This is the first time I’ve written a blog.  Ever!  And surprisingly, I’m actually kind of excited!  I guess I should tell you a little bit about who I am and what I do…

My name is Jennifer McKinney and I’m a Freshman Admission Counselor here at North Central College.  I graduated from North Central (yeah Class of ‘07!) with degrees in Finance, Economics, and Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management.  I worked in the Office of Admission as a Student Ambassador and just fell in love with all things admission.  Now I’m lucky enough to work with incoming freshmen and help guide them through their college search, application and financial aid processes, etc.

Most of you have probably already finished the application process and are now beginning to finalize your college decision.  A great way to help you along in this process is to make some campus visits.  Even if you’ve already visited us two or three times, I encourage you to come back!  You can sit in on a class, meet with faculty, attend an athletic or fine art event, or even just eat at our dining hall.  Visiting is a great way to see if we’re the right fit for you.

The “financial aid season” is also right around the corner.  You can begin filing the FAFSA at anytime now (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov).  Also, check out our Financial Aid Office’s website.  It’s a great resource to get your basic questions answered.  Of course, you can always call or e-mail your individual Admission Counselor with any additional questions.

Here’s the link to the Financial Aid site:  http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x1854.xml

Well, I think that’s all for now - it’s time for me to head home!  Thanks for reading my first blog ever!  I also want to give a shot out to Megan, my transfer counselor counterpart.  She’s awesome.  You should read her blog, too.

http://blogs.northcentralcollege.edu/mlhoinkes/2008/02/01/meet-megan-hoinkes-a-transfer-admission-rock-star/

Have a great weekend!

Jen (are you supposed to sign these things?)