<p>Gee, sounds exactly like the ceremony at Harvard under the trees when my D enrolled. I wonder why her daughters missed it?</p>
<p>Odd, indeed. I thought the opening day ceremonies at Harvard were incredible. Parents were also invited to watch the new class assemble for their official class photo and to take photos of their own. It was a heartwarming day.</p>
<p>When I was an undergrad Larry Bacow was an MIT professor...he was a popular Freshman advisor because he knew how to help freshman feel they could handle the challenges and were part of something very exciting. That's the sort of message I wanted to hear at orientation- or at an admissions talk. That there is the expectation of challenge and growth. I didn't really care about the nitty gritty details- which I consider nice, but not necessary. While I had a fabulous college experience, I lost 2 friends under terrible circumstances which no orientation session could have possibly made a difference about. Settling your child into college can get overhelmed with details of bed sheets and bunking, or it can be a chance to reflect and share excitement. I would prefer that written material be comprehensive, that web sites be informative and that orientations be focused on the bigger picture.</p>