1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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The Complete Package

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

Kelly Kreutzjans ’16 Recruiters from Deloitte, a “Big Four” accounting firm, first noticed Kelly Kreutzjans’ ability to socialize and connect with people at an industry networking event. They liked her résumé, too. It demonstrated her ability to multitask—playing soccer and taking on big offices in her sorority while making good grades. The complete package Social skills Broad knowledge Time management skills Academic excellence Kelly Kreutzjans ’16 offered her future employer the complete package: a broad liberal arts background that gave her confidence and the ability to engage people on different subjects, evidence of good time management and excellence in the field of accounting. She’d already interned with a CPA company in Lexington. “Our teachers know us. They always make themselves available for us. Anytime you need something, there’s someone you can talk to—or they’ll find it for you.”If you’re new to the workforce, “soft” skills top the list of essential traits that employers seek. It’s these skills (being well rounded and socially adept), along with academic achievement, that set Pioneers apart. Kreutzjans says that Transy helped her in ways she didn’t expect. “It built my confidence,” she explains. “The teachers in the accounting department were great.” They encouraged her to attend industry events and were available to her whenever she needed help. “And the liberal arts made us really well rounded,” she explains. “I can talk to people about things that aren’t just accounting or business because I’ve taken music,

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And the Assist Goes To…

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

Transylvania Women’s Basketball Try to picture a basketball player at the pinnacle of success. Multimillion-dollar shoe contract. Flashy cars. Autographs. Ego. Of course not all successful basketball players are like this. In fact, members of Transylvania’s women’s basketball team strive not for individual glory but for humility and generosity. Coach Juli Fulks drills into her players’ heads this culture of giving, which she sees as necessary to the game as shot blocking and lay-ups. Fulks goes around to every player as they stretch to get ready for each Monday’s practice, and she asks them to talk about how they’ve served others during the past week. And it’s not just the players who are expected to give of themselves. It’s a top down thing—the coaches serve the players just as the seniors are asked to serve their younger teammates, and so on. “We are not the program that expects the freshmen to come in and do the laundry,” Fulks says. “The core fundamental of our team is servant leadership.” This ethic is most evident with the team’s many community engagement efforts—whether they are teaching basketball skills to youth at the YMCA, playing a game with Special Olympics athletes or spending an afternoon at a local retirement home. Perhaps less evident is how being servant-leaders helps them win games. “I think team culture is the number-one factor in being able to win high-level championships,” Fulks says. “And you can’t do that without

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7 Options to Consider if You Didn’t Receive Enough Financial Aid

Posted on by Transy Pioneer

Blog from U.S. Department of Education, http://blog.ed.gov. –  The reality of college costs is that many families find themselves struggling to pay the entire college bill, despite having already filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and receiving federal, state, and institutional financial aid resources. If you find yourself in this position, here are some ideas to consider to help fill the gap between what your financial aid covers and what you owe the institution. Outside Scholarships Read: Scholarship Basics and Tips For those heading to college this fall, most scholarship decisions for the academic year have already been made. However, we recommend you begin a routine of searching and applying for scholarships regularly. You should first consider scholarships local to where you graduated from high school or live; try community, religious, and fraternal organizations. You may also consider businesses in your community or those that employ your parent(s). Then, look for scholarship resources available statewide, especially from organizations with which you may have been involved or companies in your state that are in the field for which you plan to study. National scholarships can be very competitive, but don’t let that keep you from applying. Ask your financial aid office or academic unit about institutional or departmental scholarships (decisions may have been made for this year, but ask how to make sure you don’t miss deadlines for next year!). With scholarship opportunities, it’s always important to be

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You are more than a test score at Transy

Posted on by Transy Pioneer

By President Seamus Carey –  In her recent column, DuPont Manual High School student Allison Tu provides valuable insight into the challenges many students face as they prepare to apply for college. She clearly relays the cultural biases frequently reflected in students’ ACT scores. It is no surprise that students who can afford to take ACT prep courses or hire tutors will score better. And that gives wealthier applicants an unfair advantage over equally motivated, equally capable, equally curious students who simply don’t test well. As Tu concludes: “… for too many students, the ACT has become a barrier to college. For these students, the test is more a reflection of access to resources rather than ability or potential to succeed in college.” We at Transylvania University couldn’t agree more. In 2016, we took a major step toward eliminating this obstacle for our applicants. After conducting extensive research, Transylvania implemented a test-optional admissions policy. Applicants decide for themselves whether or not their test results accurately reflect their academic ability and potential. They can instead submit an essay and, in most cases, come to campus for a personal interview. The admissions staff will then carefully review evidence of the individual applicant’s performance and drive in the classroom and involvement with high school and community activities. Our experience shows that the rigor of the student’s coursework and overall academic achievement best illustrate the commitment, motivation and willingness to take on challenges. And

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Kiplinger ranks Transylvania among country’s top values

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Kiplinger’s Personal Finance today once again named Transylvania University as one of the nation’s Best College Values. The magazine’s ranking recognizes schools for both academic quality and affordability, specifically measuring factors such as four-year graduation rate, total cost and financial aid. “I think families are surprised when they hear how affordable a Transylvania education is—even compared to the cost of a public university,” said Holly Sheilley, vice president for enrollment and student life. “Our students, who come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, are prepared to pursue higher degrees or start great careers after they graduate without being overburdened with debt.” In fact, student loan debt is lower at Transylvania than at the average state public university. Also, the typical financial aid package for incoming students was $26,643 last year, and 98 percent of students received gift-aid they didn’t have to pay back. These savings are on top of the fact Transylvania costs about $10,000 less than the average top-100 liberal arts college. In addition to today’s Kiplinger ranking, Transylvania has earned many similar recognitions for providing a quality education at an affordable price. For example, the university made the nation’s top 10 in the USA Today/College Factual’s Best Colleges for the Money. Transylvania also recently was named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Value Schools among liberal arts universities and Money’s Best Colleges for Your Money. Kiplinger ranks Transylvania 104th among all colleges and 54th among liberal

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