Where In The World Is The Nance Effect? by Bryan G. Nance
He returns! He returns! He returns!
Where in the World is The Nance Effect? That, my friends, is the million-dollar question. Suffice to say I am back and I have lots of advice and experiences to share with all of you. So, lets get started!
Something Old…
- The Nance Effect is immersed in the annual road trips known as MIT Central Meetings. For me, this means: Washington DC; Alexandria, VA; Bethesda, MD; Baltimore, MD; Austin, TX; Detroit, MI; Ann Arbor, MI; Milwaukee, WI; Greater Chicagoland, IL and the greatest city in the free world, New York City. (Sorry Red Sox fans.)
- As usual, staff, faculty, new and returning students are all excited by the start of the new academic school year and the possibility of a New England World Series. (Sorry Yankees fans.)
- More blogging advice from me about the college process, coming soon…
Something New…
- The Class of 2011 has descended upon the Institute. New faces, new ideas, new experiences, new potential hackers…
- I am more excited than usual because I will be a freshman advisor for the first time. You gotta feel sorry for the three poor saps who are stuck with me as an advisor! ;-) Seriously, I am honored and excited at the prospect of helping my advisees navigate the first 25% of their MIT career.
- I am pleased to announce that Ms. Tamy-Fee Meneide has joined the admissions staff as Assistant Director for Minority Recruitment.
- My oldest daughter is a high school junior this year, so I’ll get to see the college process from the point of view of a dad and not just that of an admissions officer. In fact, we made our first college visit together earlier this summer. Hummmmm….. we’ll save the details for a separate entry.
Something Borrowed…
- All I can think of for this section is my daughter’s Powerbook (she has some really good music). But she made me give it back.
- Okay, that was lame. How about this: Minority Ambassadors (MIT students who assist me with the recruitment process) and Tamy-Fee will be doing some guest blogging for The Nance Effect. There, that’s better isn’t it?
Something Blue…
- I am sad to report that Ms. Millene Hahm, former Assistant Director for Minority Recruitment, has departed the admissions world for the opportunity to become a student again. Currently she is enjoying classes and homework as a MBA student at the Fuqua School of Business-Duke University. This just proves that learning is a life-long endeavor and that it’s cool to go back to school!
In future blogs I plan to discuss: EC interviews, rants from the road, and life as a parent in the college process.
So, what’s your story? What’s old, new, borrowed or blue with you?
Old: A return to my fairly terrible attention span in class.
New: MP3s of all the expected tracks in Guitar Hero III
Borrowed: A couple of PSET answers from a couple of people.
Blue: My face when I hold my breath for a really long time!
Welcome back Nance!
Nance is back!
You’re not visiting California? You were the one who convinced me to go get an interview when you came out! I wasn’t originally going to…
Ah, admissions season starts again. I’m oddly excited. It’s strange to think our class is barely here, and you’re preparing for the next..
Old: My incessant stalking of these blogs.
New: My very own corner of the blogosphere.
Borrowed: My girlfriend’s Harry Potter books
Blue: The fact that after visiting MIT this week, I will inevitably have to return to work.
I was actually wondering quite recently what had happened to The Nance Effect. Glad you’re back! Blog on!
I missed you! You’re my favorite MIT blogger, and possibly my favorite blogger of all but I wouldn’t want to get carried away with myself.
My story since you asked: I want to thank you for inspiring me to try for MIT. I’m far from a normal prospective student being old (26, which is old for college at least), married and with a kid (who is, of course the smartest kid ever and squealed over an ancient laptop at 6 months, she is so a geek- we’re very proud-anyway back to what I was saying before I got all squishy about my monkey).
I stumbled onto to the MIT open courseware and then glanced at the admissions page and in particular your blog, and something in me went “go for it the worst that can happen is you don’t get in and since you’re not in now you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain”. MIT screams to me as the right place to go.
If there is any school anywhere that will appreciate an applicant like me who fought a million odds just to graduate (though my grades were less than stellar) and just to survive (I knew too many who didn’t). From there got up, dusted off and has not tossed her dreams aside simply because life interrupted the typical process.
MIT seems a school for the impossible and the ridiculously dedicated (a statement meant with the utmost respect) so I figure I’ll do the impossible and try. Anyway succeeding at the impossible seems to a skill of mine :D.
Well I’ve rambled long enough. Thanks for inspiring me to shoot for the stars.
As Dory says “Can’t ever let nothing happen to him, cause then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo.”
*waves to Snively* I like your blog. It’s cooler than mine which could in small part due to the fact that mine only has one entry. I should probably work on that huh? Anyway *waves*
Yay ! I was waiting for articles from you, it has been a long time !
Old : working hard at home!
New : jugling with two education systems
Borrowed : my dad’s great flipflops
Blue : my jeans !
I’m so glad to see that you are back! Hurray for that! Also, I love the wedding-themed post (old, new, borrowed, blue.)
OLD: The cold germs that are already going around at school/everyone sniffling and coughing
NEW: Filling out college applications
BORROWED: An AP Government textbook
BLUE: My toes, because my house is freezing
Old: I’m using headphones so that my neighbours can get some sleep and don’t call the cops…
New: Socks! I bought 6 pairs of warm winter socks, you can never have too many of those
Borrowed: some books, as usual
Blue: Electrical tape on my desk :p
Why couldn’t you have been my freshman advisor?! Lame.
Old: the concept of lots and lots of work
New: the specific lots and lots of new work, and college craziness
Borrowed: more than my share of nervous about my EC interview this Thursday (though there is also some excitement)
Blue: the strange blue function on the cover of my Multivariable calculus book and the entire cover of my AP Gov book
So, glad to see you back. I’m sorry I missed your presentation here in the Hampton Roads, VA area cause of my governor’s school thing, but at least you met my mom, my head guidance counselor, and the director of my academy program.. so, I think I got most of the information, but I didn’t get the chance to meet you :-(.
~Donald Guy
MILLENE
COME BACK
WE MISS YOU
UWAA Glad to see you back~~let’s see what’s going on with me…
Old: Well, school is already getting old after 8 days…if that counts.
New: Stress…less about grades, more about colleges
Borrowed: My sister’s clothes hehe
Blue: At the moment? My CD case. ^__^
Old: me surfing these blogs
New: me having life-deciding exams every month or 2 months all this school year and doing the old thing (see above)
Borrowed: some essays that worked for my 2011 friends
Blue: my soul when I realize my essays are lame compared to theirs
Welcome back Nance, glad to hear that The Nance Effect has returned. I’m looking forward to hearing the advice that you have to share with us about the college process.
Old: My out-of-date digital camera
New: College apps and the worries they bring
Borrowed: 2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke from the library
Blue: Surprisingly it’s also 2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke
I didn’t know you’re a freshman advisor, Bryan! If all works out then you might me advising me? Great :D
Hello, Nance and how are you?
I have been at the seminar for MIT at Ann Arbor ( the girl who wanted to take 10 APs) and you told me to contact you about some of the MIT questions that i had and that you would contact me with a student or so. If you can please e-mail me or something.
Thanks and good luck on everything!
NANCE EFFECT! You’re back! I’m so happy I can blog you now, woohoo! In the spirit of Tradition…
Old: the stresses of senior year, since school started exactly a month ago today
New: me being cool, calm, collected and going after my dreams
Borrowed: quotations from others as a servicable substitute for wit (that was an altered quotation, I didnt say that)
Blue: me when I fall short of a goal
I love these blogs! Its weird: from reading these blogs for so long, I feel familiar with you guys, recognizing your names from previous replies and all. Weird beacuse you may not know me since I haven’t written glogs often. I plan to make amends! I’ll write blogs more often