Holmes for the holidays

Searching for clues about of the holiday season’s most popular movies? Look no further than the University of Minnesota, home to the world’s largest collection of Sherlock Holmes artifacts!

What would be on your bucket list?

CLA senior Sergio Meyer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication made a "senior bucket list" of all the things he wants to do before he graduates from the University.

Check out this video and see which U of M favorites he crossed off the bucket list!

The application priority deadline is tomorrow!

Seniors, it's not too late to complete your application for admission to the College of Liberal Arts! The priority deadline for submitting your complete application is tomorrow, Tuesday, December 15. A complete application includes the following items:

• Application for admission
• Application fee of $55
• Official ACT or SAT scores (sent directly from the testing agency)
• Offical high school transcripts

For more detailed information about completing you application, check out this list of frequently asked questions. In addition, you can check the status of your application materials is to use our online Application Tracker tool.

Please keep in mind December 15 is a postmark deadline. As long as your materials are mailed by this date, your application will be considered complete on time.

Calling all musicians

The School of Music at the University of Minnesota is drawing talented musicians from across the country to collaborate on intellectual and creative work in areas of music performance, music education, and music therapy. Students work with and learn from faculty who are renowned experts in their fields, many of whom work as professional choreographers, visual artists, theater directors and orchestra musicians outside of the University.

Announced just this year is a new Bachelor of Arts in music degree which allows for more flexibility and is intended for students who wish to pursue academic avenues within music or hope to combine music with another major. The Bachelor of Arts in music does not require an audition.

Also available for students in the School of Music is the Bachelor of Music degree, which does require an audition. The Bachelor of Music is a professional degree in music and is intended for students who seek conservatory-style training within a liberal arts environment. Click here for more information about the audition process and requirements.

Bon appétit with family traditions

What traditions are you most looking forward to this Thanksgiving? Call me crazy but I love the day-long cooking extravaganza even more than the food itself!

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, U of M professors are studying the cultural traditions of families across the country. Professor Beeman in CLA’s Department of Anthropology studies eating habits to find the do’s and don’ts of cultural traditions all over the world. Given my age rank in the family, I am thankful we don't have a tradition of forming a procession to the table with the oldest, most prominent, or most-respected people leading the way as many cultures do!

Before you sit down for turkey and stuffing tomorrow, read more or check out this video of Professor Beeman to learn how your family traditions are shaping American holiday dining!

Feel "at home” as a U of M student

Frontier Hall, one of the University's freshman-only residence halls, is home to approximately 735 students

Over 80 percent of first-year students at the University of Minnesota choose to live on campus. With eight residence halls available to freshmen you will be part of a supportive (and fun) environment to meet fellow freshmen and make lasting friendships. Living on campus is a great way to get connected to the University and become involved through Living Learning Communities and student organizations.

Apply for housing online today!
Seniors, if you have applied for admission to the U of M, you can go ahead and apply for housing. You may apply for housing before receiving your admission decision and if you have a preference for room type or residence hall I encourage you to apply early. Your housing assignment will be based on the date you submit the housing application, so the sooner you apply, the more likely you are to be placed in one of your top choices.

Freshman Housing Guarantee
The University guarantees campus housing if you apply by May 1. Any student who submits his or her housing application by May 1 will be guaranteed a spot in one of our residence halls.

For more information about the residence halls and to begin the housing application, please visit: http://www.housing.umn.edu/.

Congratulations, U of M Fulbright Fellows!

The University of Minnesota was recently honored as one of the top institutions in the nation for Fulbright Fellows, according to rankings released by The Fulbright Program.

The Fulbright Program is an internationally recognized fellowship opportunity for students to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. This prestigious exchange program is awarded to students based on merit and demonstration of exemplary leadership.

Meet two of this year's Fulbright recipients from CLA:

Daniel Groth, a 2009 summa cum laude graduate is the recipient of an English Teaching Assistant Grant to South Korea. Groth intends to pursue medical school in the future and will be learning about South Korea’s health care system during his stay. A guitarist, he will also take lessons on the 12-string kayagum, a traditional Korean musical instrument.

Zachary Saathoff, a 2009 graduate of the School of Music with a degree in violin performance, will be headed to Austria to study violin with faculty at the Künstuniversität Graz. He intends to play in a chamber music ensemble, learn about Austria's rich musical history and explore connections between music and art.

Click here to learn more about international scholarship opportunities at the U of M.