In addition to traditional tours, brochures and the Fiske Guide, there is another way for prospective students to learn about Binghamton University: the student blog.
The blog was created as a part of the admissions page of the BU Web site to act as an online information resource or a “digital storybook of Binghamton,” and is written for prospective students by current students, said Cheryl Fabrizi, director of Enrollment Management Marketing at BU.
There are currently 40 student bloggers who range from freshmen to seniors, majoring in various departments, who participate in diverse student organizations and clubs, providing readers with multiple perspectives on student life at the University. These bloggers go through a 15- to 20-minute training session.
Daniel Bessel, a junior marketing and leadership major, has been blogging for the University since the start of this semester.
“I found out about [the blog] through the BU Student Ambassador Program general interest meeting as a way to get involved with admissions on campus,” he said.
Bessel posts one entry per week and said that bloggers are free to write about any aspect of their experience as a student at BU.
“The general rule is, do not post anything you would not want your parents or grandparents to read,” he said.
Student bloggers are often interns for independent study credit, but they can also be volunteers, student ambassadors or even tour guides seeking public relations and marketing experience, said Rebecca Kahn, Enrollment Management Marketing coordinator.
“Each blogger posts his or her bio and personal accounts in his or her own voice and writing style,” she said. “Sometimes the voice is serious, other times it’s humorous. Students’ writings are their own words and own voices and drives the popularity of the blog.”
Readers can post comments on individual entries with further questions for the bloggers.
“I once received a comment from a prospective student asking me about the School of Management and its marketing program,” Bessel said. “We have e-mailed back and forth and it is a great way to reach out to students and tell them about the school.”
Lorraine Harper, a senior Arabic studies and Spanish double major, is the 2009-10 admissions marketing intern.
Harper blogs bi-weekly on topics ranging from studying abroad to campus events and academic opportunities.
“It is a more personal peer review about BU,” she said. “New students get insight into what is available and what kind of people go to BU.”
Harper’s entries mainly focus on her study abroad experiences, providing information on how to apply and her personal adventures in other countries. In addition to her writing, she posts pictures of the places she visited.
According to Harper, the blog is not monitored or filtered by BU administration.
“[Bloggers] can write about the good aspects of BU and the bad, though they are expected to highlight the good,” she said.
According to Fabrizi, topics include a wide range of categories including personal stories from studying abroad, opinions on the quality of dining hall food and experiences in classes of various majors.
“The response to the blog has been very positive from both prospective students and current students,” Fabrizi said. “Prospective students like the opportunity to follow the latest posts … These online connections provide great insights that can be a challenge to capture and bring to life in brochures, Web pages, video, podcasts, etc.”
BU’s student blog can be accessed at blogs.binghamton.edu/index.php/admissions.