<p>See above.</p>
<p>Awesome!!!</p>
<p>Thank you for your valued input.</p>
<p>Is that sarcasm?</p>
<p>haha yes very valued input indeed. I'd like to hear more about ADOCH. I haven't had the chance to visit Brown. What's it like?</p>
<p>yes I think amor was being sarcastic</p>
<p>Fine, I won't post here anymore if my thoughts aren't valued. Goodbye!</p>
<p>what no don't be silly.. I think he [unless amor is a she] was just expecting more than one word.. which is what I was expecting too.. so maybe you'd like to elaborate on your ADOCH experience for those that didn't get the chance to go..</p>
<p>Okay, I was totally kidding. I'm really tired though, so I'll write more about it tomorrow.</p>
<p>ADOCH was wonderful. The A-train was such a great idea, and we were serenaded by the Brown Derbies (an all-male a capella group) as we got into the Providence Station. Then we speeches from Director of Admissions Michael Goldberger, Mayor David Cilline, and President Ruth Simmons, who called us "the best looking group Brown has ever admitted." lol. We also got to see a slide show with clips from every movie/tv show that ever mentioned Brown! Then there was a talent show, followed by stuff like improv, parties, randomly talking to really trashed Brown students, etc. </p>
<p>Today, I went to a physics class at 8:30am. Interesting class that I could follow, but it was wayyyy too early. Then I went to a premed panel, an Earth Day fair (which wasn't specially designed for us, it was just happening on campus which is pretty cool), lunch and an activities fair at the OMAC (We were escorted by the Brown band.), and an academic department fair. I also spent lots of time with my hostess (who was really nice. She introduced me to many of her friends) and the prefrosh I met. </p>
<p>The whole thing was fantastic. Brown is an amazing school. If you got in early, you definitely made the right choice. If you're still deciding, just trust me, Brown is the place to be for the next 4 years.</p>
<p>PS. Amor, things didn't seem too politically correct. Ruth Simmons specifically addressed political diversity in her speech, and there were lots of groups on campus that seemed really open toward compromise and different ideas.</p>
<p><em>cough</em></p>
<p>In a word, unimpressed. In my child's own words, nothing popped. There was a clear absence of any feeling of school spirit. It reminded me of being at a urban commuter school.<br>
The opening presentation for parents set the mood for the rest of ADOCH. Poorly planned, overcrowded, and content deficient. The President of Brown chose not to address the parents of the prospective incoming class. Very bad move. Her underlings failed miserably to light-up the room and very little, if any, information about ADOCH was discussed. There were probably 750 parents there, yet only 2 people available at one table to give any information. It didn't get any better at the various student/parent panels. I was not particularly impressed by the students I observed on the various ADOCH panels. Most of the panels were obviously planned at the last minute without any preparation whatsoever. Each panel consisted of 5 or so students and a Dean or Professor to introdue them and lead the discussion. None of the students raved about their education, the professors or the facilities. The rooms were usually packed leaving some (including me) standing or sitting on the floor and the acoustics were terrible. I'm not complaining about how hot it was in each of the rooms because it was a freak heat wave (about 85). But none of the class rooms I was in were air-conditioned (there was one, recently constructed, seminar room that was). I'm not sure what compelled Brown to hold several of these panels on the third floor of various walk-up buildings. It showed absolutely no regard for disabled people. However, it did give me a chance to observe Brown's infrasructure which, for the most part, is aged and/or cheaply constructed: typical cinderblock classroom construction with flourescent light-bars, crappy desks and many interior class rooms without windows, or, very old buildings that have been retro-fitted many years ago with dropped-ceilings, flourescent lighting and new windows. No air conditioning. No elevators, and several limping students scattered around campus from sports injuries, etc. Most bathrooms I saw were old and not cleaned. Quite honestly, it felt to me like was in a typical state school, perhaps worse.
I was hoping to hear motivated Brown students talk about their Brown education and their successes. That didn't happen.</p>
<p>lawyerdad, I'm not sure what ADOCH you went to, but you seem very cynical and pompous. What is wrong with a state school? Does the only reason your child is interested in Brown lie in the fact that they want to be better than "a typical state school?"</p>
<p>The program was not designed for parents. They were secondary.</p>
<p>There was plenty of school spirit. The classrooms were fine. What students did you meet? Because every single student I talked to was thrilled, loved their professors, recommended the best classes to take, and raved on why we should attend Brown.</p>
<p>If you and your student didn't like the school, please make sure you don't enroll. I'd much rather have a student with a non-obsessive parent and without a superiority complex in my class. Let someone from the wait-list who deserves to attend Brown matriculate instead.</p>
<p>I dont think he has a superiority complex at all. And just because he didn't have as great an experience as everybody else doesnt make him an obsessive parent either. He can think what he likes, thats what this thread was about.</p>
<p>I think ADOCH was supposed to be for both parents and students. For most people their parents do play a large role in the decision process, and I think rightly so. After all, they are the ones laying down the cash (in most cases). I know my parents wanted to get a careful look and feel of the school before I made that very important decision.</p>
<p>I didn't know you had received the new position of determining who should go where. Anybody who gets in can deserve to attend. And, im sure you shouldn't judge lawyerdad's child just because their parent made a solicited comment on this board. You don't attend school with lawyerdad. Stop worrying about what he thinks.</p>
<p>ADOCH was ok. In general, I enjoyed the overnights I did without hundreds of pre-frosh there a lot more. Maybe it was because I kept meeting these pre-frosh who were deciding between Brown and school X and kept listing off all the negative things about Brown. I really liked the talent show (that southeast asian dance group was amazing) and the a capella groups. My hosts were extremely nice.
My largest complaint was that Brown did not give you enough meal thingies to eat both dinner and breakfast in a dining hall.</p>
<p>LawyerDad,</p>
<p>You sound upset that you didn't get a soft-sell from President Simmons. How often do parents light-up a room? This was primarily a student-centered program (since they will be attending). What would have impressed you on the ADOCH panels? I'm not sure what schools have air-conditioning in their oldest buildings? Does Nassau Hall have air conditioning? </p>
<p>Brown (or any other school) isn't meant to be Versailes. Brown is a college. Get a grip. I doubt that Hogwarts would have satisfied you.</p>
<p>In short, I don't know what Brown you went to. However, I would hope that if you and your prefrosh child look elsewhere if he is of similar thought. That would benefit Brown and your child immensely. I would love to know which professors you heard from? I see a long list of generalized complaints without providing specific details. Which seminar room was this? No seminar rooms were 'recently' constructed. You are complaining about sitting on the floor? Seriously?</p>
<p>Brown and Princeton both were "state schools" of Rhode Island and New Jersey. So, if you meant the state school crack as a platform for a pedestal, you failed miserably. </p>
<p>In short: Get a grip. You aren't going to the college. Your child is. College (Be it Harvard or Stonehill) is not the Plaza Hotel. A liberal arts or college education is intended to inform a person's perspectives. It is not meant to be a trophy to be mounted on a wall as justification for why you are 'better' than I am.</p>
<p>You'll be in for a very long and rightfully cold four years if you are seeking to make your diploma into a high horse to look down on people at Brown. </p>
<p>What values are you sending?</p>
<p>It is interesting for me to read lawyerdad's take on his ADOCH experience. It demonstrates to me that everyone's perspectives or takes on a school vary widely and this is why going to these events to ascertain "fit" are important. I read the account and wondered if he went to the same event I have been to. Yet I am not that surprised because on ANY college visit, some come away loving it and some hate it and so the visit accomplishes what it set out to do...to determine if this is the right school for you. </p>
<p>I am the parent of a freshman daughter at Brown who by the way, LOVES her experience there in every respect. Last year at this time, I went with her to ADOCH because she had not yet decided where amongst her college acceptances to attend. She chose to return to three favorites for accepted student events, even though she had visited each previously. The ADOCH event, without question, was THE deciding factor that made my child want to go there. In fact, as soon as ADOCH ended, we were scheduled to go to the third college open house event and when I met up with my child at the end of the two day ADOCH event, she said to me on the spot, "I'm going here!" and I had thought she'd be deciding April 30 and certainly after the last open house. ADOCH was THAT great that it really did the job it was supposed to go....it helped her decide where to go. </p>
<p>Last year for ADOCH ,the weather was unusually summer-like, the first day of the year like that. The past two days, I thought of all the kids going to ADOCH this year and how wonderful it was that again it was like summer out. I remember last year arriving and the main green was swarming with current students hanging out enjoying the weather. It looked so fun, like camp, lol. But also you got a sense of all types of kids who attend unlike on a winter day. Then as small groups of pre-frosh walked with their escorts to their host dorms, the entire green would erupt in spontaneous applause by the current students as if to shout out "hurray, congrats, you got in, welcome!" I was overwhelmed with that spirit. It happened several times that afternoon. There was palpable excitement in the air that day. </p>
<p>Both my D and I were struck by how HIGHLY organized and WELL THOUGHT out the entire two days were. We have been to many similar events and this was the best one with all the balance of choices. I split from my D for the entire two days. I went to the parent welcome event the first night and Ruth Simmons DID speak. She was great. So did the head of admissions. I was at many other talks.....one for athletes, many panels for parents on a variety of subjects related to going to Brown. The panels had very articulate students who were extremely enthusiastic about their experiences at Brown. In fact, I recall when each kid would get up to introduce their background, while they were diverse kids, they had LOTS in common with my own kid. I immediately felt like I could see why she liked the school because it attracts a certain kind of kid. Each of these kids was heavily involved outside the classroom in a myriad of activities, like she is. I could go on but that was the gist of that. The deans and other speakers were good. </p>
<p>I also saw the talent show and stuff like that. It was so great that they held these sorts of things so kids could get a flavor of some of the campus life and groups. My D also loved these events planned that night (she went to more than I did). The hosting went well. Also it was a chance to meet other pre-frosh and get a feeling of the kids who might go to this school and she liked the kids very much. She walked around with them, ate out with them. Events like the activities fair and the academic fair gave her a chance to meet with who she needed to see and learn more. She attended certain classes in her fields of interest and that was helpful. At the academic fair, she spoke with the chair in a department she is interested in. It turned out that this professor's niece was on my D's soccer team in out teeny tiny rural high school (came up by chance in meeting her) and in fact, just this week, my D switched to this professor she met at ADOCH at that fair to being her new advisor. It started back that day. My D had a chance to meet with the coach of a varsity team she wanted to be on and got the go ahead that she could be on that team (was not a recruited athlete) and she is indeed on that team and went to Nationals with them this year, was great. The two days were packed with things for her and things for me as a parent. </p>
<p>I have no clue if it differed at all this year. I know the weather was great again. I spoke to my D this AM and she told me that there were several pre-frosh in her dorm for ADOCH (she was not a host) but she and many others spent time with them and went out to dinner with them and she shared her enthusiasm for Brown with these kids cause she wanted to. She went to the talent show and other a capella sings in the arches that night cause SHE wanted to do it again, lol. </p>
<p>My D has loved Brown. She says the kids are "brilliant but know how to have fun." The classes are challenging and the fact that you can choose what to take, makes one very invested in that process. There is so much going on on campus, she has made so many friends and has so much to do all the time socially in addition to her ECs, sport, and classes. She loves that other things are in walking distance, all of Thayer Street and then all of Providence. The dorm is like a family. The group in her dorm, or her "unit" as it is called, of about 50 freshmen, gelled as a community from the very beginning and they are all bonded and spend time together, even though she has many other friends from other things. She loves her roommate and is rooming with her again next year. </p>
<p>Their spring weekend gets underway today and is jam packed with concerts, barbeques, all sorts of things. Interesting speakers come....she heard Howard Dean and now Clinton is coming and we all heard Dustin Hoffman on Parents Weekend as well. Every kid I met there seemed to love the school and be happy there. There is something to be said for that. They were friendly. My kid lined up meetings with various kids in the activities she was interested in over ADOCH and they met very willingly with her. </p>
<p>Each college is not for everyone. Glad you went to determine which was for you. I don't quite understand how someone could think ADOCH was not well organized or packed with a variety of things. The things in particular for the KIDS were very well thought out. That was the part that mattered the most. </p>
<p>I just know that ADOCH helped my child make a decision. When I met up with her at the end of it, she wanted to run to the bookstore, get the sweatshirt and car decal and I knew that was IT, because until then, at every school, she was waiting to buy anything until her final decision was reached. </p>
<p>I hope your son finds the school that will also give him that "magical" moment of "I want to go here!"</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>750 parents is a little bit too much i have to say. i was on the train it had 50 parents at most; i saw maybe 10-15 and i visited all 3 cars.</p>
<p>And im sorry Brown isnt like your private mansion, and that its crumbling apart. I mean man, what a crappy overrated school it is. I know nothing about you or your kid but i can tell that he/she most likely got rejected from Harvard, Yale and Princeton and is now settling for a bad ivy league university that the gods of USNEWS deemed worthy of a 20 ranking.</p>
<p>And ADOCH was awesome, it was very well organized though i only attended 1-2 events by my choice. I walked around the campus a lot, talked to people and pretty much went from being 50/50 on Brown to handing an admission officer my commitment card.</p>
<p>For myself and many others, ADOCH made clear that Brown is my top choice, despite the fact that before April 1st it was my second/third. If it weren't 84 degrees in rhode island, i would probably take until May 1st, but i cant imagine committing to anywhere else</p>
<p>Susan, thank you for that well thought out response. I had a very similar impression as you and your daughter had last year.</p>
<p>ADOCH was an excellent, well-planned program, supplying parents and students with the ability to receive any information about the University they wanted. I didn't attend half of the ADOCH events because I didnt feel the need, and the way it was organized, that was ok. I was able to walk in and out of scheduled programming as I chose.</p>
<p>The lack of spirit is something I did not experience as everyone I talked to said to come to Brown and emphasized the love they had for it.</p>
<p>Besides Ruth Simmons not talking, I would refute nearly everything lawyer dad said. My father went to panels and the parents welcome and he knows almost as much if not more about Brown than I do.</p>
<p>The Student Activities Fair (or whatever they called that) and the academic departments being there was particularly helpful as well etc.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm sorry you had a poor experience. For me, ADOCH opened my eyes to reasons Brown is a perfect fit for me that I didn't even know existed. Had I known what I know now, it certainly would have been my top choice, EVEN MORE SO than it already was, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>I read somewhere that 590 parents attended. Also, I didn't see any building that look liked it was falling apart. I actually thought the architecture was beautiful and the old feel was very homey.</p>