HELP – Off Waitlist – Questions & Decision

<p>S just got off the waitlist and accepted to VSB. This came as a great surprise, based on the # of the active waitlists, and past years’ stats. We’ve visited VU last summer, but did not get a chance to re-visit the campus while school’s in session. Unfortunately, spring semester is now over, so we missed another chance.</p>

<p>Input and feedback from current students and/or VU parents are greatly appreciated.</p>

<ol>
<li> Will he fit in? We’re from S. California, and S epitomizes the typical CA teenager – laid back, very social, open minded, and enjoys sports, the great outdoors, and is not much into the partying scene</li>
<li> Are the courses rigorous? Is there a healthy balance of academics and social activities? Are tests mostly based on lectured/textbook material or independent self-guided studies of reference material? Grade inflation/deflation?</li>
<li> What’s the freshmen retention rate? Of those who transferred out, what’s the primary reason(s) - did not fit in or can’t keep up academically?</li>
<li> Dorm selections? Signing up late in the game, how do we get him placed in South Campus with the rest of the freshmen? As moving to Philly will be a HUGE change for him, this will help with his transition. Should he find a roommate on Facebook? Would this better his chance of being placed with the majority of freshmen?</li>
<li> Meal plans – any recommendation?</li>
<li> How large is the dorm closet/storage for personal items? Where to store it during winter breaks, etc.? </li>
<li> All other input/feedback/advices are welcome!</li>
</ol>

<p>1-Yes , he will fit in.Into sports whether playing or spectator is a great icebreaker and if he is social he will make many friends.
2-Courses are fair , put the effort in and you will earn good grades , if you coast or have trouble transitioning , you could have trouble.There is some freshman required courses in philosophy and ACS.
3-94%, I would guess most transfers are for social , not academic reasons , but that is just educated speculation on my part.
4-Last year most waitlistee admits ended up on main , with some moved into south over the course of the year.Some freshmen have a hard time on main away from the majority of the class , others could care less. The attraction of South is living with your classmate , not the dorms themselves. I have a more detailed post on housing on the following thread, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/villanova-university/911548-can-we-request-certain-dorm.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/villanova-university/911548-can-we-request-certain-dorm.html&lt;/a&gt; ,
5- Unlimited the first semester , figure how many many meals you actually eat and how many points you use away from the dining halls , and then adjust plan the following semester.
6- Dorms in Stanford hall have plenty on room for storage , I could not believe what some of the girls hauled into those rooms.You can leave your belongings in your room for winter break , dont know if kids store locally over the summer , we just packed up the car at the end of the year , don’t know how Calif kids handle this.</p>

<p>Congrats on VSB , if he really wants to attend , he will love it. He will be surrounded with smart , fun loving kids that really enjoy where they are.
My daughter just finished freshman year and she did very well. As a parent , I would rate the experience very high.
Good luck with your decision , feel free to PM if you have any more specific questions.</p>

<p>^^^great info for all prospective students–from a current senior</p>

<p>Thanks Ulysses, for your feedback. I’ll PM you, as I do have some specific questions.</p>

<p>1390hopeful, is joining the learning community the way to go? Do yo have friends/classmates from the west coast at VU? How was their transition the first year?</p>

<p>as for learning communities, they were good for me, but not totally necessary. i didnt apply for one, but i was glad that i was a part of one. id say its a good experience overall. i do in fact have several friends from out west. they had about the same experience wrt adjusting to being a new freshmen in college. they all love it here and made friends easily</p>