New Blog

Hey everyone! For those who are still subscribed to this link I wanted to let you know we didn't forget about you, we've just started a new blog! The new one is run by a student at the Mount with posts from other students, staff, etc. so please add us to your feeds or Google reader and let us know what you think of it! Follow this link to our new blog: Thinking the Mount!

O is for....Open Campus Day

Hi everyone! My name is Robyn and I just started working in the admissions office here at the Mount on my co op work term. I spend a lot of my days touring around the campus, and as you can see from my photo – The Fountain Play Centre is usually one of my stops. Be sure to be quiet there if you stop in though, I was shushed by one of the toddlers!

My first blog post of 2009 is all about our winter Open Campus Day - Explore the Mount.

Every year the Mount opens its doors to prospective students to tour the campus, meet professors and get to experience life as a Mount student.

There will be a variety of activities planned including a scavenger hunt, mini-lectures from professors, a tour of our three residences and even free lunch! In fact even if you have not applied yet to the Mount, you can take your application, transcripts and $30 application fee that morning and have an admissions decision made by the time you leave!

Explore the Mount will take place this year on Friday, March 6 so be sure to come out and join the fun! You can register for this event online at www.msvu.ca.

We hope to see you there!

Brought to you by the letter O

N...is for new grades!

Congratulations to everyone who has just completed their first semester classes! Now that you have finished all your exams, you can relax a little as your start a whole new set of courses. But for all you grade 12's, there is one more important think that you need to do...and that is to send us in your new grades!

Outside the entrance to the Rosaria Student Centre from inside Evaristus Hall

If you have already applied to the Mount, you did so using your grade 11 marks, or your in progress marks from grade 12. Now that you have some updated marks, it's time to send them in so that we can update your files. Don't worry, there is not need for you to reapply, you just need to send us in a new set of transcripts that show your final marks from your first semester. The deadline to have these in to us is March 15, 2009. We will use your new grades to calculate things like scholarships, so don't delay!

Brought to you by the letter N

M is for . . . Merry Christmas from the Mount!

As we lead into crunch time of the holiday season you may be, like many of us, running around doing last minute stops at the mall and trying to get all of your stocking stuffers bought. If you make it into the Halifax Shopping Centre don't forget to look up to see the gigantic Mount Saint Vincent University poster!

The Mount loves the holiday season and the students and staff enjoy taking advantage of the opportunities to give back to our community. This year staff from the Admissions Office, Registrar's Office and Financial Services Office all dug deep and donated an overwhelming amount clothes, games, toys, household items, groceries, etc. for a local family.

The students like to get in on the giving too - this year the the Student Alumnae Association organized an Angel Tree project for the Mount community to be involved in. As Krista Armstrong, the Program Coordinator for Alumnae Relations, said: "The response from the Mount community has been staggering. Through donations from Mount students, societies, staff, faculty, alumnae and friends, we have (so far) collected 6+ big boxes of toys, gifts and donations for needy children in the Halifax area . . . We have been blown away by your support…we even had to call the Salvation Army for more gift tags! With 70 tags distributed, at least 70 kids will have a better Christmas this year thanks to your generosity."

The Mount also has a huge campaign to raise funds for the United Way each year and the Christmas season marks the end of each year's campaign. Our goal was to raise $20,000 this year and, while we won't get the official number until later today, I have been assured that we have exceeded this goal by a substantial amount through staff and student contributions!

We are proud of the Mount's tradition of social justice and giving back to our communities. We would like to wish all of you a happy holiday season and a joyous new year!

L is for… Lovely Ladies!

Yes, that’s right. The Mount is full of lovely ladies! We used to be an all girls University you know. Now we openly welcome guys and there are more and more coming every year.

Did you know we have a special event to celebrate the lovely ladies of The Mount every year?

It's called...the Mr. Mount Competition..."Mr?" you are wondering...allow me to explain!

What is a Mr. Mount Competition? You might ask.
Well let’s start with what it’s not:
Mr. Mount is not a beauty pageant. Mr. Mount is not a talent show.

Mr. Mount IS an Annual one of a kind event where the ladies get to understand how it feels to be a gent, and the gents get to understand a little more about the ladies!

It’s where the men compete as ladies and the ladies compete as men for the affection of the crowd and judges to officially be crowned “Mr. Mount”.

It is a fabulous event that you just can’t miss out on!

Don't believe me...check out the picture below or visit Mr. Mount Competition for more info.

Brought to you by the Double L!

K is for…Kids

Kids? You might think to yourself that a University is no place for kids, but you would be wrong! Yes, students do sometimes act like kids, (You just need to check some of the pictures of Student Union activities to see that) but acting like kids can be FUN!
This isn’t what I mean though. The Mount offers a few services for kids on campus. So if you have kids, or want to work with them someday, The Mount is the place for you!
From Child and Youth Studies: where you can prepare yourself for a career where you can work with kids;
To The Fountain Play Centre where students who have children can have them looked after at an affordable price and where students can get in some valuable volunteer hours;
Click on the Athletics Department  to see where students can earn some money while working with kids!
There are so many great ways to prepare yourself at The Mount for a career in Child and Youth!
Ciao 4 now!

Brought to you by the letter K

J is for…Jeremy

Yes… That is Jeremy on the floor in “J” form. Why is ‘J’ for Jeremy you ask? Well the good spirited guy in the green shirt lying on the floor next to me is our President of The Mount’s Student’s Union! Aside from being up for anything…including taking the form of the letter ‘J’, Jeremy (or Draino as he is known on campus) is responsible for representing you – the students of The Mount. This position is open every year and getting involved in the Union is a great way to meet friends and make the most of your University experience!
Check out all the Executive Bios at mounstudents.ca.

Brought to you by the letter J

I is for... International

Hi everyone. My name is Kutay Ulkuer and I am the international admissions officer. The Mount houses over 400 international students from 62 different countries. I am sure some of you already met one of these wonderful and interesting students.

Internationalization of our campus is one of the main goals for Destination 2012 action plan. After all we are living in a global market environment where more and more people are identifying them selves as global citizens. The Mount is dedicated to educating individuals who will be able to live and work anywhere in the world.

Ok I have to admit I like the travel part of my job a lot. This year I spent over 2 months traveling the world for international students. Some of the countries I have been to are: South Korea, China, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Bermuda, etc...

The Mount also gives you the opportunity to study abroad as an exchange student up to one year. This would be a great opportunity for anyone who is looking to learn by seeing and touching. Are you a history major? Paris is waiting for you. Are you a business student looking to get some international experience? China would be a great place for you to witness one of the world's largest economies.

For more information check out the exchange programs page of our website:

If you would like to get more information regarding our international students or go to a different country as an exchange student please visit our international students page.

H is for... (Part Two!)

Housing! How clever am I ?! I used the letter AND the word.

Future students: The Mount will be your home.

I know some of you may be from HRM and will be commuting everyday, however, nearly 400 students make our campus their home. And for those of you that won't be living here, visit your future friends in residence, take in the on-campus experience!

I will admit - I did not live on campus, but was often jealous of students who did. As a student who did not, I will share with you "My Top 5 Favourite Things About Living on Campus - even though I didn't!"

1) Dining halls in close proximity
2) Decorating the residences for the holidays (it can get competitive!)
3) Neighbours/Roommates
4) Close to class
5) SCHOOL SPIRIT! *This is for both on and off campus students.

Being on campus, living or just visiting, helps you build your school spirit - and we've got lots of it! In fact, the Mount won the GM Canada School Spirit Challenge.

If you cannot come to campus to check out our residences, go to http://www.msvu.ca/ to see the virtual tours!

You can apply for housing after being accepted to the Mount. The application will be available online in the new year.

H is for… (Part One!)

Hills!

You might have already heard the rumour. The Mount is located on a mountain. Okay, so it’s not THAT bad, but we do have a hill to contend with when traveling between buildings. But hey, we always like to look at the bright side. Maybe you’ve heard of the ‘Freshmen 15’: those 15 pounds that you gain your first year of university. Well at the Mount, we call it the ‘Freshmen 7.5’ – maximum. Also, all of our residences are at the top of the hill, so if you oversleep you only have to worry about getting down the hill. And lastly, when you do make it to the top, you have a beautiful view of the Mount campus and Bedford Basin.

Part of the Mount hill and its view

Brought to you by the letter H

G is for Graduate Studies!

At the Mount we focus on both undergraduate AND graduate level studies. Like Melanie said in the letter “E” the Mount is all about excellence, and it shows in our graduate programs. Take for instance our Masters of Applied Human Nutrition – it’s the only graduate program in nutrition in Atlantic Canada. And our Public Relations program is unique too – it’s the only one in the country. And if you want to go big, check out our Education program. There you’ll study with classmates from around the world!

With opportunities like this, our dedication to graduate studies is undeniable. Check out all our offerings:

Applied Human Nutrition
Child and Youth Study
Education
Family Studies and Gerontology
Public Relations
Tourism Management
Women's Studies

Brought to you by the letter G

F is for FUN!

There are sooo many fun things to do at the Mount!

Join a society, cheer for a sports team- play on one, get involved in the Student's Union, participate in frosh week, attend Mr. Mount, participate in Mr. Mount, attend the variety show, attend multicultural night... the list goes on and on...

Check out mountstudents.ca for info about student life!

My top 5 "Fun Mount Moments"

5. Hanging out in residence on snow days with hot chocolate and everyone watching a movie

4. Cheering our Mystic basketball teams to an undefeated season 2 yrs in a row

3. Seeing guys finally discover what it's like to wear heels and tights in the Mr. Mount competition.

2. Frosh week!

1. Getting that diploma in hand!

Brought to you by the letter F

Ciao 4 now!

E is for Excellence!

That's right...excellence.

Who doesn't want to be excellent, or excell, or go to a university that prides itself on excellence?

Well certainly not me!!!

Excellence Innovation Discovery

That's The Mount motto!

A small university with a global outlook, The Mount fosters academic excellence and educates the leaders of tomorrow (That's YOU!). The sense of community and personalized approach to education means class sizes are small, and students have access to high-quality faculty and opportunities to be involved in research. In fact, The Mount has among the smallest class sizes in Canada!

I know what you're thinking...."Excellent"

And yes, yes it is!

Brought to you by the letter E.

Ciao 4 now!

D is for Detour!

Well it's time for another funny Melanie story.

So today I was traveling from PEI back to Halifax, and...silly me... I was relying on my GPS to get me home. Well we (me and another recruiter) were on our way to what we thought was the Confederation Bridge when we realized the GPS was directing us to the fastest route back which was....you guessed it, the FERRY! We realized pretty much right at the terminal that we were not headed towards the bridge...and the bridge was now 2 HOURS away! We both had to be back for meetings so we kind of panicked and went to the info booth to find that the next Ferry was leaving in 5MINS...we JUST made it!

So our detour turned out to be the best mistake of the day! We made the Ferry and got back earlier than we would have if we took the bridge. What does this have to do with The Mount? Well I think that it kind of works as a metaphor for the decisions you have to make coming up. How do you decide where to go? What if you aren't going in the direction you planned? It just shows that going with the original plan isn't always the best idea. Trying to choose a program might be challenging, but there is always room to change your mind. Just because you always planned to take a certain program or go to a certain university doesn't mean you can't choose a different path. Take a different course every once in a while, you never know what you might stumble upon. Sometimes mistakes help you make great discoveries!

Brought to you by the letter "D"

Ciao 4 now!

C is for Crow!

Crow?

Yes...crow... The Mount property has lots of crows at certain times of year. There are many stories that surround why these birds are around campus. Want to hear them? You will have to come to campus to find out!...In the meantime I will tell you about our famous lounge area on campus, "The Crow's Nest" so named because of the crows on campus.

The Crow's Nest is a small lounge area that really feels like a living room. There is a TV, couches, computers with internet access and a printer. The Cornerstore is also right next door so you can grab a snack, a cup of coffee or one of many other options to enjoy in this warm and cozy study/hangout area on campus.

Brought to you by the letter "C"

Ciao 4 now!

B is for Business

As in

"Let's get down to Business" or

"Business is Business" or

"Mind your own Business" OR

Bachelor of Business Administration

A Bachelor of Business Administration at The Mount prepares you for a career by offering small class sizes, great professors and practical experience. There is an optional co-op program that provides you with about a year worth of experience so you can test out some different work options before jumping right into a career.

The program provides in-depth knowledge in at least one of the functional areas of business: accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, tourism, general business studies and hospitality management!

For more info check out Business Administration at The Mount

Brought to you by the letter B!

Ciao 4 now!

A is for Apple!

Hello Everyone!

So I'm starting the ABC's of The Mount... What are the ABC's of The Mount you ask?

Well they are the basics of why The Mount is the BEST University around.

Soooo

A is for Apple...and Aramark

What do the two have in common? Well Aramark is our food provider on campus. They are all about bringing healthy and tasty choices to the students of the Mount.

Our meal plan works as a declining balance, so you pay only for what you eat which means NO money wasted! Check out ARAMARK for more info! Meal plans are also included with your residence fees and are mandatory in Assisi and Birches 1-4.

Brought to you by the letter "A". Stay tuned...tomorrow is...you guessed it "B"!

Ciao 4 now!

This is what November means...

Hello readers!
I am reporting to you from Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. It is beautiful, sunny, and around 30 degrees celsius everyday! A little different than our campus in Halifax, but I am still near the water and I feel at home.

While this time of year is busy for us recruitment folks, I was thinking to myself today that I want to share some advice with students out there. I remember while studying that November is always a busy, busy month for university or college students (who I work with a lot). It is also a hectic time for students in high school. I can relate to all of you in feeling the crunch of November, and I don't just mean those leaves under your feet!

What I want to remind you all to do is remember to take some "breathing" time everyday. At this time of year for university of college students, you are up to your eyes and ears in group projects, research papers, and exams are looming just around the corner. Everyday you must do one or two of the following: sit back and eat a full meal without studying at the same time, or head up to the Fitness Centre and rock a step class, or run, run, run on the treadmills. Read some silly gossip on the Internet. Look at pictures on Facebook (even some of ours! I will have a lot of new ones up next week!).

For students out there in high school. If we haven't been to your school to visit yet - hold on - we're almost there!! While you are working on mid-terms and praying for upcoming snow days, you are considering your options for next year. My advice is the same for you, take a break and soak up the greatness of your last year in high school. Take advantage of the social events, but also study a lot! Your grades from this semester could really help you out at scholarship time.

Once January hits it is application time! Until then, get through busy November day by day and December will feel a lot better - I promise!

YOU’RE Famous!

After Open Campus Day I not only realized that I’m famous…but you are too! I spent Open Campus Day trying to find all the students I met before at their own high schools just to say hi. No autographs or anything, but I did try to get some applications in…and those have to be signed…so it’s kind of the same thing! You really are like celebrities to me! It’s so exciting to talk to interested students. I’m spending the next week in NB which is great. I have had a lot of students this week asking about how hard it is to go to med school, law school and other graduate programs from the Mount. The answer is, we have several students who apply to these programs and get in from our undergrad programs. Work hard, get to know your professors and get involved as much as possible during your undergrad to help pave the way to these programs, but for now focus on choosing that first degree that you will be enjoy and be able to excel in so you keep the doors wide open when you are finished!

Ciao 4 now

Melanie

Three Secrets Just For You

So I'll let you in a on a few secrets about finding the right university for you and what the Mount's really all about. I have been working at the Mount for almost five years and am also an alumni so I've got some cred behind me in discovering these secrets. But I'll share them with you because I wish I had known them myself.

Secret Number One

Every university's viewbook makes it look like the best school to go to. They all have pretty pictures, and everyone is having fun, and the information is all there. Same with the websites. And posters, and advertisements, you get it. But the ONLY real way to find out if a school is right for you is to visit it. Seriously. You have to get on campus and walk around and do some serious visualization. Play pretend for a day. You don't have to tell anyone you're doing it - just pretend you're a Mount student when you're at our Open Campus Day on Friday. Pretend you live in Assisi or The Birches and walk around like you own the place. If it feels right, then you're one step closer to finding that fit that is right for you.



Secret Number Two

We have candy at our Open Campus Day on Friday. Yep. It's on Halloween this year so that means we get to dress up and give away candy. In fact our tour is really Trick or Treating so make sure you don't miss that. You also get to sit in on mini lectures to see what our profs are like and what the programs are all about, along with an information fair and a few surprises we'll keep under our hat until you get here (can't give away all the secrets!!). We also have some pretty great prizes so when you leave you will not only have a much better idea of what the Mount's all about, but you will also have candy and maybe a prize. Not too shabby.


Secret Number Three

Okay, so our slogan this year is "Independent Thinking Lives Here". What does that mean? That means that our school is the place that the people who don't just do what everyone else is doing go to. If you are the type of person who lets their true colours show (or just wish you could), the Mount is the place that will let you do that. And it's not just a "slogan", it was created by current and past students, staff, and faculty who thought long and hard about what the Mount is all about and realized this is it. This is a truly special school unlike no other - just ask any student who goes here or has gone here. There will be lots of them at Open Campus Day on Friday to talk to and will be happy to tell you their stories.

So what do you need to do now? Register for Open Campus Day at this link: http://www.msvu.ca/admissions/opencampusday/ - do it now so we buy enough candy for everyone!!

See you then!

Heidi