<p>We dropped our son off Sunday at HWS for the advanced pre-orientation trip where they'll kayak and backpack in the Adirondacks and return Thursday afternoon. (There are less rigorous choices for the pre-orientation trip as well, but our son has done extensive backpacking, so he qualified for the advanced version.) I was impressed. It was well organized and ran smoothly; Dean Mapstone runs an efficient ship. The upperclassmen knew where to take you and what you needed to do; from our conversations with them, they were cheerful, knowledgeable, responsible, safety-conscious, experienced, etc. I'm looking forward to seeing our son on Friday at the full Orientation, hearing about his adventure and then saying goodbye again!</p>