<p>Hey! To all past and current Yalies, and to those admitted who know more about this subject...</p>
<p>Can you please elaborate on Bulldog Days? The admit website has a page and a sign-up for it, but I'm wondering if anyone else can provide further details. I have no idea what to expect. </p>
<p>Do parents usually go?
What do we do, exactly? etc.</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Parents can accompany students but it’s not mandatory. There are some joint events, but then the 'rents are shuttled off to their own indoctrination seminars (LOL). You get lots of time to do cool things w/all the other amazing admitees. Remember, the people there haven’t all replied YES to Yale so Yale goes all out to wine & dine you all in hopes of getting all to matriculate. You’ll attend some classes, tour some interesting spots, some student panels, see some ECs in action, maybe attend a concert or a student performance, and be well fed. The area stores know you’re coming so they’ll stock up on Yale gear for you to take home. Remember to give gifts to your fav teachers, etc. Don’t emblazon your Yale gear too much at school – be sensitive.</p>
<p>It’s a blast and no one ever seems to have a bad time. Or maybe they do but end up matriculating somewhere else so you won’t have to ever see those lunatics ever again. LOL</p>
<p>T26E4 is completely correct. They also have an academic bazaar and an extracurricular one. For the academic one, you basically get to learn about all the majors and departments that Yale has. For the extracurricular one, all the student groups put up posters to give you a taste of Yale student organizations.</p>
<p>Everything during Bulldog Days is optional, but Bulldog Days is EXTREMELY fun! Parties, amazing people/new friends, a great location… what else could you want?</p>
<p>If your parents have already visited Yale, I wouldn’t really advise them to go with you to BDD. By daughter had a blast, and I didn’t need to be convinced about Yale. She didn’t want me to go, we saved the travel expense, and truly, I wanted her to experience Yale without my commentary. Don’t miss BDD if it’s possible for you to go. I’m sure it made arrival in the fall much easier for her: already knew some people, the campus, and had friends to chat with/anticipate freshman year with, through the summer.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! That was helpful. :)</p>
<p>my parents are not going, haha. i think it’ll be more fun to just experience it without the padres. i’m excited for it, though!! i <3 yale.</p>
<p>One additional note: for some families, finances can be a hinderance for the student to attend BDD. If so, please please contact Yale admissions and they most likely will be able to dip into their budget to defray some of the cost.</p>
<p>Does anyone know when’s the deadline of registering for the Bulldog Days?</p>
<p>Thanks for the finance tip, T26E4! And Junker, I’m not sure about the deadline…it doesn’t seem to say on the site, but I’d say it would seem as though you have a while, because Bulldog Days includes RD admits, who hear back in early April, so it’s possible you have until even then! …But I’m not sure. Maybe call the office to double-check.</p>
<p>^ You’re right. You won’t find out about it until April, when the RD decisions come out. You get a packet around then re-welcoming to Yale (sort of) and with all the Bulldog Days packet.</p>
<p>oh, ok. Thank you. I’m going to wait for the free plane tickets.</p>
<p>I am a parent and I did attend Bulldog Days '09. I would encourage parents who are able to attend to not be afraid (or ashamed) to do the same. I understood that this was for my daughter and not for me. I basically sent my daughter on her way and did not see her again until it was time to leave. We did cross paths once or twice, but I just waved.</p>
<p>So parents, don’t be afraid to go if you have the time and the means, but pretend your kid is not there…</p>
<p>It was a great opportunity for ME to get a better feel for Yale. I attended lectures, attended the parent reception where we got to meet the dean and the residential college masters, I learned about study abroad, toured residential colleges, got a better understanding of clubs, attended financial aid seminars, attended concerts…all without infringing on her experience. I couldn’t infringe, we were not together.</p>
<p>I am writing this because last year before attending BBD my college confidential friends convinced me that I was doing something “wrong” attending. I was sort of embarrassed I had booked a ticket to go. But it was great…just give the future Yalie space. </p>
<p>Admitted students, don’t be afraid to have your parents attend. Just make sure they know you won’t see them!</p>
<p>One question-- are there activities for the parents on all three days?</p>
<p>There were a few “parent only” events (like the meet the deans - where they wore crowns so you could identify them – much to the dismay of most of the deans. I don’t think the crown wearing will be repeated. I thought it was funny as it was intended to be, but I think they worried it was pretentious).</p>
<p>There were lots of “admits” only events. Most all of the evening events were for only the admits. The showcases, parties, meet and greets with clubs. The after 9:00 stuff.</p>
<p>There was a very comprehensive calendar of activities where both were welcome. Lectures, find out more about…fin aid, overseas opportunities, residential college life, science panel…that sort of thing was open to both. Also the concerts were open to all.</p>
<p>The extracurricular fair and the academic fair were also OK for parents to attend.</p>
<p>The actual parent calendar is not as comprehensive as the student calendar and there is a lot of overlap.</p>
<p>Of course there is no housing for the parents and hotels around Yale are not inexpensive. The students stay with other students even if their parents attend.</p>
<p>A full schedule for BDD will be on the admitted student website as soon as the RD kids are accepted and maybe a little sooner.</p>
<p>BlueHouseMom -
So, just to be clear - the students stay on campus, is that correct? I would like to go, but am happy to let my son go off and do the student activities while I do other things. Is there enough to keep myself occupied during the whole time? Is it 3 full days? I was planning on getting a hotel near campus.
Thanks for the info!</p>
<p>my2sunz- I PMed you. Short answer is they stay on campus.</p>
<p>Students stay on campus with current students. Parents must make their own arrangements. Back in 2005, we stayed at the Omni and had a very nice time at BDD. Saw D at the beginning and the end. It gave us a chance to meander around campus and the town at our own speed and see what we wanted to see.</p>
<p>BTW - both art museums are worth a visit.</p>
<p>I think parents can find things in and around New Haven. I love the Museum of Natural History, the art museums, etc. I also love all the funky little restaurants. Great sushi, Ethiopian food, Thai, etc., etc.</p>
<p>One of the things that convinced us as parents that Yale was a great place is that we had a chance to see current students in their “habitat.” What we noticed is that we would see students at many of the restaurants and coffee shops and there was truly diversity within the groups. DD attended other admitted student days and this was not the case.</p>
<p>We also liked that there were so many ethnic restaurants because the food was affordable for kids on a budget. </p>
<p>Anyway, we arrived with her and really didn’t see her until BD days were over. Sort of a preview of her college years :)</p>
<p>Savvy parents getting into New Haven will check out what the various theaters are showing. Many, many top of the line shows are produced in New Haven, including shows bound for Broadway who want to work out their kinks. I recall that the Long Wharf theatre has limited crazy cheap, stand by tickets the night of any given performance.</p>
<p>[Season</a> 2009-2010 - LONG WHARF THEATRE](<a href=“http://www.longwharf.org/season_09-10.html]Season”>http://www.longwharf.org/season_09-10.html)</p>
<p>[Yale</a> Repertory Theatre](<a href=“http://www.yalerep.org/]Yale”>http://www.yalerep.org/)</p>
<p>i have a question: i’ll be traveling a lot this spring due to scholarship competition weekends and the like. i just discovered that, with the money that i will need for transportation to my summer job, i’ll have only enough money to pay for either bulldog days or a late-may trip to new york city i’ve been anticipating for a long time. much as i want to attend bulldog days, i’m torn; i REALLY want to go to new york! i already know, from a visit to campus and all the background knowledge i have, that i love yale, so i won’t need BDD to convince me. which should i choose? need to buy my tickets because the airline is having a sale.</p>