<p>DS is winding up his first overnight visit. When he checked in yesterday we paid $35.00 for him, and $15.00 each for DH and me. The parking lot cost was $10.00. We knew this ahead of time, but when DH pointed out we paid $75.00 to visit (and basically allow them to sell us the school some more) it made me wonder.....are there any other colleges that charge for the official admitted students day?</p>
<p>(We have three more colleges he's visiting next week before he makes his final decision. While they are not overnights, They are not charging us and in fact sent DS a plane ticket to fly up in one case.)</p>
<p>Our intitial visits were free and included Free parking as well as meal passes for all of us. (parents & son)</p>
<p>Freshman attend Summer Welcome, which is a 2-day orientation including registering for classes, special entertainment, ice cream, all meals, parking, student and parent meetings. (There were several sessions during the summer, we weren’t all there at once ) We had to pay for son to attend and it was a small fee if we wanted to stay in the dorms and if we wanted a meal pass also. We stayed at a hotel and paid for our food seperately. ALL of the freshman attend Summer Welcome, so this past summer that number was 6,160. It would have been quite expensive to feed, etc everyone for free.</p>
<p>I don’t think very many send out plane tickets. They must really want him :)</p>
<p>I have no problem with paying for freshman orientation. This is the official overnight visit for admitted students.</p>
<p>In my sample size of four (all top-20’s) we noticed this difference and we’re questioning which schools charge for this. I worry that this is a sign of what’s to come. Getting nickel and dimed for four years.</p>
<p>S has not been charged for his 2 overnights, 3rd will be next week also free. Charging you to park would be a big red flag to me.</p>
<p>The only comparable experience we had was last fall when we went to an Open House at a particular Catholic school. We got there on Saturday, and the OH was on Sunday, so we decided to go to campus and walk around Saturday evening to see what was up. </p>
<p>The campus has absolutely NO parking allowed except in the garage, even though the lots and places along the streets were empty at that time of day. We parked in the garage, stayed around an hour, and had to pay $6. We tried to explain to the attendant that S was a prospective student there for Sunday’s open house, and she said that was too bad. It was kind of a turn off. Really.</p>
<p>I took D to a full day program at CU (Boulder) and we had to pay $20 per person at check-in. They said it covered refreshments, lunch, and parking. D got a t-shirt too. In the registration packet we received a coupon for a free meal at an all-you-can-eat style dining hall and a parking pass which we gave to an attendant upon leaving.</p>
<p>Charging for parking doesn’t seem a big deal to me if a campus is in an urban area where parking is at a premium and anyone visiting that area for any reason would be using a pay parking lot. Having said that, the only place I remember paying for parking was at Tufts (IIRC).</p>
<p>From the school’s perspective, they’re looking for ways to tighten the belt, and spending tons of money on students who might not even attend seems like a good place to pass along expenses, especially if the alternative is raising everyone else’s tuition to cover these kinds of events. </p>
<p>When my oldest was deciding, back in 2006, he was invited to a lavish accepted students day at a local school, complete with banquets and free stuff. When my middle one was looking, in 2008, they still held these days, but with only a dessert buffet and no giveaways. By 2010, my youngest had to make her own arrangements to visit the campus…changing times!</p>
<p>I’ve only ever had to pay for parking, and that was at a privately owned parking garage NOT affiliated with the school (though they did give a discount for students visiting the school).</p>
<p>I’m surprised a school would charge. It’s a couple of free meals and an overnight, if that’s what you do. Something tells me that they’re making enough off of everyone’s yearly payment.</p>
<p>I agree with pizzagirl - would not be surprised to pay for parking in an urban area. I was surprised that S was expected to pay for meals on an arranged overnight visit to one of the schools he was interested in (pre-admission), though when it came down to the actual visit, his host used one of his visitor meals to treat S to dinner, and a friend’s daughter met him for lunch and did the same. I think I would find it surprising to pay for anything other than parking at admitted student days, but my children didn’t attend any of those.</p>
<p>I registered my son for an upcoming HS junior day at the University of Kansas. They charge $15 per person which includes parking, a light breakfast, lunch and a t-shirt for the student. I’m just glad they didn’t call it a “free” t-shirt! And I want to know why if I paid $15 for each of us only he gets a t-shirt!</p>
<p>He attended a junior day at another school and we got breakfast, lunch, parking, t-shirt, AND a portfolio/folder and it was free!</p>
<p>“In my sample size of four (all top-20’s) we noticed this difference and we’re questioning which schools charge for this. I worry that this is a sign of what’s to come. Getting nickel and dimed for four years.”</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, we have paid for parking at urban schools, where you are in a garage - Georgetown, George Washington, Drexel, etc.</p>
<p>I always thought it was kind of stange that they would charge - that the school could generate good will in potential applciants by just foregoing the $5 or $10 per prospective applicant, but no biggie.</p>