On our last full day on the East Coast, we visited Harvard College. We left our hotel at 8:30 AM and arrived at 10:00. But upon arrival, we couldn't find the area of the informational session, so we drove around the campus of Harvard for half an hour. We finally were able to find the session when Ms. Stewart came out to help us. During the informational session, I learned about Harvard's relaxed policy of supplemental materials, which I never knew existed. Supplemental materials are additional items sent in by the applicant to better express their passions and strengths.
Harvard has a very nice campus, and I could imagine the swaths of students bustling around the campus during the school year. But for some reason, I couldn’t see myself studying there. I just didn’t feel like I fit in. I really don’t know why though. It could be because I felt as if the entire campus was very cramped, or because the campus was very confusing, but for whatever reason, I don't think that I'll be applying there.
~~Pictures of Harvard~~
After the Harvard campus tour, we headed on back to our hotel to relax before our big dinner. Unfortunately, on the way back we encountered a vicious storm that caused no end of trouble. The rain poured down endlessly, and caused flooding on the highway. We ended up stuck in traffic for a long time, and the jam seemed to never end. At the end, we drove through the newly-formed pond, and away back to our dorms.
--Flooding on the Highway--
Tonight, we went to Mill’s Tavern for dinner. It was a delicious meal, courtesy of the ILC. I had swordfish for the first time in my life, and I liked it. It was sweet and had a very unique texture. I also had ratatouille for the first time and some of Will’s lamb, both of which were very good as well. The dinner was a lot of fun, as we got to know Session II better and were able to share our experiences at Brown with them. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to talk with Brown Alumni, and then we shall be heading home!
~~Dinner at Mill's Tavern~~
Austin,
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons for these campus tours is so you can get a first hand feel for the school without having to make the trip on your own.
Like everyone else, you've no doubt heard the many stories about Harvard. Without a doubt it's a great university but is it really the be all and end all that the stories make it out to be? Of course, that's something only you can say. For each of us that answer may be different.
Had you not made this tour, though, you may have spent precious time and resources applying to Harvard only to learn much later what you learned this day.
The ILC has been criticized for throwing these tours in. Some of our people over the years have told us that they'd rather spend their Saturdays watching the ball game on YV, shopping, visiting museums or finding the closest Pinkberry's.
These are all good things to do, Austin, but while someone else is footing the bill and you happen to be in the neighborhood, doesn't it make sense to take advantage of these opportunities? Imagine if you and your family had to pay to do this next Spring? This would be especially taxing on your family seeing as how you and your brother will be graduating at the same time and, no doubt, you might have a completely different set of schools you want to visit.
This year we actually added days to the trip to allow our ILC members to spend more time around campus and soak in the college experience. These tours usually take place before or after your session has ended. In your case, Austin, remember that class let out the day before.
It sounds as though this trip was worth your while, though, even if it meant just scratching a school off of your list.
I actually really enjoyed the campus tours. I think that the tours were one of the best things about the ILC program, because they allowed us to explore the various colleges and to become closer to them. Just being at one of the Ivy League colleges makes it seem less out of reach, and puts each college and university into perspective for us. Through the college tours, I discovered that I really liked some colleges and strongly disliked others. Plus, going to the colleges helped me bond with the other ILC students I went with, because it helped me get to know their interests and also gave us time to hang out during the trips there. Overall, I thought that the college tours were very beneficial, and I really appreciated how the ILC took us to the various colleges and universities.
ReplyDelete