Office of Admission Blog

What You Need to Know About Academic Advising

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Butler Admission

We’re getting questions from many seniors regarding New Student Registration and the academic advising process. During the academic advising appointment, you will discuss your placement exam results, classes important to your major, the Core Curriculum, and potential electives. Together, you will craft a first semester class schedule that balances requirements with general courses of interest.

Upon arrival, students will receive a special version of Butler’s Fall 2012 Schedule of Classes listing all course options appropriate for first year students. This booklet will include course descriptions and meeting times for Core Curriculum and entry level classes for all majors. Please bring this booklet to your college meeting and academic advising appointment as it will be helpful when planning your schedule.

It is not necessary to have a complete course schedule prepared prior to arrival. Many variables go into the enrollment process, including course availability and placement exam results that impact the selection of courses. We do encourage you to visit the Academic Advising FAQ page for more information before attending New Student Registration.

Tagged: academic, advising, advisor, bulldogs, bulletin, butler, class, new, registration, schedule, senior, student, university | 3 Comments

Visit Campus This Summer at Butler 101

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Butler Admission

This is the time of year when high school juniors (and even sophomores) need to start thinking about college visits. We encourage students to visit colleges and universities early on in their search process. By doing so, you can get a better understanding of what you are looking for in a higher education institution. Furthermore, this can help you save time. We often see that students start visiting schools after they’ve already applied. Visiting colleges and universities before you apply can help you narrow down your choices. It might even help you eliminate a few, ultimately, saving you time applying to schools you wouldn’t see yourself at.

We have Butler 101 events that rising juniors and seniors can attend this summer. Butler 101 is a great way to learn more about all that Butler University has to offer. At Butler 101, you will get to experience an admission and financial aid presentation, student-led campus tour and cookout with current students, faculty and admission counselors. Register now for this unique opportunity to visit Butler.

Butler 101 Visit Days:

9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Friday, May 25
Friday, June 22
Friday, July 27
Friday, August 10

We hope to see you on campus this summer. Have questions? Contact your admission counselor or reach out to us on Facebook.

Tagged: butler, butler101, campus, freshman, indiana, indianapolis, summer, university, visit | 1 Comment

Are You Ready for (Early) New Student Registration?

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Butler Admission

Early New Student Registration is just around the corner. Are you starting to prepare? If you’ve selected the date in which you want to attend a registration, great! If not, here is a complete list of dates:

Early New Student Registration (Early Action Admits)
Friday, March 23
Friday, March 30
Friday, April 6
Friday, April 27
Saturday, April 28

New Student Registration (Regular Decision Admits)
Friday, May 18
Friday, June 1
Friday, June 8
Friday, June 15

There are a few important items you will want to be sure to take care of before arriving on campus for New Student Registration. First, you will want to take your placement exams. Before you begin taking those exams, please visit our Placement Exam FAQ’s page. Next, you’ll want to actually take the placement exams. All of the placement exam info can be found on our New Student Registration website. This specific page will give you information on what placement exams you need to take, when you need to take them by and how to actually take each test.

After completing your placement exams, you’ll want to start preparing for your academic advising session. What is an academic advising appointment? It’s an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a faculty member in the major you have declared. During the academic advising appointment, you will discuss your placement exam results, classes important to your major, the Core Curriculum, and potential electives. Together, you will craft a first semester class schedule that balances requirements with general courses of interest. Before you arrive on campus read through the Preparing for Advising and Advising FAQ’s page.

Of course, if you have any questions before you come to New Student Registration, please don’t hesitate to contact your admission counselor. We look forward to seeing you at Butler University in the fall!

Tagged: admit, advising, attend, bulldogs, butler, campus, class, college, deposit, exams, freshman, placement, registration, schedule, senior, university | Leave a comment

Juniors: Get a Headstart on the Admission Process

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Butler Admission

You’ve already taken many of the steps to be eligible for admission consideration to Butler University. You’ve taken solid academic courses and scheduled your classes for senior year. It’s important to know that by graduation you must complete four years of English, three years of math, three years of science, two years of social studies and two years of the same foreign language. (*Please note that if you are interested in physician assistant or pharmacy, you must complete four years of math and four years of science.) Wondering about ACT or SAT exams? You must take either the SAT or ACT exam with writing. So what are your next steps?

March & April

We offer a Junior Preview Day visit for all juniors interested in applying to Butler. Be sure to register early because spots fill up soon. *Please note registration for these events will open in March on www.butler.edu/visit.
Most colleges look the rigor of your senior year fall semester classes and may even wait for your grades. Be sure to select of full load of solid academic classes.
Search the internet for college information and review the publications you have received.
Develop your preliminary list of top college choices.

May – July

Keep studying for your ACT and/or SAT.
Visit us on campus at our Butler 101 event. (*Registration for Butler 101 opens in April)
Start working on those application essays. You can get a head start by visiting www.butler.edu/apply to view the essay prompts.

August

You can begin applying to Butler on August 1.
Retake your ACT and/or SAT if necessary.
Schedule an Open House visit to see if Butler University might be a good fit for you. (Registration for Open House opens in August.)

Tagged: act, admit, apply, bulldogs, butler, indiana, indianapolis, junior, sat, senior, university | 1 Comment

Don’t Forget About the FAFSA

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Butler Admission

It’s time! …to fill out the FAFSA that is.

If you are planning on attending college in the fall it is essential that you complete the Free Application for Federal Student (or otherwise known as the FAFSA), even if you think you will not qualify for financial aid. At the very least, you will have completed the proper form to take out a federal student loan. The FAFSA should be submitted each year you are enrolled in college before January 1. Check with your college or university to see when they want you to file the FAFSA because many schools will have a certain date they want you to complete the FAFSA by in order to receive the maximum consideration in financial aid, particularly gift aid – free money. All schools are not the same, so it is important to check the date for each school that you have applied. Indiana residents – it is important that you complete the FAFSA no later than March 10 each year to be considered for state grants.

The FAFSA can be completed and submitted electronically at www.fafsa.gov.

Apply for a PIN now! The PIN (personal identification number) will serve as your electronic signature and is required to submit your application online. You and a parent, one with whom you live, will each need a PIN. You can apply for the PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. Keep this PIN safe, you will need this number to submit your FAFSA next year.

Complete the FAFSA on the Web (FOTW) Worksheet before beginning the arduous task of filling out the application. The FOTW Worksheet will help you collect the required information you may not necessarily know off the top of your head.

It is best to have a completed federal income tax return (1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) for the most recent tax year (2011 for the 2012-2013 academic year) since many of the income questions on the FAFSA link directly to a specific question on the tax return.

Answer each question on the FAFSA as it is asked. The FAFSA is a standardized application and does not take into consideration special situations. If while you are completing the FAFSA you believe there is more information to be shared about your family’s ability to contribute towards your college expenses than what is asked for, make a note and contact each of the schools to which you are applying to see how you make them aware of these special circumstances.

Don’t forget to hit “submit” when you have completed the application. You can save your work if you need to come back to it at another time, but a saved application will not be processed and the information will not be sent to your schools of choice.

For help in completing the FAFSA, contact the financial aid at your college or university, attend a Financial Aid Night coordinated by your high school or attend College Goal Sunday.

Tagged: aid, bulldogs, butler, fafsa, financial, loans, scholarships, university | Leave a comment

Deposit Deadline Approaching

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Butler Admission

What is the enrollment deposit?

Freshman students are required to pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $300 with their admission acceptance. The enrollment deposit is required in order to reserve a space in the Class of 2016. All admission deposits must be received or postmarked by May 1.

Submitting an Enrollment Deposit after May 1

An Enrollment Deposit postmarked after May 1 will be considered late. The University reserves the right to return your Enrollment Deposit based on space availability in the freshman class. If your deposit is received after May 1, you need to call your admission counselor to let them know.

How do I accept admission and pay the enrollment deposit?

Online:

1. Go to www.butler.edu/deposit.
2. Fill in the form and verify your information.
3. Then…pay the enrollment deposit via MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or electronic check. For timely processing, we strongly suggest you submit your admission acceptance and enrollment deposit online via my.butler.edu You will receive immediate confirmation that your acceptance and deposit have been accepted.

By Mail:

Complete the Enrollment Form and attach a check, credit card information or money order for $300 payable to Butler University. If you mail in the form, please allow at least 2 weeks from the date you mailed your Enrollment Form and enrollment deposit for our system to be updated.

By submitting your deposit by February 1 makes you eligible to:

Be among the first to register for classes and get your ideal class schedule
Submit housing and roommate preferences
Join a Freshman Living-Learning Center

Tagged: accept, admit, bulldogs, butler, campus, deposit, indiana, midwest, pay, university | 1 Comment

What is the Cost of Opportunity?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Butler Admission

For many high school seniors, and college students alike, it might just be a few hours of your time. We know in today’s economy families are trying to make every dollar stretch as far as they can and sometimes the financial aid offered through federal and state government and colleges or universities just aren’t enough. Colleges and universities are spending every dime they have to help students just like you, but if you want a piece of the pie from all the dollars that go unspent every year you just might have to commit to a little time.

Outside scholarships are scholarships that are awarded outside of the normal financial aid processes and available through community groups, Fortune 500 companies and professional organizations. But how do you find these scholarships? There are a number of ways…I recommend starting with your high school guidance office. Your advisor has most likely been developing a list of scholarship opportunities from community and service organizations such as: Optimists, Kiwanis and Dollars for Scholars. Your parents may even be an unrealized source through their involvement in religious, social and trade memberships such as the Knights of Columbus, Masonic Lodge and the union local.

The corporate pages of Fortune 500 companies and scholarship search engines like Fastweb.com, College Board Scholarship Search and Sallie Mae’s Scholarship Search are just a few good online sources. Many corporations will provide college scholarships for students who qualify, so it does not hurt to search the corporate website for scholarships. The scholarship search engines will ask for students to register and complete a student profile so the student can be matched up with possible scholarship opportunities. There are no guarantees and you still have to apply for the scholarships, these websites do give you a start in locating scholarships for which you may apply. One piece of advice set up a separate email account just for your scholarship search; some sites, not all, will sell email addresses to keep the service free.

Tips:

Start now and keep looking. Not all scholarships are offered at the same time.
Apply, apply, apply! Cast a wide net by applying for as many scholarships as you can – you are bound to catch something.
Don’t discount any scholarship. A $100 can go a long way.
Scholarship opportunities are not limited to graduating high school seniors. It is important that you apply every year.
A little time and effort can net results. Don’t overlook a scholarship because the application requires an essay or additional information that may time to create. Consider the amount of time it takes in relation to the potential return.

Kristine Butz
Associate Director of Financial Aid

Tagged: aid, bulldogs, butler, financial, grants, loans, scholarships, university | Leave a comment

Plan a Visit to Indy

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Butler Admission

As many of you know, Indianapolis was awarded Super Bowl XLVI, which will be played on February 5. This will be the first Super Bowl held in Indianapolis, and the first one held in a cold-weather city since Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL. The game will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium, which seats just over 75,000 people. The Super Bowl Village will transform the heart of downtown Indianapolis into a ten-day interactive festival. From the NFL Experience at the Indiana Convention Center to awe-inspiring performances on Monument Circle, Indy promises to deliver an unforgettable experience. Visitors from across the world will experience the exhilaration of the Super Bowl while being introduced to downtown Indianapolis world-class restaurants, bars, hotels and attractions.

If you are planning to visit that weekend, or any other weekend, there is always something to do in Indianapolis. Check out a few of the Indy happenings going on now:

Interact with dinosaurs and the Barbie Fashion Experience at The Children’s Museum.
See the Pacers play at the newly renamed Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Conseco Fieldhouse).
Get lost in the Amazing Maize at the Indiana State Museum.
Devour Downtown: Indy’s biggest showcase of food and drink.

The Children's Museum

Tagged: bowl, butler, campus, indiana, indianapolis, indy, museum, students, super, university, visit | 1 Comment

True Blue

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Butler Admission

Find out what it’s really like to be a Butler student. Admitted students are encouraged to visit campus this spring and ‘shadow’ a current Butler University student through a typical day. The True Blue program takes place Monday through Thursday starting January 30 and ending April 12 (excluding March 12 — 15). It is a great opportunity to learn more about the academic and extra-curricular opportunities that exist for you as a prospective member of the Class of 2016. You will attend classes with your host, meet faculty, staff, and other current students, and have lunch in our award-winning dining hall. Our focus is about providing you an inside look into your major and life as a student at Butler University. By shadowing Butler students, you can gain better insight into the expectations of college, which in turn will help you to be better prepared for college life.

We encourage you to register for True Blue before spots fill up. Register now.

Tagged: accepted, admit, apply, blue, bulldogs, butler, freshman, indiana, indianapolis, seniors, true, university | 1 Comment

You Got In! Now What?

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Butler Admission

Congratulations! We’re excited to welcome you to the Class of 2016! Now that you’re in, you might be wondering, “What am I supposed to do next?” Here’s a list to get you started on what steps you should take next to become part of the Butler community:

1. Mail back your enrollment form. This will allow you to get registered for New Student Registration beginning in March. You can find more information about the event on our website.
2. Send in your enrollment deposit. Deposits made prior to May 1 are refundable with written request until that date. After May 1, deposits are non-refundable.
3. Visit Butler. You can view a complete list of admitted student events on www.butler.edu/admitted-students.
4. Join the Class of 2016 Facebook page. This page is a great way to connect with other admitted students and even find a roommate.
5. Consider your housing options. Speaking of roommates. You will be receiving your housing form inside the New Student Registration packet. It is a questionnaire you can fill out to ensure you get matched up with a roommate of your choosing or one that shares similar interests and living habits.
6. Send in your Transcripts. We do require that you send in your final transcripts upon graduation. For Indiana high school students, we also need your diploma type posted.
7. Tell everyone you know that you are a part of the Bulldog family!

Tagged: admit, apply, bulldogs, butler, enrollment, freshman, roommate, scholarship, senior, transcript, university, visit | Leave a comment

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