Admission Podcasts Tackle What Students Really Want to Know.

The article presents information about the admissions Web site of the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, Mansfield, Pennsylvania, which began offering weekly admission podcasts in mid-October, 2005. Dennis Miller, Mansfield's director of public relations, says that, to his knowledge, no other U.S. campus is offering a similar podcast series. The idea for the series began in May 2004 when he was talking with a graduate who is a real technology expert, Miller said. During a conversation about podcasting, the young alumnus suggested that Mansfield should get into the medium. Learning about what the new technology required wasn't too intimidating, said Miller, who has a background in radio broadcasting. And what he didn't know, the alumnus was willing to teach him. The biggest challenge is figuring out what content will compel students and parents to listen in, Miller said. He and Mansfield admissions director Brian Barden eventually decided on creating weekly shows that follow four students through their first year. Miller interviews the students, asking questions about the transition to college that Miller believes really concern college- bound students the most.