Fall Diversity Overnight Program

supermodella · 10-15-2009, 04:55 PM

What exactly do they do at this program? I'm attending Oct. 25-26 and I'm wondering what it's all about, since there's not much of a description on the page. Also, are the days separated by race, seeing as one of the days is focused on Native-Americans. I have no problem with this, but if it's diversity, shouldn't the races all be together? I'm confused.

ZFanatic · 10-16-2009, 12:42 AM

I'm a Native American and went to the Engineering DHW last fall. I'm not sure how your program is, but that one was all ethnicities mixed together.

The goal of those programs is basically to get minority students to feel comfortable with a school like Cornell. I have friends who were Gates Millenium scholars that got into Dartmouth and Yale and Harvard, but turned them down to go to UT or OU or OSU. Nothing wrong with that, but it's that they're clearly competent enough to succeed at Cornell, but they're intimidated by it.

ILUxpssh · 10-16-2009, 02:04 PM

I went to the DOP on the 5th-6th and basically what was on schedule was workshops for the first day.

When you get there, you sign-in, meet some current students at each of the schools, maybe have a refreshment or snack, and meet your host. The actual program began around 3 p.m. with an introduction. The rest of the day was filled with general information sessions, financial aid workshops, etc. You're not really required to go to the workshops, though. Since I already knew some students at Cornell, I hung out with them for the day. After dinner, you basically have free time to explore the school and hang out with your host. The next morning you have basically the entire day (from 8-3) to visit any of the listed available classes they give you. Again, it's up to you if you want to visit classes. Then there's a closing meeting around 3:30 at RPCC where you take a survey about your stay and get an application fee waiver for when you apply. Then it's over. It may sound a bit dull, but it's what you make of it. My stay was really fun. And you get meal tickets!

Sorry for the long answer lol. But as ZFanatic said, the goal of the DOP is to get you comfortable with a school like Cornell and pretty much bring diversity into the future applicant pool.