marchballer

I am debating as to when I should come and visit MIT. Since im from Louisiana we have the luxury of being off during Mardi Gras. So i am considering making a visit during Mardi Gras as oppose to CPW. CPW weekend I want to visit Stanford if I get in b/c the weekend of Stanford admit weekend is my senior prom.

So would I miss a good bit by not going to MIT during CPW and visiting Stanford (if admitted?) instead or should I really make the effort to go to CPW but when should I visit Stanford (if admitted?)

molliebatmit

You wouldn't have to go to CPW to enjoy MIT (I didn't). Still, CPW is a lot of fun, and it's the only way you'll get to meet the members of your own class -- visiting during another time is all well and good, but you'll only meet current students and not the members of your own class.

There's also a lot that's available during CPW that's not available on a normal weekend -- you can go around to athletic and extracurricular fairs to check out student groups, you can go on UROP tours, and you can go to different events at different dorms and FSILGs. You'd have more of an opportunity to find your own social group instead of just meeting your host and his/her living group.

dally

It depends on what your priorities are, really.

CPW is so much more than just a visit; there are tons of fun activities just for prefrosh, plus you get to meet all your fellow '11s. Plus, there are dorm tours and free food and tons of other sweet stuffs. However, that can also be a bad thing - if you want to really know what a campus is *really* like on a normal day, a visit outside of CPW might be better.

One solution might be to visit Stanford during Mardi Gras, even though you won't know if you're admitted. However, that's a lot of money for possibly no reason. Your solution actually sounds pretty good, if you're willing to choose school over the awesomeness of CPW! Or if you want a more "real" view of the campus.

mootmom

Most of the students who attend CPW seem to feel pretty strongly positive about MIT afterwards, and observation shows me that they tend to develop strong friendships with classmates there that last well beyond CPW. It's a very exciting time to visit (not *typical*, but exciting).

Every year some number of admits have to choose between senior prom and CPW. Some chose one, some chose the other. Neither of them will happen twice.

stasterisk

I chose CPW. I have never slept so little. And yeah, I still see and talk to people I met then on a regular basis (although I didn't quite catch most of their names at the time - too little sleep :P)

I even met my temp roommate (who is one of my really good friends) at CPW.