<p>Like Susan, Smith's "marketing" was the visit. In our case, they paid for it, but that's not what it was about. They really pulled out all the stops, as I've reported elsewhere.</p>
<p>Nice, too, when the "marketing" turns out not to be hype. When visiting last spring, after meeting my d., the music composition prof. called up the music theorist, who was on sabbatical, and had him come in just to meet her (on a late Friday afternoon!)
Now that she has there, she has yet to take a course from the theorist (next year), but he greets her every time he sees her, and has invited her to his office just to talk.
Now maybe things have changed, but I spent four years at W., two years at Oxford, and three years at the Univ. of Chicago, was a star student, and was NEVER invited by a prof. I hadn't had a course with to just come in and talk, or was even greeted on the street or in the building. (And VERY rarely by those I HAD taken courses with - there was one at W., and I remember the relationship I had with him more than any course I ever had.) Of course, this is just anecdotal, and may not happen to other students (and it may have happened for others elsewhere), but the marketing hype panned out for my kid, and I'm a happy camper.</p>
<p>We visited one school where the secretary in admissions was aloof to say the least. The room where the info session was held was dimly lit and shabby desptie the fact that this school has an endwoment larger than most small countires. The tour was by far the dullest of any school we visited with either kid. Does this mean S should have overlooked all the strengths of the school and the world class education that it offers?</p>
<p>With that kind of money you'd think they could afford a little courtesy, not to mention a dash of dignified modesty. I predict they will be driven out of the business by fall.</p>
<p>mini: I am just curious. I always thought of you as real American (native born either caucasian or AA). But on some other thread you had links to Satya Shri Sai baba. When I was growing up in India he had a very large following.</p>
<p>I am a New York-born American of Mongol-Semitic descent, with an adopted daughter from Mumbai, and a California-born one. I have adopted "parents" in India of almost 30 years standing, land reform organizers, about whom I have just published a book ("The Color of Freedom" - <a href="http://www.skylarksings.com%5B/url%5D">www.skylarksings.com</a>) - you can read about their work at <a href="http://www.lafti.net%5B/url%5D">www.lafti.net</a> . I play the veena. My older d., the composer, has also played Carnatic violin, but studied botanical medicine with the American Indian leader of the Skokomish tribe, of whom I have just written an obituary, which you can find in the Parents Cafe - "subiyay". Confused enough?</p>
<p>Mini-
You've been busy :) To clarify, is "W" where you spent 4 yrs. Williams??</p>
<p>Cookiemom:
Was the less-than-friendly admissions secretary also knitting?? Several of us seemed to have run into the same grouch at a very well-known LAC who barely grunted at us and rarely looked up from her knitting. She certainly doesn't help their marketing efforts...</p>
<p>Jym, there were many personal contacts and touches from several people at Smith. There was a lot of the sense of being wanted by several people there from admissions folks to professors to coaches, and then getting the Stride Scholar thing as well. </p>
<p>Follow up about this one particular coach from Smith (was one of three different sport coaches my D got together with at Smith) who my D has run into every weekend this winter....today at her race in NH, she even rode up the lift with him. She was telling me how much he encourages her and roots for her (this is classy considering my D's Brown team keeps winning and his team is unlikely to advance to regionals and nationals) and after her run was kidding her and asking what she had for breakfast. Then he ran a prospective student's name by her who is from our state and my D indeed knows her as she has raced against her for years and so I am sure my D put a word in for her because I guess the girl was applying to that school. I want to meet him and thank him for all he did when my child was an applicant (I cannot say this at all schools so this was impressive and he was just one person at Smith that was like this). My D pointed him out at the end of the day but all the teams were loading into their vans to go to their hotels. I am making the four hour roundtrip to NH tomorrow to another race and hope to meet him then to thank him. This type of contact with a prospective student, now student who turned the school down, is admirable and has not gone unnnoticed. </p>
<p>Aaaggghhhh!!!!! My younger s. got his first (to my knowledge) piece of college marketing mail today-- and he's a FRESHMAN!!! This is going to be a long 4 years!! I guess he marked the "yes" box on the PSAT form, allowing them to send out info about his score. We still get college mail for our older one, who is already in college. I guess someone entered his data in their computer incorrectly. Either that or they think he's going to transfer. </p>
<p>Soozie- Please tell us when you meet this gem of a coach at the ski races this weekend. He sounds like a class act. I have always been impressed with the great student-faculty relations at the small LACs. Not to say they don't also happen at the bigger U's , but it is quite common at the smaller schools. The faculty often live on or near campus, and it was not uncommon to be invited to someone's house for lunch or dinner. I was helping someone I'd "met" through CC with some information from my undergrad alma mater, and when I was perusing the website I saw that one of the faculty members who helped direct me to my grad school is still there. I sent her a quick note, thanking her for helping to shape my career and life. She sent a charming response back, and we hope to get together if I make it up there for my 30th (ugh) reunion this summer. Amazing that she remembered me after 30 years.</p>
<p>
[quote]
room where the info session was held was dimly lit and shabby
[/quote]
One of the biggest eye-openers to me of this whole process was the "elegance" of most Admission ofcs. Don't remember what they were like back in the day, but have the feeling they were just "back rooms." Was shocked at first to see that this is where a lot of the $$ is going, but then came to expect it.</p>
<p>Jmmom - Yes, I've had the same reaction on some of our college visits. Several admissions presentations have been conducted in elegant surroundings in front of a roaring fireplace...I try to remind my daughter that SHE probably won't be spending much time in the admissions office when she's particularly impressed with the building/office. In some cases, the admissions office has been much nicer than the rest of campus where she WILL be spending time.</p>
<p>I can't remember the last time I received any type of personal contact through the mail...that's why this marketing works....it stands out from the rest of the noise.</p>
<p>It is heartening that so class acts abound. One head coach at a top 10 U. heavily recruited my son, pulled out all the stops, etc. etc. etc,, but when all was said and done, and my son chose to go elsewhere and play football anymore, that coach wrote him a wonderful letter telling him how successful he will at the school he chose and what a wonderful young man he is. The Dean of Admission wrote a similar email. And then after the first term, the coach wrote to ask how his first term was. Another class act!</p>
<p>Concerneddad, yes a class act, but perhaps they are also hoping he might want to transfer! :)<br>
[quote]
We visited one school where the secretary in admissions was aloof to say the least. The room where the info session was held was dimly lit and shabby desptie the fact that this school has an endwoment larger than most small countires.
[/quote]
I thank my lucky stars that I was able to convince my DD to apply to the university where she is currently a student. To make a long story short, it took 6 phone calls to arrange a simple interview, and the interview scheduler was RUDE as anything, the info session leader used the work "like" every other word (she was an alumni - rather disheartening) and the campus seemed strangely deserted and sterile. I persuaded DD to apply under duress because I knew the school had lots to offer, and when she visited over a weekend she absolutely knew it was a school she wanted to attend. (tons of activities on campus, lots of opportunities, great profs, etc) I always think of this when I hear of kids turning off (or on) to schools because of contact with the admissions department. l'm just so glad that DD was able to get past the initial negative impression, because she is benefiting from a terrific and affordable education where she is now. (yep, It's Rice I'm talking about.....again...)</p>
<p>anxiousmom - I was dismayed with every telephone contact with Rice admissions. And at just the place where I expected maxed-out Southern hospitality. Since we live mega-miles away and wanted S to have an interview on our only trip there, we moved heaven and earth to get his Part1 app in before our June trip, so he could interview (they won't interview unless app is in). They [ul][<em>]didn't have an app available for 2005, so we at first sent the 2004 version [</em>]wouldn't accept 2004 version, altho the only difference was the date printed in the ur corner [<em>]finally made the 2005 version available so close to our departure date that we have to FedEx it to them [</em>]when we called to get our coveted appointment were told, in the rudest possible tone, S couldn't interview that day as no one would be there(!)[<em>]we had, of course, told them the date of our trip back at square one and, finally,[</em>]there was a wonderful informed adcom doing the infosession, but by this time we had given up on the interview prospect so don't know why she couldn't have done it for someone travelling over 2000 miles.[/ul]</p>
<p>Rice is clearly a case where the Admissions Office does not reflect the essence of the place in any way, shape or form. Don't know why they don't correct it, tho.</p>
<p>I just sent message to Dr. leebron, the new president. I know that it won't get to him, but perhaps it will get to a lower-level administrator...</p>
<p>P.S. JMMom, I sent you a private message. My first ever!</p>
<p>I am sad to hear all that negative stuff about the Rice admissions office. We had the opposite experience. They couldn't have been nicer, and as a matter of fact, our s. hadn't yet filled out part 1 of his app. whe he interviewed (he sat in the admissions office and did so at the end of the day). This was in Oct of 2003, so maybe they've changed their rules since then. We had a 9am interview scheduled, and our rental car had a flat tire :( from the construction of the light rail that was going on at the time. Some good samaritan guided us to the nearest gas station, and I kept in touch with the adm office by cellphone. We were a bit late, but they worked with us, and were very helpful as I called the rental agency to see about the tire repair, and meet the towtruck in the parking lot. </p>
<p>The adcomms arranged for my s. to have lunch with a student (I highly recommend this), and the more senior of the adcomms who handles our part of the country made a point to come out and talk to my s. before we went on the tour (he was interviewed by the other adcomm). She told him she'd be in town for his school's college fair, and when she was there she asked for him by name. </p>
<p>My s. LOVED the school and applied EA. As Anxiousmom knows, he couldn't be happier. I hope your email makes it up the ranks, anxiousmom, as it would be a shame if people had the wrong impression.</p>