Stevens Institute of Technology: Admissions Blog

The Interview, an Important Part of Your Application Process

If you’ve done your research or begun your formal application to Stevens Institute of Technology, you may be wondering, “Why does Stevens require an interview for all applicants?” At Stevens, we believe a personal interview is a critical step in the application process because it gives us an opportunity to get to know you and learn more than what is on your application. Through the interview, we hope to understand more about your interests in and out of the classroom. We also feel that the interview is a great way for you to learn more about Stevens, and we encourage you to come prepared with questions for us.

The interview is a one-on-one meeting between a prospective student (either applied or planning to apply) and a member of the Undergraduate Admissions staff.  For students living within 250 miles of our campus in Hoboken, NJ, this is done in person.  Students outside that radius may visit campus for an interview or conduct one over the phone.  The interview takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes and time is reserved afterwards for family members to join the meeting and ask questions about the admissions process and Stevens. Tours of campus are also available either before or after the interview if you have not already taken one.  Please budget an additional hour for this experience.

Don’t quite imagine yourself on the other side of the application and admission process yet? Take a look at our student blogs. Our bloggers update frequently, so you can also subscribe to all or any of the blog feeds to get real-time, ongoing reflections and advice from those who know Stevens best and want to tell you about it throughout the year – photos, videos, comments about school and social life, it’s all there. Check out Michael’s blog for starters.  A sophomore at Stevens, he was once where you are now!

We look forward to learning more about you from our interactions and wish you all the best in the college admissions process.

Make the Most of Your College Visit

Yes, gearing up for your senior year in high school includes resting and having fun this summer. But another important thing to do is visit the colleges that interest you.

Like checking the weather forecast before you pack a bag for the beach, there are some things you can do to prepare for visits to college campuses. Read admissions brochures and check out the schools' websites (don't forget what they have in the way of social media like Facebook, Twitter and blogs like this one). This allows you more time during campus tours to explore the specific things that interest you.  Plan to meet with admissions counselors, even if the school you're visiting doesn't require a formal interview.  Map out a tour of the city, town, or local area surrounding the school to see what life is like off campus.  Make sure your camera, smartphone - or whatever you use to snap photos - is charged and ready to go.  Pictures make a great resource when you're comparing your top choices later.  And prepare a list of questions you might ask students, staff or faculty you'll meet during your visits.  Need some suggestions?  Try these:  

• What distinguishes this college from other similar schools?
• What academic factors are considered during the admissions process?
• Are professors accessible outside of class?
• Are there tutoring services available on campus?
• What are this college's most popular academic programs?
• What kind of career services are offered to students?
• What percentage of students receive financial aid?
• What percentage of students live on campus?
• What types of meal plans are available?
• What hours may students access food services?
• What are the most popular extra-curricular activities?
• What do most students do on the weekends?
• What’s the surrounding city/town like?
• Are there sororities and fraternities on campus?
• How safe is the campus?

Whatever you do, don’t pass up any opportunity to find out more!  We wish you luck with your adventures this summer.  And if we can be of any assistance during your application process, don’t hesitate to contact us at admissions@stevens.edu or 1-800-STEVENS.

Choosing a College: What’s Important?

Hello college-bound students!  The undergraduate admissions staff at Stevens understands that the college application process is complex and demands juggling a lot of details, tasks and research.

We hope the following tips help you as you dedicate at least part of your summer to exploring your top-choice colleges.

Make sure that you don’t overlook the most important goal - choosing a college that is right for you!  Some things you might consider:

• What size college do you want to attend? Are you looking for a very large school or one with a more close-knit environment?

• What locations are you considering? Do you thrive in an urban environment, or do you prefer a quieter setting? Are there campuses that offer both? How close or far away from home do you want to be?

• What major(s) are you interested in?

• Will you need financial aid?

• Are extracurricular activities important to you, and what are they?

• What kind of campus life do you want to experience?

• What career services are offered? Are you thinking about your return on investment?

Answering these questions and ranking your needs in order of importance will allow you to investigate your top choices in a way that best matches you! Each institution is so different, and it’s easy to get lost in all the information you glean from your research.

Many online college search engines can also help you get some ideas about how to organize and better target your search. And, of course, the best way to get to know a school is to experience it up close and personally. Campus visits will certainly answer a lot of your questions, give you a “feel” for a college, and help you prioritize the aspects you’re considering. You may even discover qualities that are important to you that you hadn’t considered earlier.

We wish you the best in your search and decision-making process. If we can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us at admissions@stevens.edu or 1-800-STEVENS. We’d be delighted to help you!

Summer Visit Days. Register Today!

The best way to discover Stevens Institute of Technology and all that we have to offer is to visit our Hoboken, NJ, campus this summer.  Experience life at Stevens for yourself!  

Click here to plan your summer visit. We look forward to meeting you!

SUMMER VISIT DAYS:

Thursday, July 7: Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe Center; Check-in: Howe Center Lobby

Monday, July 11: Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe Center; Check-in: Howe Center Lobby

Wednesday, July 20: Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe Center; Check-in: Howe Center Lobby

Monday, July 25: Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe Center; Check-in: Howe Center Lobby

Thursday, July 29: Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe Center; Check-in: Howe Center Lobby

Tuesday, August 2: Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe Center; Check-in: Howe Center Lobby

Tuesday, August 9: Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe Center; Check-in: Howe Center Lobby

The Stevens Summer: Programs for High School Students

July - August 2011

Multimedia Production,  Business, 

or Engineering & Science 

    Each summer, talented high school students from around the world diverge from traditional summer break plans to participate in The Stevens Summer.   Why? 

    Because The Stevens Summer is about challenge, discovery and exploration, in interesting fields of study but also in friendship and fun!  

        

    Add the benefit of Stevens' amazing location, and it's an unbeatable proposition for the summer break.  Living on campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, on the banks of the Hudson River overlooking Manhattan is exciting!      

    If you're a rising junior or senior in high school who is interested in engineering, science, business or multi-media production, The Stevens Summer should be on your radar.  Apply Today!

    Take it from a past participant...                                           

"Every day was a new adventure into the world of engineering. We worked together in labs with professors from the college and met with professionals in the field from large companies like Becton Dickinson and Schering-Plough. One of the most rewarding parts of the program was learning about each specific field in engineering, ranging from mechanical to chemical engineering, through real field lab experience. We also competed in numerous engineering competitions: a programming competition (my group won!), a naval engineering design competition (we sank), and a chemical-biology bubble gum competition (we won - pineapple flavor!), among many others. However, the program brought much more into my life than experience in engineering. It brought me a taste of college life." 

     

The Interview, an Important Step in the Admissions Process

If you’ve done your research or begun your formal application to Stevens Institute of Technology, you may be wondering, “Why does Stevens require an interview for all applicants?”

At Stevens, we believe a personal interview is a critical step in the application process because it gives us an opportunity to get to know you and learn more than what is on your application. Through the interview, we hope to understand more about your interests in and out of the classroom. We also feel that the interview is a great way for you to learn more about Stevens, and we encourage you to come prepared with questions for us.

The interview is a one-on-one meeting between a prospective student (either applied or planning to apply) and a member of the Undergraduate Admissions staff.  For students living within 250 miles of our campus in Hoboken, NJ, this is done in person.  Students outside that radius may visit campus for an interview or conduct one over the phone.  The interview takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, and time is reserved afterwards for family members to join the meeting and ask questions about the admissions process and Stevens. Tours of campus are also available either before or after the interview, and we suggest you budget an additional hour for this experience.

Don’t quite imagine yourself on the other side of the application and admission process yet? Take a look at our student blogs.  Our bloggers update frequently, so you can also subscribe to all or any of the blog feeds to get real-time, ongoing reflections and advice from those who know Stevens best and want to tell you about it throughout the year.  Photos, videos, comments about school and social life, it’s all here! We look forward to interacting with you.

A Weekend at Stevens

Recently almost 80 high school students converged on campus for the Fall Sleeping Bag Weekend. Held this year on November 7 – 8, participants could sit in on classes, attend an information session with Career Development and Co-op, take a walking tour of Hoboken, and cheer on the Ducks at various sporting events. Additionally, students were invited to a faculty luncheon, where representatives from all the academic programs were on hand for discussion. Throughout the evening, activities such as bowling and Stevens Comedy Night were offered, as well as Jacobus Hall being open, where participants could play table tennis, pool, air hockey and more.

Robbie Coyne, a high school senior from Downingtown West High School in Pennsylvania, is interested in Stevens not only because of our reputation for engineering, but also because he would like to play golf here. He attended Sleeping Bag Weekend to get a feel for the campus and the people, and thought the activities planned provided a great forum for that. Another attendee, Raouia Essafi, a senior at McNair Academic High School in Jersey City, said, “I wanted to experience college first hand, by sitting in on classes and meeting other students and professors.” A future engineering major, Raouia has yet to decide which area of engineering she’s interested in, but by attending Sleeping Bag Weekend and observing some classes, she has learned that she is also very interested in computer science.

The weekend was organized by Maia Hadidi, undergraduate admissions counselor and events and summer program coordinator. She worked closely with faculty, staff and the students to ensure a successful experience for all involved. Of the weekend, Maia said, “Sleeping Bag Weekend is the ideal way for high school students to truly experience life at Stevens. From attending classes and workshops, meeting with current students and getting a feel for Student Life on campus, the weekend is interactive and informative. Overall, the weekend is a success every year, and as in the past, we already have some applications from the students who attended!”

Time for a Campus Visit!

Stevens will be hosting Fall Visit Days on Saturday, September 27 and Saturday, October 11.

The best way to get to know a school is to see it for yourself, by meeting the students and faculty, attending a class or a sporting event, or attending any special admissions event designed to introduce you to the school.

Visit Day Agenda
9:30 a.m. Registration, Howe Center Lobby
10:00 a.m. Tour of Campus
11:30 a.m. Break (Light Refreshments), Bissinger Room
11:45 a.m. Admissions Presentation
12:30 p.m. Student Panel
1:00 p.m. End of Program (Lunch discounts for some Hoboken restaurants will be offered)
1:00 p.m. Cooperative Education Session (Optional)

Click here to register >>

Stevens Campus Sculpture

If you are visiting Stevens this summer or fall, be sure to take some time to check out the great sculpture collection around campus. The newly-designed S.C. Williams Library Web site has published a list of all the pieces along with the artists and the history behind them.

Visit Stevens This Summer

The best way to find out all about life and learning at Stevens Institute of Technology is to visit campus. There are three convenient ways to visit Stevens us this summer—choose the one that best fits your schedule:

Summer Visit Days

Tuesday, July 15
Thursday, July 17
Monday, July 21
Wednesday, July 23
Tuesday, August 5
Thursday, August 7
Wednesday, August 13

Visit Day Agenda

9:30 a.m. Registration, Babbio Center Atrium
10:00 a.m. Tour of Campus
11:30 a.m. Break (Light Refreshments), Babbio Atrium
11:45 a.m. Admissions Presentation
12:30 p.m. Student Panel
1:00 p.m. End of Program (Lunch discounts for some Hoboken restaurants will be offered)
1:00 p.m. Cooperative Education Session (Optional)

Summer Information Sessions
Can't make it to campus for a Summer Visit Day? Then try one of our information sessions, which are held at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday-Friday through August 29. Note: Information sessions are NOT held on days when a Summer Visit Day is scheduled (July 15, 17, 21, 23; August 5, 7, 13) and July 3-4. No RSVP is necessary; walk-ins welcome. 

Interviews
An admissions interview is a required component of the Stevens application and a great way to learn more about Stevens. After your interview with an admissions counselor, take a tour of campus. Note: Interviews are NOT conducted on days when a Summer Visit Day is scheduled (July 15, 17, 21, 23; August 5, 7, 13) and July 3-4.

SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW TODAY >>