearly every week to read to students and staff. These are often famous authors and poets, or young writers whom students can relate to.

If you're interested in creative writing, I suggest you explore the department's website - http://www.creativewriting.emory.edu/. Other majors - go here: http://college.emory.edu/departments/

I'm soooo glad to have found a major that I truly love. Now I just have to figure out what I want to do after college. I've been hard at work applying for summer internships.

Gaaahhh, I can't believe that I'm about to be a SENIOR! College goes by way way waaaay to quickly. Hmm, maybe I'll write a post about this phenomenon soon.

Why Emory?

So, perhaps you're reading this blog because you want to know WHY you should attend (or just apply to) Emory. Sooo, I present to you my essay on the subject. Word-for-word, this is what I sent to the Emory admissions office when I applied waaay back in November 2005.

Afterward, I'll tell you if my thoughts on the school turned out to be true.

WARNING: It's quite an abnormal essay. What can I say? - I was a creative writer even before I chose the major.

Ready for it? Get set! Read!:

By now, you probably have noted the absence of a valuable metal spoon from Cox Hall and uncovered evidence that helped you trace its disappearance to one particular weekend this past June. While the "borrowing" of an eating utensil was not exactly the sort of soul-awakening, light-bulb shinning impact I had envisioned myself making upon Emory University, my dream school, I am well aware that it was, nonetheless, quite significant. Please allow me to shed light on what, in the annals of Emory history has become known as "Spoonagate." Simply said, the crafty culprit who committed the dastardly deed is none other than Mitch Tandet, my dad.

To recap the facts leading up to the odious offense, it took place on the first day of my family's visit to Emory. The instant we walked onto the campus, I realized my actual experience there would differ drastically from any I had anticipated. I had imagined a world of chaos: cars and bicycles vying for parking spaces, half-asleep students dashing towards open classroom doors, and weary admission counselors handling the overwhelming influx of visitors whom we would be among. Instead, I found myself surrounded by students and faculty whose mood was upbeat and exciting; everyone was willing to welcome me, if only for a few short hours, into their Emory community. I identified with their warmth and their refreshing personalities, that were laid-back and enthusiastic, and so like my own. As we walked towards our awaiting guides, my parents' playful winks and knowing smiles indicated that we were all on the same wavelength. It is easy to see that thoughts of the ill-famed incident had yet to enter my dad's head.

Two female guides embarked with us on a private tour -- one a bubbly Texan and the other, an intellectual New Yorker. Their personalities may have been contrasting, but their styles were strikingly similar. When we spoke, they answered all my questions about the numerous aspects of Emory in which I was interested. They were trying to impress me, and boy, did they! I, Jodi of a million questions, could not think of one of my queries that remained unanswered. I realized that I had unwittingly followed the advice of Simon and Garfunkel and strolled the grounds until I felt at home. I was hooked; in fact, the very buildings seemed to be calling, "Come on in, Jodi!"

It was when I entered Cox Hall with my parents and our tour guides that Spoonagate occurred. My dad went off to purchase a mid-afternoon snack and returned with a metal spoon in his yogurt; plastic spoons were unavailable. This became a bit of a dilemma as I wanted to immediately explore further Emory buildings and he wanted to finish his fruity treat. It was then that my innocent, strawberry-yogurt loving dad decided to take the yogurt, along with the now infamous utensil, with him, never realizing the ramifications his harmless act would engender.

I believe that the disrepute that surrounds the spoon and its abductor has gone on long enough. To that end, I am enclosing information about the now notorious Spoonagate that will lead an astute leader to its whereabouts. That I am doing so is a testimony to my desire to attend Emory with a clean plate, fork, knife and spoon. The spoon, in fact, never left the Emory campus; it is alive and well and living at one of the foremost bagel spots that serve students of Emory, and at which I hope to spend many happy hours studying and socializing. I hope this reinstates my dad to acceptable status and me to the top of the list of Emory hopefuls. Should you choose to do the latter, I assure you that you efforts will not have been made in vain, as I am confident that I will be an exemplary student.

-----------------------
Let me provide a critical analyst of my own work (I'm tired of analyzing Shakespeare):
- People don't need to compete for parking spaces; there's plenty. Semester passes are just expensive. And almost no one rides a bike.
- I...I am now often a "half-alseep" student when going to class.
- The admission counselors like organizing the tours. (Hi Jamie! *waves*...one of them reads this. I'm not sucking up though. They already admitted me. The counselors are actually kind of hilarious.)
- I DO like to think that us tour guides are welcoming, enthusiastic annnd chill.
- Most of the buildings are quite purdy...with their Italian Renaissance architecture. But some are surrounded by construction, which I don't love.
- Plastic spoons are always available now! Yipee! I think Cox Hall was being renovated when I visited, so they were out.
- I would write this essay MUCH better now, courtesy of my writing experience. Just sayin'.

The moral of the story? Take risks with your essays. Just be honest and make the "why (insert school name here)" essay specific, so the counselors KNOW that you wrote it just for that school. It certainly does not have to be as odd as mine though.

And to those of you who already applied and are waiting to here back on April 1st, GOOD LUCK! Although I applied Early Decision, I know the stress of waiting for a decision well. Back in my day (wow...I sound like a grandpa) I had to wait for Emory to send me a snail mail letter. None of this fancy schmancy online notification stuff. Talk about stress. I sat for several days in my living room - since it had the best view of the mail box - and would jump anytime I thought I heard a car drive by. When I finally got the letter and felt that it held a CD (which I'm not sure if they still give out), I tore it up and started laughing hysterically. I was just so happy and in disbelief. Many people cry; I couldn't stop giggling.

Most importantly, good luck in making YOUR decision. As always, I'm just a comment away if you have questions or concerns.

Give me a break!

I went to FLORIDA for Spring Break '09! Whoooo!

That would be a lot more exciting if Florida wasn't simply home. In fact, I wanted to go out-of-state for college to get the heck away from my always-summer-and-ridiculous-humid-resulting-in-crazy-frizzy-hair-and-hurricane-threats-but-no-fun-snow-days state. But I do admit that I've developed a greater appreciation for South Florida since I started living in the state above.

I went home this year on Friday, the 6th and stayed until Sunday, the 15h. There was no class Monday-Friday. I played with my parents' Wii fit, went shopping for a upcoming sorority formal dress, worked on some summer internship applications, saw Slumdog Millionaire (which I loved, loved, loved) and of course, spent some quality time lounging on the beach. It was very nice and relaxing. In my opinion, Spring Break is the PERFECT amount of break time; Thanksgiving is far too short and Winter Break is way too long. After a week, I've had enough lazy time to feel satisfied yet I'm also glad to go back to Emory.

In terms of what most students do over Spring Break - it varies. Many people go back home, travel with family or go on adventures with friends. (And yes, Florida is an extremely popular vacation spot). Several Emory student groups also offer "alternative spring breaks", in which any student can sign up to volunteer in an area of need - such as building homes in New Orleans or tutoring children in Chicago. It's just a half-hour drive to the Atlanta Airport. And by the way, I adore the Atlanta Airport. There's a ridiculous number of food options, it's the Delta hub so I can find flights at anytime super easily, and indoor trams transport you from terminal to terminal. Some people hate the size (it's the busiest airport in the world, literally) but it's easy to navigate.

OK...back to internship applications. Hollar at me with ANY Emory/general college questions!