<p>My S has been accepted at Mizzou in the journalism school. He and my H went down for a football game a year ago and had an informal visit with a friend's son who is a student there (no admissions office tours that weekend--of course my H bought the football tickets first and called admissions second :) ). Now we'd all like to go back for a visit, and I was thinking of President's Day weekend. He would like to meet with someone in the j-school and in the honors college and ideally sit in on a class. There's a Meet Mizzou Day on Monday. Classes are also in session that day. Has anyone been to this event? Is it crowded and crazy, or is it worth it? Should we go on another weekend instead? </p>
<p>Note: I haven't asked my S about this yet. It may turn out that he'd prefer a big, enthusiastic event. Just thought I'd check for some CC advice first.</p>
<p>The only thing I would worry about is whether or not they would accommodate your special requests on a Meet Mizzou day. Mizzou is usually VERY helpful and will let you see all the dorms(and they will buy you lunch!), talk to whomever you want to and let your child sit in on a class(they even ask what he is interested in!)....all you have to do is ask in advance! We have only gone once to a "Meet ---" day and found it so impersonal that my s did not really come away with a feel for the college at all(not mizzou). I would say if at all possible go on a less crazy day, but if that is the day you have to go, try and get in on a class, meet with honors and J one on one instead of their presentations. Good luck! My d just LOVES Mizzou and the J-school! PS....go to Shakespeare's if you want your s to hangout!</p>
<p>We did decide to go, because it's a convenient weekend (and we will visit family in St. Louis before going up to Columbia). I talked to a very helpful woman in the j-school who told me to call back after the semester starts and she'd tell me if there will be "student ambassadors" available that day so my S could visit a class. Thanks for your positive words. We will try Shakespeare's!</p>
<p>Have a great trip, Geezermom. Too bad we're not going. I still have the April reservations, but it's looking less likely at this point.</p>
<p>What area is your son interested in at the J-school?</p>
<p>He's interested in photojournalism and/or convergence. He also says he's interested in the five-year master's program.</p>
<p>I don't know much about the Photo-J program, but my D knows some convergence majors. It is an awesome program! Good luck to him!</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there is a difference between "Meet Mizzou Day" and "Black and Gold Day". Their itineraries seem pretty similar. Would one be preferred over the other or can you get a pretty good overview from either?</p>
<p>I don't see a whole lot of difference, but you could ask admissions or the department/school your student is interested in. My son would be in the j-school, so I contacted them directly for advice about the best approach. Also, we wanted to go during February because, among other things, (1) there is a holiday weekend and (2) the weather is just about as bad as it will ever be--sounds weird, but he's only been to Columbia during gorgeous fall weather.</p>
<p>Hey there, Mizzou J-school girl checking in :) I did the Black & Gold day two years ago (OMG!) and I think its very similar, if not basically the same, as Meet Mizzou. For me, there was a lot of excitement and comraderie in being in a large group, and they offer a lot of options on the itinerary to find out about the dining hall, financial aid, etc, so that was convenient. I definitely encourage you to directly contact the J-school so your student can sit in a class - J1100 is the second semester freshman level class (Principles of American Journalism) and I think its a pretty good example of lower level "j-lism", as we call it. Mizzou is very accommodating, as has been said, if you take advantage of the opportunities available.</p>
<p>geezermom, I had my first Mizzou visit on a gorgeous day and fell in love. My second was in February on a nasty day (like today!) and I still loved it. :)</p>
<p>If your kids have any questions, feel free to forward them on to me! I never check this anymore but I will try and come back around soon to see. Mizzou is not perfect. Columbia can feel too small and be boring. The journalism school is a bit "big for its britches". Sometimes I don't love it here. But all in all, I'm very happy with my choice. Its a great school.</p>
<p>Our first two visits to Mizzou were in March and then February. Both times it as 34 and rainy! When my D went back for her summer welcome, she was REALLY surprised at how beautiful it was when it was sunny and warm! She loves everything about Mizzou(except maybe the extreme cold). The J-school has been wonderful to her, helping her to realize a lot of her ambitions. She is accepted to an internship this summer and she is only a soph. The paper hired her on the strength of the Mizzou name. The resources available to the kids are unbelievable. The dean is very open to helping the kids, if they just ask!</p>
<p>Thanks, the "Black and Gold" day fits better into S's spring break schedule, so I think that will be the one. We're from New Hampshire, so weather doesn't scare us!</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. We will call the j-school next week to see what class visits are possible.</p>
<p>herecomesthesun: it's great to have a student's perspective, so keep checking back here when you have time.
mizzou-mom: great news about your D's internship!</p>
<p>I've probably mentioned this here before, but my H is a Mizzou graduate--all the way from B.S. through Ph.D. I haven't been to Mizzou since we took my stepdaughter there for a visit in 1991 or 1992. It was cold and rainy, she thought the school was way too big for her, and my possibly-future-Mizzou-student son and I sat in the car while he slept in his car seat. Before his graduation I'm going to dig out those cute photos of him in toddler Mizzou logo clothing. And he would die of embarrassment if he knew I was writing this.</p>
<p>So...geezermom...How was the weekend??!!</p>
<p>I actually went to this and loved it. Missouri was definitely a big change from the east coast, but the campus itself was beautiful (minus the construction). The rec center and journalism schools were absolutely incredible.</p>
<p>At the very least, Mizzou relieves me of the need for another safety, and I liked it enough that it might end up being my first choice (depending on other college visits, scholarships, etc).</p>
<p>I'll write up a visit report once the CC people fix the issues that prevent me from doing so.</p>
<p>We had a great day in Columbia yesterday for Meet Mizzou Day. As steelerfan513 says, the campus is impressive--especially the rec complex, the dining facilities, and the ongoing dorm renovations. The journalism school is even more than I expected it would be, and it's only going to get better when the new building opens next fall. My son found answers to all his questions, ranging from whether it's a good idea to live in a FIG (yes) to what the honors college is like (great). We met a terrific freshman who is a student admissions rep and also a good match with my son's interests: out of state, lives in a FIG, is a Journalism Scholar in the honors college, etc. She was so helpful, as were all the other people we met during the day. I feel confident that he'll find both intellectual challenge and a social niche. I'm betting that he's headed to Mizzou next fall. Though Mizzou will be different for a politically liberal city kid from the East Coast, he seems ready.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info, geezermom!! Hope our s has as terrific an experience as yours when we go in a few weeks!!</p>
<p>I, too, am glad to hear steelerfan and the geezerfamily had great visits. We will be there 3/4-6 and are really looking forward to it. We even managed to get basketball tickets! Any hotel or restaurant recs? And how was the weather?</p>
<p>My dad and I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on Vandiver drive. It was nice, we couldn't complain.</p>
<p>We had lunch at Shakespeare's Pizza. It's great if you need a quick lunch because you can get hot pizza to go on the spot. Very good pizza, and I would definitely recommend it.</p>
<p>It was pretty cold, and wind chill was a definite factor. If it's going to be cold when you go up, wear multiple layers and some gloves.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips. We are really getting anxious to see Mizzou for ourselves. Everyone keeps telling my S he is going to love it.</p>