<p>For Convocation, do students sit with their families, or are the students separate? If the former, and if we want half a chance of finding our student, I assume we should meet him at the dorm?</p>
<p>When are you preparing to go to convocation? lol, that’s like a year from now.</p>
<p>Convocation students sit with parents. Commencement is of course separate.</p>
<p>New Student Convocation: 8:45 Saturday morning (this weekend)</p>
<p>Dunno. We did not go in 2006. Not sure that we parents will get there this year, although we are planning to go to the Dean’s Reception on Sat am slightly later that day and then head for home after the obligatory stop at Six Mile Creek!</p>
<p>Not much goes on the convocation, really. Students pile into the stadium and hear the president and others talk for a while. This is probably not too convincing, but that’s all I really remember about it.</p>
<p>Students mostly sit with their parents. I really enjoyed convocation. 
I felt it was very inspiring and a great “welcome to Cornell”.</p>
<p>wow…I totally forgot that new student convocation existed until this thread jogged my memory. it was obviously not that big of a deal for me. I went by myself, since my parents had already gone home. (now I realize that my mental picture of what it will be like graduate is based on that convocation.)</p>
<p>Parents and students sit together. It was a great welcome to Cornell and I will never forget it. My sons’ enjoyed it too.</p>
<p>My son was very impressed. I was impressed that he got up and hiked up Libe Slope to be there on time. He thought it was “very Ivy League.” When I caught up with him, he was comparing Cornell Convocation with other schools’ freshman convocation with the sophomore transfer group!</p>
<p>We thought it was very nice too, even DH who had complained about having to go early for a “bore-fest”. 
The speakers were all excellent, and brief enough.</p>
<p>One piece of advice for anyone searching in future years who finds this thread – consider bringing a small towel. The morning was cool and misty, and the bleacher seats were moist.</p>