Is attendance at Admitted Students weekend important?

sunnyholiday · 01-16-2010, 09:47 AM

Is the primary value of Admitted Students Weekend the info presented for students who are undecided about whether to attend Harvey Mudd or choose another college?

My son is already committed to attending Harvey Mudd, so there is no decision to be made. We are trying to prioritize expenditures, and are wondering whether there is something (besides fun) to be had during that visit for a kid who knows he will be attending.

Thanks for any insights.

fiona_ · 01-16-2010, 09:52 AM

I didn't attend ASW (I am international) and I think most ASWs are to convince kids to come, pretty much. I'm going to plug Summer Institute, a free program organised by the Office of Institutional Diversity for the three weeks before term starts. It's an awesome opportunity to get to know the other SI participants, and an awesome opportunity in general.

colorado_mom · 01-16-2010, 01:01 PM

Is there a set date(s) for ASW?

carsugar · 01-16-2010, 01:02 PM

it's april 11-12

geek_mom · 01-16-2010, 01:49 PM

Oh, sunny, do consider going and/or sending him if it's not a hardship to do so. Yes, it's a lot of fun, and the presentations are helpful if you have questions or if you haven't crawled all over their Web site already. But one of the best parts is that he'll meet other admits and students who are already there, which means he'll have friends (including upperclassmen) when he hits the ground next year -- and Facebook friends to get acquainted with between now and August (if he's not on Facebook already, I'd encourage him to get on it during the summer with his HMC email address).

Is it an outright requirement, no. August Pre-Frosh will supply plenty of wacky fun and get him connected with students who are proctors and sponsors, and some Mudders will probably seek him out and friend him on Facebook if he's there. So it's not like he'll be disadvantaged if he doesn't attend, but I think there's value in attending. For ED admits in particular, the wait is looooong for communications from the college and ASW makes it real again. I know it was worth it for my son. I think it's more valuable for the students than for the parents, so you might consider sending him on his own if the money is tight.

Oh, and he'll have a gold star on his name tag because he applied ED.

sunnyholiday · 01-17-2010, 07:42 AM

Well, that does sound worthwhile. I am a big believer in having some friends available to support each other. And that would give son an opportunity to "practice" getting in and out of Ontario airport. It sounds like transportation from there to campus is not too difficult.

fiona_ · 01-17-2010, 07:44 AM

There isn't any public transport from Ontario, though they may organise HMC shuttles to and fro for ASW. I've had a friend drive me to Ontario and I've taken a Super Shuttle.

sunnyholiday · 01-17-2010, 07:47 AM

Super Shuttle? What is that?

fiona_ · 01-17-2010, 07:49 AM

Shared-ride bus service, you either pre-pay online or head to a booth at the airport. They send you right from the airport to your destination.

geek_mom · 01-17-2010, 01:28 PM

Transportation to and from Ontario Airport is not really difficult, but it's not as easy as most. We had high hopes for the nearby rail station, but it doesn't serve the airport! During peak times, the 5C Consortium often runs a shuttle; your son should receive information on making a reservation, and that's probably one of the easiest ways to go (and certainly the cheapest). The rest of the time, it's either SuperShuttle or a cab. We prefer a cab company based on Claremont because they're local owner/operators who depend on students for their livelihood -- consequently, they're very friendly and accommodating. More comfortable and convenient than SuperShuttle, and about the same price-wise if I recall correctly. SuperShuttle is workable too, but I'd recommend he make a reservation before he travels. We've had some not-so-great experiences waiting a very long time for shuttles because the drivers wanted to hold out for full shuttles, or even for higher fares farther away. Having a reservation should take care of that concern in most cases.

geek_mom · 01-17-2010, 01:35 PM

Oh -- and as Fiona alluded, most Mudders seem to get rides from friends with cars once they're there. My son's paid for a cab maybe once all semester.

sunnyholiday · 01-17-2010, 04:49 PM

Hey, this is all very helpful. Thank you !

Miru · 01-25-2010, 05:16 PM

Just for the sake of balance, I didn't go to ASW Summer Institute and I did just fine. Making friends during orientation is not hard at all (and I definitely do not have awesome social skills)...the hard part really comes with choosing which group of people to start hanging out with regularly once the whirlwind of the first few weeks dies down, not trying to get friends in the first place (unless you spend your first few weeks entirely on facebook, playing WOW, or with your significant other).

That said, all of my friends who went to ASW loved it (though friendwise, its apparently kind of funny to look back at who you hung out with during ASW and how people have changed since then). And those who are did SI are inseparable from their SI buddies. So if you have the money, go ahead. But if you're like my family and will have to stretch a little to afford an extra plane ticket, don't bother.

colorado_mom · 01-26-2010, 09:40 PM

Could anyone add comments about ASW vs sleepover visit a different time? If my son gets into Mudd, I want him to visit again. But getting him to ASW may require some tricky logistics due to a mandatory school travel event that weekend.

fiona_ · 01-27-2010, 01:35 AM

I've hosted visiting HS students. I think that such an experience is valuable and more real, but the ASW weekend would be more exciting and have lots of events specifically catered for the HS kids.