We absolutely love when Siena alumni return to campus—whether it’s to speak to students or to simply say hello. In addition to reminiscing and updating them with what’s new about their alma mater, we get to hear firsthand where their education is taking them in life. And if we have to be honest (which we always are!), we’re never disappointed. In fact, we’re constantly beyond impressed. Such was the case with Stephen Gilbert ’85, who recently stopped by to chat with students about his journey from math major to world traveler as senior vice president of architecture at Burberry. Since prospective students weren’t present, we thought we’d sit down with him and ask a few questions you might want to know. Take a look…

Haven’t been to campus yet? November offers plenty of perfect opportunities to stop by our home in Loudonville, New York. Join a group information session or plan a Veterans Day visit. On November 11, you can join a student ambassador for a personal tour experience where you’ll visit classrooms, labs, residence halls, athletic facilities, the library and a dining hall. (And remember, we also offer admission visits and interviews every weekday.)

Every month, our admissions team will post a checklist of a couple things you could be doing at that time to 1) move along in the admissions process, or 2) better prepare yourself for when you’re ready to apply. Here’s our advice for November.

College students in Florida are usually described as studying in a vacation spot. But if you ask any student in the Northeast what it’s like to live and go to school up here, they’ll tell you they love their four seasons. How could you not? In the fall in particular, Upstate New York is a destination for those who want to marvel at fall foliage and enjoy fun autumnal activities. For Siena students, this is part of life during the fall semester. Here are five of our favorite things to do around here this time of year.

This past month, the deans of our three schools stepped up to the mic and hosted live chats with current students and alums to answer questions from prospective students like you. They responded to all kinds of digitally submitted inquiries, like… “Is there a class size cap and are classes taught by professors or TAs?” “What do you do if you know what profession in science you want, but you’re not exactly strong in science?”  “How are advisors assigned and do students generally keep them for all four years?”

Chances are, you tweet. So you know that Twitter is one of the best ways to stay in-the-know about pretty much everything. Local news, national news, restaurant reviews, real-time event updates. There are loads of things you can find out about by searching Twitter and following the right accounts. Getting a feel for life in the Capital Region is no exception. Think you’d enjoy living here and attending Siena? Start following these Twitter handles—they’ll come in handy now and while you’re here.

If you’ve been following our blog since the beginning, you know that Siena College wholeheartedly welcomes undeclared students. But for those of you who would rather enter college with an intended major or area of interest (or, if you’re at that point in college when it’s time to declare one, and you happen to be reading our blog), this post is for you. As you zero in on a concentration, keep these considerations in mind—to both help you decide and help you stress less about your choice.

Remember when we gave you five things to look for when visiting a campus? Number 4 asked “what’s within walking distance?” It’s something you should absolutely think about as you research colleges because you’ll want to enjoy time off campus with your friends—without always having to fork over gas or cab money. Plus, having a pharmacy and other convenience stores right around the corner makes life a lot easier.

Just for fun, we asked current students to complete the sentence “You know you go to Siena when…” Take a look at some of their responses below! Yes, many are inside jokes. But lists like these can often give you a sense of what life is like at a particular college or in a certain region. And as you can see here, Siena students are nothing if not fun, polite, intelligent and tight-knit.

Sometimes, the college someone chooses turns out to be not the best fit. Thinking lately that you’d be thriving much more somewhere else? In other words, want to transfer? Read on. Although most of our advice on this blog can apply to transfer students as well, this particular post was created especially for you (as was our transfer open house on 10/29). And high school students may want this advice eventually, too! Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you make the decision to transfer.