<p>Our soon to be Freshman will be attending Rochester. I looked at the information for parents' weekend as was surprised to discover the fees and the cost of tickets, even for the students! When we attended other parents weekends, everything was free with the exception of meals. I am feeling nickeled and dimed!</p>
<p>My d attended University of Rochester. Meliora Weekend is not the same as parents weekend at other colleges. The emphasis is on the reunion weekends for alumni… that’s why they have big-name speakers and programs. It is their showcase to meet and greet alumni, hopefully those with deep pockets. For many of the events it is really quite difficult for students/parents to get tickets. As opposed to other schools, they concentrate the big names for Meliora Weekend as opposed to competing for big names for commencement… a different approach. We attended d’s freshman year and for sophomore year as she was performing and she was semester abroad junior year. I don’t think we went senior year. </p>
<p>If your kid wants to do something, he/she should volunteer at Meliora at least once. There are things kids attend but it’s really for alums. </p>
<p>Dad of an incoming freshman here. I’ve heard Meliora weekend described as a reunion, family weekend and homecoming all rolled into one. If Meliora weekend is really focused on the alumni, then is there a separate parents weekend somewhere on the calendar, like other colleges have? </p>
<p>If not, then I suggest that the school charge those “deep pocketed” alumni to attend Meliora weekend and let the parents of current students attend for free.</p>
<p>AFAIK, the big name Meliora events tend to sell out. </p>
<p>One thing I’ve learned in decades of dealing with my own “alma mater” is that schools have a strong interest in self-perpetuation. Meliora is a way UR self-perpetuates; they attract alumni with more than a weekend of drinking in tents and that generates loyalty and that generates money. </p>
<p>And frankly, the higher up the prestige food chain you go the more it becomes about money and, well, prestige. In that regard, I remember counting on a napkin the number of times the President of my school said the word “generosity” in his speech to one of our reunion dinners. It was nauseating. </p>
<p>Yes, Meliora is also homecoming, as outdated as that notion is, but I think that’s probably a bigger deal at football schools with big stadiums. </p>
<p>It has been a few years but if I recall in addition to the programs with big names, there were several events that were nominal charges or free other than registration for the entire weekend. I always attended the Sunday morning continental breakfast with campus administration and heard their presentations on what was happening and what plans were in the works… for example the new college town was first spoken about at one of these events about 5 years ago. I know that at least 2x we sat through part of the football game. There was also a departmental fair in which we spoke with the study abroad office … all of which was helpful and informative for us as d was planning semester abroad. Whatever student groups are performing or being presented by Todd Theatre are usually nominal charge for parents and possibly inexpensive or free for students as they are looking to build an audience.</p>
<p>I think we are just used to Smith College where it is solely parents’ weekend & everything is free. We will go, to support our son & let him show us what he wants.</p>
<p>Went to several Meliora weekends as a parent. Everything said here is true, very little focus on parents and much more of an alumni / money making event. Conversely, our other child goes to a large public university where parent weekend is fun, free and all about the family. </p>