I am a proud parent of a 2022 student at Yale. She is planning to attend the Bulldog Days in April. For those of you who have gone through this, do you recommend me going with her? Will I miss a lot if I don’t? I appreciate all your input
@Mina2022 I simply suggest you attend because it is so fun! Your daughter will likely be on her own with fellow admitees for many of the events, but there are many fun activities for parents, as well. Congratulations to your daughter!
I attended the one day version with my son. We spent most of the day together, but I was on my own for a couple of hours while he met up with someone for dinner. I really enjoyed spending time on campus, and loved the Dean’s Address which included a showcase of different performers.
It is not so much that you will miss a lot, as I don’t feel that I learned anything in particular, but it was a wonderful opportunity to see sides of Yale that you would not have seen on a typical campus visit & tour.
My son also spent a day and night on campus during his spring break when it was not the scheduled Bulldog Day. He attended classes, ate in the dining hall, slept in a classmate’s suite, which gave him the opportunity to experience the school at his own pace. (He was still deciding between two schools at the time, so did the same thing at the other school.)
Congrats!
I went with my daughter. From the time I dropped her off in Old Campus to the time I picked her up, I didn’t see or hear from her for days! I had a great time. I walked a lot, went to various sessions (many are open to or designed for parents), tried some of New Haven’s famous pizza, explored Yale. It was not necessary to go, but I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.
I dropped off my daughter and I live an hour away so I tried to attend things that were available to me. But to be honest, she was making friends and having so much fun that I was just in her way. It’s about her figuring out if she belonged. That wasn’t up to me. The concert was fun to see but that was all.
Absolutely go if you can! It is so much fun and you will thoroughly understand why Yale is such an amazing place. My older son did not attend BDD because he had visited for YES weekend but my younger son did go. I already knew how great Yale was because my oldest was always singing it’s praises- so when I attended Bulldog Days with my youngest I truly understood what all the fuss was about. There are a ton of things to do without your child (you honestly won’t see much of them) but I had an amazing time on my own going to lectures and shows and talking to other parents etc. It is not a “must do” for parents but rather a “do if yo can!”
Oh yes, the evening performances were amazing! Not just music. They were more like talent shows with so many of Yale’s amazing performance groups demonstrating the wide range of clubs and the incredible talents of the Yale students. It really gives you a perspective into the fact that the admission officers are not just bringing together the best and the brightest academically, but also students with incredible passions, talents, interests, and backgrounds.
@Faulkner1897 – You described the performances better than I did. I was blown away, so much so that I would consider sneaking back in some year to see them all perform again. (I live within an hour, so could stop by!)
@faulkner1897 @CT1417 I totally agree about the performances! the kids at Yale are INCREDIBLE! 