For curious seniors, college blogs a hit

Admissions officers nationwide have officially entered the blogosphere -but don't expect to read posts from Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson anytime soon .

Schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Virginia and the University of Chicago have all recently started blogs aimed at assisting prospective students in the admissions process.

But what seems like a growing trend in higher education isn't a bandwagon that Penn is looking to jump on.

Stetson said Penn "has no plans to evolve the admissions process in this way," adding that there are a number of other ways that the University tries to reach out to applicants.

However, officials from schools who have already begun the blogs say that they have received positive feedback for the improved communication that the online tools provide.

"We wanted to make the college admissions process less mysterious," Providence College senior admissions official Scott Seseske said.

Seseske believes that his blog allows him to have more direct personal contact with students. He not only answers questions about the school but also helps students with the whole application process, including advice on how many schools students should apply to.

The content of these new blogs is a mix of normal admissions information with a personal touch.

The blog of Jonathan Wehner, the assistant director of information technology at Case Western Reserve University, for example, covers a large variety of topics, from commentary on the college-admissions process in general to stories about interesting students he meets on the road.

"I like to keep it to stuff you would not read on the admissions office Web site," he said.

Admissions officials are simultaneously trying to provide new and reliable data while combatting the large amount of inaccurate information about the admissions process. Wehner explained that unofficial Web sites such as CollegeConfidential.com convey "gossip, try to equate standardized test scores with acceptances and present ideas on 'how to win the game.'"

And as schools who have undertaken such projects continue to see positive results, the next step seems to be expansion of the new medium.

The Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA, Jeannine Lalonde, has had such success with her blog that she has started a second one that is solely dedicated to the application process. Students can ask her questions about UVA as well as read her commentary about college admissions in general. She updates her blog nearly every day.

"Hits are through the roof," she said, citing that 75 percent of the Web traffic was returning users.

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