On May 18 a group of us from Middle College joined Kennedy and Richmond High students on a Charter bus to Berkeley High for the college information session. I was a little excited and also incredibly unsure what to expect. Mr. Kent, our chaperone (since Ms. Hart was sick) found a UPENN alum for us to talk to. I told him I was interested in politics and though he advocated Penn, he recommended that I talk to Bruce, the Georgetown representative and a former Penn admissions officer.
After the event started, we watched brief presentations about each school from their respected representative. The schools were: Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, and UPenn. They were very informative and made very sure to talk about financial aid and their clear distinctions from each other. Then we went to break-out sessions where we could ask specific questions of each school.
My mind-set was since I'm visiting Penn in the summer, I won't talk to them since he looked a little busy. Harvard and Duke weren't too appealing to me so I didn't bother. I saw a lot of people heading to Stanford so I went to Georgetown first.
I'm really interested in poly sci so D.C. seems like the place to be. My only concerns are the weather and the competition in politics because we're in the nation's capital. It was hard to get a question in because there were so many people but eventually I did get a chance and I got his e-mail. Awesome! I think the night sealed my relationship with Georgetown; in other words, I will definitely apply in the fall and we'll see where it'll go from there.
Next I went to Stanford, one of my dream schools. The crowd was of moderate size and I heard him talk about some notable personal statements this year. After no one else seemed to have a question, I raised my hand. I asked how the recent financial crisis and the potential of worse happening, would affect Stanford's financial aid and other programs. He talked about his own experience in the recession. He was actually laid-off from the Business School but later re-hired in the admissions office. He found it very advantageous because he is now making more money and having more fun.
Overall, the night was very informative. I can't wait until the one next week!
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a chance to check out this great event and took advantage of the opportunity to speak with admissions officers.
I wish, though, that you had spoken with the Penn rep. I think it's a bad assumption that you'll be able to speak to the people you need to speak to when you're visiting Penn. You never can tell what might pop up to prevent the intercourse you were hoping for: train delays, illness, bad weather, etc. A bird in the hand is much better than a promise for riches later on.
I can't help but think, Michelle, that the Stanford rep really didn't answer your question. From what you wrote, you wanted to know about financial aid packages for applying students and he told you about his own employment history working for the school. Am I just dense here? I'm not seeing a nexus.