<p>This is a very nice idea. There’s a hitch for my family. AU has six sessions of this program from mid-June through mid-July. But our new Eagle works as a camp counselor in Wisconsin from mid-June into August.</p>
<p>If you have experience with this program, how indispensable did you find it to be?</p>
<p>Not vital - but the students do meet with their advisors and register for classes. So if you have to wait until August, many of the classes will be filled. If you choose not to do the Eagle Summit, you can do a condensed version during new student week.</p>
<p>We had the same issue last summer. D did the the abbreviated orientation the week before school started. Hers was even more abbreviated than usual because she was in a UC and they were doing one of the Freshman Service Experience activities. The important part was meeting with her advisor and even doing it that late she came up with a schedule that was just fine (she had to make some adjustments in the first week or two of school but that was a learning experience).
I found the parent orientation helpful – not required, but helpful.</p>
<p>helpful, but not essential in the least.</p>
<p>I find the whole registration/orientation situation confusing at AU. My incoming freshman son already had to register – right in the middle of finals week at high school. And he was already locked out of classes at the times he wanted. That was pretty frustrating. I am told the math placement exam decides the math class you take, but my son is already registered for statistics. It doesnt make sense to me.</p>
<p>Also we are scheduled to attend orientation tomorrow, but AU did not send out a schedule and it is not easy to find information on the website. I especially want to find the parent schedule but it is nowhere to be found.</p>
<p>I agree that registration was very confusing. Luckily my daugher got in to all the classes she wanted but she may change her schedule when her AP results come in. Suddenlysingle, if you find the parent schedule on-line, can you please post the link? Thanks.</p>
<p>They put up last year’s schedule as a reference.
<a href=“http://www.american.edu/ocl/orientation/upload/Eagle-Summit-Parent-Schedule-2010-WEB.pdf[/url]”>http://www.american.edu/ocl/orientation/upload/Eagle-Summit-Parent-Schedule-2010-WEB.pdf</a></p>
<p>What I found most helpful about the parent orientation is that most of this information made much more sense in person. It seems that AU is going through some significant systems changes & updates – all for the good but I think that’s why some of the information seems a little disjointed. Hearing it in person made everything make so much more sense.
The other thing to know about Eagle Summit is that there is a large student run component to it. Great for developing leadership but sometimes when you call or email, it feels a little disjointed.
Regarding class schedules: it will all work out :-)</p>
<p>I realize that this discussion is from a year ago, but I was wondering if anyone has a link to the 2012 Eagle Summit schedules for students and for parents. When I Googled it I only found the 2010 schedule. We’re going in July but would love to see the schedule ahead of time. Thanks.</p>
<p>I’m also wondering about the schedule. Seems odd that we paid to register awhile ago but we only know that the program starts at 9 a.m. Not sure why registration that first day starts at 7:30 or so, either. Are the parents actually busy for two full days?</p>
<p>bubmon - yes, the parents really are busy the entire two days into the evening. It was information overload, but all important. You finish the second day around 3 pm but then there are extra sessions at 3 such as one for the Honors program and one for financial aid (that was how it worked last year).</p>
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<p>I have been told that it will work the same way this year–at least this piece of the schedule. (I called the Office of Campus Life several weeks ago to ask them about the schedule for students. My freshman daughter–the same one I mentioned a year ago when I started this thread; she took a gap year–needs to fly in from her job as a camp counselor in the Midwest.)</p>
<p>I didn’t ask how busy the parents will be, though, nor do I know anything else about the schedule for Eagle Summit, so I’ll be delighted if any other AU parents or students can offer more info.</p>
<p>Many of the parent sessions are the same as the student sessions but offered at different times and with a slightly different twist. There were sessions on technology (laptops, cell phone service, etc.), health services, advising, travel abroad, safety, drugs and alcohol prevention, etc. One of the best parts was sitting in on a sample class; parents were sent to different classes depending on the school their child was accepted into. A professor “taught” a class the way she would conduct an actual class during the school year. My daughter ended up having this professor during the fall and it was her favorite class and professor. </p>
<p>I stayed on campus, since I traveled to DC via Amtrak, and had no problems. Our session was on a Monday and Tuesday and we checked in on Sunday afternoon. There was a group sign up for dinner - different groups went to different restaurants in Tenleytown. It was a good way to spend the evening and get acquainted with the campus, other parents and students and the surrounding area. We ate our meals on campus for the rest of our stay.</p>
<p>I didn’t attend the AU orientation and didn’t miss a thing. After having toured the AU campus and attended an info session back when D was applying, I didn’t feel the need to spend any more time there. D attended her orientation and was provided with all the information she needed about cell phone service, advising, Honors, health services, etc. There was no need for me to be given the same spiels. Part of going away to college is learning how to deal with these matters without parental help. It’s not that challenging, and it’s not as if it all has to memorized immediately. While I suppose seeing a class might be fun, it doesn’t merit a two day stay. By all means, if you really want to accompany your kid, or if you’ve never had the chance to see AU, attend the parent orientation. But it’s completely unnecessary, so if it means using up vacation days or is otherwise inconvenient, don’t hesitate to skip it and let your fledgling eagle fly solo. </p>
<p>I have to say these orientations for parents strike me as real overkill. When I attended college the only accommodation afforded parents was a parking spot so the car could be unloaded in 30 minutes on move-in day. Then my parents left and I got oriented. Worked out just fine.</p>
<p>
Oh now, MommaJ, was it snowing, too? Watch out, or you’ll end up doing this kind of thing! ;)</p>
<p>[Monty</a> Python - Four Yorkshiremen - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo]Monty”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo)</p>
<p>MpmmaJ - just out of curiosity, since you didn’t attend the Eagle Summit, how do you know you didn’t miss a thing?</p>
<p>Because my D is a rising senior in Honors and has managed top navigate her way through three years of college without my involvement in her academic or campus life. I happen to believe that all the parent orientation and parents weekend activities are just sops to keep the parents convinced that their tuition payments are worthwhile. But if anyone can tell me how parent orientation was important to their student’s college experience–i.e., provided needed information that wasn’t otherwise readily available–I’m happy to reconsider.</p>
<p>Again, if sending two days on campus (and sleeping in dorms–ugh) is appealing, by all means go for it. It just isn’t necessary–or the school would make it mandatory. My guess is that more parents skip this than attend.</p>
<p>I’m personally not attending Eagle Summit (travel + ES fees are slightly ridiculous) but someone in the AU 2016 group who went to Session One posted a Parent Schedule and a Student Schedule in Google docs since the 2010 schedule on AU’s website is inaccessible as of today.</p>
<p>Parent/Family: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/file/d/1mS7ntqT9NlFhFRYiGkOWjSGnLdPALgG1IkMgTIvW9CO5enFwFHh4EkL8_Zhm/edit[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/file/d/1mS7ntqT9NlFhFRYiGkOWjSGnLdPALgG1IkMgTIvW9CO5enFwFHh4EkL8_Zhm/edit</a></p>
<p>Student: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/file/d/1jBnfiUqb44jSirgrjCRjyJdK4HmkdEUxRvjLdMmpBpyv7ENuaT1pukTEvlzK/edit[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/file/d/1jBnfiUqb44jSirgrjCRjyJdK4HmkdEUxRvjLdMmpBpyv7ENuaT1pukTEvlzK/edit</a></p>
<p>Not trying to make you reconsider, MommaJ. You chose the path that was best for you. My daughter is a rising sophomore in Honors and navigates quite well herself. However, I felt the days were worthwhile. To each their own.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for posting the schedules. At least I know what to expect now. I agree that two full days for parents is a bit much, but it’s always helpful to get information.</p>