Welcomingly Yours
We are in limbo. In our society (which uses the Gregorian calendar), we have entered a new year—2010. But according to the Chinese calendar we still have one month of the year of the ox before we begin the year of the tiger. In Scotland they’ve just finished Hogmanay while in Vietnam they’re gearing up for Tet Nguyên Ðán. And in Japan Buddhist temples have rung their bells 108 times to cleanse people of their sins.

Just as in my family we celebrate in certain ways and in your family there are other ways. How did you ring in the New Year? And, more importantly, what will this year mean for you? Will this be the year you begin college? And if so, might it be here with us at Stephens? As you’re contemplating that, come visit us. We’re here to help and we’ll offer advice as impartial as we can make it. We welcome you to call our offices at (800) 876-7207 or find your Admissions counselor and email her/him directly.

And as always, thanks for reading and providing feedback!

Cheers,

Xander Kennedy
Admissions Counselor
Stephens College


Do You Hear it?
If you were to guess, how many hours a day do you spend on your computer, whether it be during school class hours, doing your homework, checking Facebook, chatting online with friends, playing online games, watching videos, listening to music, and so forth? Have a number in mind? Ok, now add to that the time spent on your cell phone: the texting, the talking, the IMing, the web browsing. And just for fun, throw in the countless tunes you routinely listen to via your trusty iPod. Can you see where I’m headed with this?

There’s no doubt about it. Our society is consumed with digital noise, making it difficult to carve out time for silence. A simple opportunity to just be. At Stephens, we are helping to bring this type of valuable quiet time to our students. Through Stephens Unplugged, a twist on the College’s meditative Vespers tradition, students hand over their phones for one hour (yes, of course, they get them right back), giving them time to clear their minds of the sounds and distractions in their lives. And, you know what? Our students truly enjoy this opportunity to sit back, to relax and to think about what’s most important to them. For our efforts, Stephens has appeared in media around the nation as well as around the world. We even started a Facebook Fan page. Who would have thought the creation of silence would create so much noise!

Click to hear audio and see photos from Stephens Unplugged.


Filling Up and Spilling Over
For those of you who have already been through the application process, you may recall being asked about your religious preference under the Optional Information section. In my time as a Stephens admissions counselor, I frequently have wondered why we ask that. It certainly doesn’t play a part of the admissions process/decision. In fact the only time I remember really taking note of the response was when someone had indicated that she worshiped trolls. I know that as an institution we were originally the Columbia Female Baptist Academy with a Presbyterian meeting house (177 years ago), but we haven’t had a religious affiliation in quite some time. With that said though, we are a place where the spirit comes to flourish. And that is important. Spirit, no doubt, means something slightly different to each of you. For some spirit is inextricably linked to religious beliefs, for some spirit springs forth from walking through nature or hanging out with friends, and for some spirit is the pride you feel for your school.

We are a destination for each type and will help foster every incarnation of spirit. For evidence of this one needs look no further than our Ten Ideals, particularly #7: Belief in our changing selves and in our right to change. (As I typed that I was suddenly filled with the voice of Josh Groban.) We also have the facilities to assist as people find their spirit. Whether it is communing with nature (check out the plethora of parks including Stephens Lake Park or Rock Bridge State Park) or attending a church service (we have dozens of different local options), we have it all here in Columbia, Missouri. Click to find out more about the city in which we live.

Our Firestone Baars Chapel features four entrances to the sanctuary, one on each side of the chapel, which allow access from any direction, signifying a person's approach to religion from all directions. Designed by the St. Louis Gateway Arch architect Eero Saarinen, the Firestone Baars Chapel is acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful buildings of its kind in the United States. It is here where our current president, Dr. Dianne Lynch, recently helped revive Vespers.

The point of all this is that there will be many things that go into your college selection process, and perhaps one of them should be which institution “completes” you. It doesn’t matter what you write in the Optional Information section, it just matters that you have verve and a lust for life.


Activities for Prospective Students

Last year’s production of “The Country Wife”

We encourage campus visits for all students as this is the best way to decide if an institution is right for you. You and your family can come to Stephens any weekday of the year and we will engage you in as minimal or as thorough an experience as you desire. These visits usually include a tour of campus, and meetings with your admissions counselor and a financial aid advisor. Additionally, they often include meeting with a professor, sitting in on a class, eating a meal in the cafeteria with a student ambassador, and even staying overnight with a current student.

And if weekday visits don’t work for you, we offer Saturday Visits, where you get to participate in a discussion/presentation by our president, Dr. Dianne Lynch, talk with Admissions staff and tour campus. Upcoming dates are Feb. 27, April 10 and April 17.

For any of you who have at least a 25 ACT (or 1700 SAT) and a 3.5 GPA, go ahead and mark your calendars for the weekend of Jan. 29 and 30. This is our Scholars Weekend, where you can compete for one of three $60,000 scholarships to Stephens College. Click to learn more.

Also, if you’re considering degrees in theatre or education, we have preview events for both of those departments coming up in February. Come to campus for our Theatre Weekend on Feb. 19-20 to get a complete feel for what it’s like to be a theatre major here (you’ll get to attend master classes in theatre and, if you like, even watch a performance of “Much Ado About Nothing” in our Macklanburg Playhouse). On Friday, Feb. 26, you can spend a day learning about our Education program during our first of two Education Days slated for the coming months. The second will be on Friday, April 9. Click to sign up for these events.

For a complete list of campus visit options, go to our 2009-2010 Campus Visit Schedule. You are also welcome to schedule an individual campus visit Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sign up online or call the Office of Admissions at (800) 876-7207.


Highlighted Major: Education
Let your education be an education degree. (Yes, that was an intentional rhyme.) We have an incredible resource here—schoolchildren. Preschool through fifth grade students are on our campus getting excellent instruction. And you know who is teaching them? You. Or at least it could be you this time next year. We have a lab school right here on campus for the benefit of our education majors. They work closely with classroom teachers who serve as skilled mentors and models as they learn how to teach an integrated curriculum. What better way to figure out if teaching is the career for you than to do it from the day you walk onto campus? Our lab school has a wonderful design that includes observation rooms and playground access from every classroom. So if you want a curriculum that includes a little bit of time on a swing and a slide, look no further.

Our success rate is second to none with 100% of our graduates routinely successfully earning their teaching certification by passing the Praxis exam. So whether you want to teach early childhood or elementary students, we deserve a look. And, as I mentioned above, you can get that look on Feb. 26 or April 9 during our Education Preview events.

Plus, we also offer a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction and a Master of Education in Counseling degree, so if either is your aspiration, we can assist you with that as well.


Admissions Counselors' Favorites
We will, monthly, divulge a new and very random bit of information about our preferences. And this month it’s all about those things upon which we happily gaze. Meet your admissions counselor here.

What is your favorite work of art? (Please share some of your favorites with us as well.)



Hannah: David by Michelangelo
Heather: Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
Gabe: Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol
Chris: Mount Rushmore by Gutzon Borglum
Sarah: Portrait of a Woman in Large Hat by Amedeo Modigliani
Xander: leaves in water by Andy Goldsworthy


Don't Delay ... Apply Today!
Seniors and Transfer students: now would be a perfect time to apply to Stephens—it’s free if you apply online, not to mention the process is quick and easy. Wouldn't it be a relief to have one other option when it comes time to really make that all-important college decision?
It’s also a good idea to start working on the FAFSA. Our deadline is March 1!

Stephens College
Office of Admissions, Campus Box 2121, Columbia, MO 65215
Phone: (800) 876-7207 or (573) 876-7207
Fax: (573) 876-7237
Email: apply@stephens.edu
Web: www.stephens.edu