<p>Could it be that this thread that has been ongoing since 2010 it going to fizzle out? Say it isn’t so! This thread has gone beyond a college search thread to become a cyber community. While I don’t tune in as often as I used I still visit even though both my kids are well out of hs,. I hope the discussion continues and once again thank you to RVM for getting this going! Happy Pesach to all of you celebrating and Happy Easter to those about to celebrate. All the best to all the seniors about to graduate. </p>
<p>I certainly hope that this thread doesn’t fizzle out, however, that being said we are done! D2 has decided on Lehigh. This thread has been such a great help as both my D’s went through the college application process. It was two totally different journeys. </p>
<p>I tried to skim the past few pages to try to put a list together of this years decisions, so I apologize to anyone I left out, please copy and paste and add where your S or D is going to school for the Class of 2018! </p>
<p>Momentscaught - Colorado College
Cheermom - Tulane
NYmom3kids - University of Miami
Gogogil - Muhlenberg
mdmomfromli - Lehigh</p>
<p>I will check in periodically to see if I can help anyone out. After so many years, I think the addiction to cc will be hard to break!</p>
<p>Hillel numbers are not the entire picture of Jewish life on campus. Miami certainly has many Jewish students, but I’ve often wondered if that necessarily translates into an active Hillel and/or Jewish experience in college.</p>
<p>We were very concerned about the number of Jewish students at Elon when my daughter was deciding between Elon, UM and GW. In the end, her Jewish experience with the great Hillel at Elon has surpassed our expectations. Perhaps a smaller percentage of Jewish students pushes them to be more active in Hillel? My anecdotal experience with students we know at UM seems to support this notion.</p>
<p>I hope all my friends here had wonderful Seder experiences.
First night was so nice–H and I recently moved to DC, which is where our two younger sons live. Both sons came to seder and brought groups of friends with them–our apartment was crowded, loud and and managed to go through an incredible quantity of food.
Second night was much smaller, because youngest son, a recent grad from American University, wanted to continue a tradition that he had started on campus. He and his friends–many from his fraternity–host a second night seder every year, and have the fraternity pledges put on a puppet show telling the seder story and singing all the songs. I’ve seen some video of the event over the years, and it’s always hilarious.</p>
<p>boysx3: what university is that (that host a puppet show seder story)?
To expand: what “cool Seder” things do Hillels or college groups do at your children’s colleges? This would give an example of how active or creative or “fun” Hillel is. Thanks :)</p>
<p>The University of Oklahoma’s Hillel organized a campus wide affikomen hunt the week before Passover. The director gave clues on the OU Hillel facebook page as to where it was, and it was up to students to find it. The seven students who found it were entered into a raffle and the winner announced at the first Passover seder.</p>
<p>On Tuesday OU’s Hillel hosted a learning seder to teach people about Passover and the traditions (Monday’s seder was designed for students already familiar with the customs). From what I saw of the posted pictures, it appeared that the non Jewish turnout was quite high.</p>
<p>Emory’s Hillel hosted a large seder. I’m not sure if they did anything “unusual”. </p>
<p>Nice to see a few posts today and a happy Pesach to all observing! </p>
<p>mdmom - congrats on Lehigh and on being done with the application and decision making process! It’s nice to be done with that stage and that stress.</p>
<p>Agreeing with posts above that the number of Jewish students on campus is not the whole story. It’s more meaningful to ask how many active participants does Hillel ( or Chabad or other Jewish group) have? How many events do they hold each month?</p>
<p>boysx3 - so glad you had a seder with your sons! And we will get together one of these days.</p>
<p>I do think this thread is fading a bit, but all good things come to an end. We shall see.</p>
<p>fading, schmading…I think it’s just the time of year. Hopefully, we will see more activity as parents of current Juniors start posting in the summer.</p>
<p>I think more parents will find this as the next application season gets busier. It’s a great resource. Happy Pesach everyone. </p>
<p>Congratulations to cheermom on her D’s decision. Love Tulane! (but sorry she didn’t pick Miami in Florida for personal reasons - we have an awesome parents group). </p>
<p>If any parents here have kids who choose the University of Miami (FL), please join our parents group on Facebook. We are already making plans for a family weekend get-together! We are F.U.N. </p>
<p>Some “Jewish” news…</p>
<p>Apparently Chabad at University of Delaware had their largest seders in years. And so many kids who are continuing on the Passover meal plan there. I was lucky that my D’s schedule enabled her to come home for Passover. </p>
<p>My S was “too busy” to go to a seder at Miami, but he says he and a friend are going to do their own seder when it’s convenient for them. He was happy to see matzah in the dining hall so that he can keep Passover. A lot of schools mentioned on this thread have this so I wasn’t surprised (although he was because he hasn’t been in a school before where there was a good percentage of Jews).</p>
<p>Regarding the Lehigh / Maryland comparison - they are so different. My S ended up picking Miami engineering over both Lehigh and Maryland, both of which have exceptional engineering programs. Location, merit money, and size were all factors. No merit money and location were negatives for Lehigh (although he said that they, by far, had the best food). Maryland was way too big. And Miami was just right.</p>
<p>MYO, my youngest son just graduated from American University in DC. It wasn’t the school or HIllel that had the Pesach puppet show–it was his fraternity that has had its pledges do that for the last several years. (it is not one of the traditionally Jewish fraternities).</p>
<p>It’s always a fun event for the boys–the Jewish fraternity members each get recipes from their families and the boys do a potluck Seder at an off-campus house, because American does not have fraternity houses. The students do not do it in a dorm because they would not be permitted the 4 glasses of wine.</p>
<p>I really enjoy reading about all the great college decisions. I am rather sorry to be past that stage of life with my boys, although I am still helping nieces/nephews/neighbors. My kids have all done their grad school searches and decisions on their own; there’s really not a lot I could contribute there–they worked with their professors and advisors on all of that decision making.</p>
<p>Grad school really is a whole different process- with the student working with advisers on the decision making- but that’s how it should be at their stage in life. They still might need our credit card for those GRE and application fees. </p>
<p>I don’t have anything to add with Hillel seders as I have not heard of one beyond the traditional. I guess the fun is going with peers. I think there is variation within Hillel groups and the activities they offer so it’s probably a good idea to include a Hillel visit on the campus trip. The Hillel website doesn’t say a whole lot about how active they are.</p>
<p>Congrats on decision MDMOM. My son committed to UMD this week. GO TERPS! </p>
<p>Thank you very much. I’ll make sure to try and figure out how active the Hillel is.
I noticed that Goucher has a kosher meal plan. Not many colleges have that.</p>
<p>Most Hillels have a Facebook profile or page. Usually they post events, and it’s possible to get a very rough estimate of how many people will show up. Often these profiles, and especially pages are open to the “general public” although some Hillels are only viewable with the school specific .edu email account. </p>
<p>Congrats 1214mom on UMD decision. It was a tough choice for my D. Even though UMD and Lehigh are so different she liked a lot of things about both. In the end when we went to visit Lehigh again she could really see herself there, just felt right.</p>
<p>Updating the list:</p>
<p>Momentscaught - Colorado College
Cheermom - Tulane
NYmom3kids - University of Miami
Gogogil - Muhlenberg
mdmomfromli - Lehigh
1214mom - UMD</p>
<p>Towson has a dining hall with kosher selections.</p>
<p>I am so sick of Pesach right now…I just came up the elevator in our building with a family bringing in a stack of pizzas and they smelled so GOOD. I love the Seders…but by this time of the holiday, it’s getting old…</p>
<p>We allow corn on the holiday (not sure if its officially ok, but we are ok with it) so I just made my chocolate pudding recipe that I mentioned in the “makes from scratch” thread. Really needed a break from matzo and gefilte fish</p>