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For my son, who isn't very clear on what he wants to study, the open house was a bit overwhelming. I think he would have done better to have just done a tour during the week, but this of course is in hindsight.
The college put on a very well-organized show. It started with an address by the President in the gym which was packed with parents and kids. He made a very big deal about rankings. After that there were 2 sessions where most of the departments gave presentations. The two we sat in on, one by a psych prof and the other by the Dean of the business school, seemed to be aimed more at the parents than the 17-year-olds in the audience. A lot of it went over my son's head - he didn't leave with a sense of what either major was really all about. The Dean also made a very big deal about rankings.
The campus tours happened after that, with current students taking small groups around the main part of the campus. Our tour guide was sharp, articulate and informative. The campus is quite nice, with the buildings in good condition and a very interesting Holocaust exhibit in the library.
About a half a dozen dorm rooms were open for either a self-guided or a student-guided tour. We opted for a student-guided tour and got another smart tour guide. When asked about substance-free dorms she said that all the freshman dorms were sub-free, and as an RA she could say that with confidence. Even so, in every dorm were hand-lettered posters describing the symptoms and risks of binge drinking. I appreciated the educational value of this and wondered if it was a serious issue on campus (and how one would be able to tell).
There were bag lunches for all participants which we ate in the shade outside as it was a beautiful (and hot) day.
We went to a meeting in the Athletic Dept after lunch which split up into the various sports (most of the coaches were there). The Athletic Director made a big deal about rankings (somehow I sensed a trend...)
The school obviously put a lot of time and effort into the open house as it was very well organized and staffed. I think my son would have benefited from a more personal visit, but kids who have a clearer idea of what they want to study might have gotten more out of it.
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