<p>Hi, </p>
<p>I'm thinking about going to the Open Campus thing at Wellesley on October 13, so I'm wondering what others' experiences have been at the Open Campus. What was the structure? Just a tour and info session? I've already been to campus twice, had two tours, an info session, and an interview. Is it worth my while to go? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I think I went to that last year, and I say that it was pretty interesting. The good thing about Wellesley events is that it's really geared up towards prospective students, so you'll have tons of student boards/alum boards/meetings with profs available to attend. A negative is that you may not get a good look at what every day life at Wellesley is like.</p>
<p>I say it's nice to go, because I know I have met some prospective students during those events who are now my classmates. :)</p>
<p>I had gone to fall open campus having had as many visits as you, minus the interview, which I had to come back yet another time for.</p>
<p>There's a lot less that you'll learn from fall open campus, having already visited Wellesley. I remember just a few things from my own experience, five years prior. We had a nice lunch while professors gave an overview of the Lake Baikal program. There was a "how to write a college essay" workshop, which I found useless since I had already written my essay for EA at another school, and recycled it for every other application. There was also a "snowball fight" icebreaker. We were each instructed to write a question about attending a women's college, crinkle it into a ball, and throw it all in unison at our panel of Wellesley students. They would open each (now anonymous) question about what it was like to attend a women's college and answered them all. I also bought a shirt at the bookstore.</p>
<p>Well, that was all five years ago, so your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>I'm sort of leaning towards going, but I'm not really really sure yet. The thing is, I'd love to meet other prospective students and also professors, but the promotional stuff I've gotten from Wellesley basically just advertises campus tours, a financial aid discussion, and a current student panel thing. Not really sure if it's worth it to go if that's all there is...anything that I haven't done yet that you people think I SHOULD do before applying?</p>
<p>Hmmm. I'm ruminating.</p>
<p>FWIW, I know of two people who first set foot upon Wellesley's campus to be students at orientation.</p>
<p>I guess I would go if
1. You just want another excuse to visit Wellesley
2. Being recorded as showing up at the campus a lot will count as "interest" (see above).
3. You aren't crunched for time over the long weekend
4. Some other relative will be taking you and they will get to see the campus and what the students are doing.</p>
<p>Looking back a little more, the student panel featured an impressive array of rather motivated students (as my mom put it, Wellesley was the only school that made her go wow, and we toured MIT, Harvard, Yale, and Wesleyan prior to touring Wellesley). I don't really know how much contact with profs you will get. If there is a department-based activities fair, then you will have decent luck.</p>
<p>Assuming you get in, you can go to Spring Open Campus, and meet profs and prospectives, whether you got in ED and are already going, or got in RD and are still deciding.</p>
<p>WendyMouse, I would add:</p>
<ol>
<li>If your family's finances allow it</li>
</ol>
<p>I accompanied my D who went to last year's open campus. D had an overnight stay, went to a class and talked to some professors, met other prospective students, met her potential teammates and coach, and sampled the campus food. There were some activities for the adults, too: panels, meetings with adcoms, financial aid presentations, etc. Afterwards, on our way to the airport, we checked out Boston a little bit (I really wished we had more time!).</p>
<p>We went on our own on Saturday...beautiful day, lovely campus, and great tour guide especially considering it was her first time! We were duly impressed with just about everything...my favorite is the Honor Code and the unlocked bikes!</p>