<p>I'm doing at overnight visit at Cornell this sunday, and I was hoping someone here could give me some advice. DOes anyone know what kind of things we are allowed to go do with our hosts, like where we can go and what not. Also, what are some recommended things to do? Can I visit an equestrian center with my host? And finally, should I contact my host by e-mail or phone to tell her what I want to do.</p>
<p>you can do almost anything, legal or not :) I'd recommend against hooking up with guys at parties, drinking too much, recreational drugs, etc. </p>
<p>Unless your host has an interest in horses you might end up doing that visit alone. The host isn't a chaperone, they're a host, and sometimes you go off on your own. The main goal I suggest for an overnite is to figure out if you'd be happy at the school; its your chance to be a student their for a day & nite. So eat meals with your host in the cafeteria and talk to everyone you can at the table and in the dorms. Its easy and fun, actually. Just say "I'm Rachel and I'm a HS senior here on a visit. Can you tell me about ..." and ask away. Find out what the kids think of the dorms, their classes, the weather, Ithaca, what they do in their spare time, what they wish they had known before they applied. The list of things to ask is only limited by your imagination. At the end you want to walk away knowing as much as is possible in a 1-day visit of what its like to be a Cornell student, and if its a fit for you.</p>
<p>wow mikemac THANK YOU! :)
so im not with my host the entire time? i was under the impression/assumption that i was basically handcuffed to them.</p>
<p>The Cornell release form says
[quote]
I understand that Cornell staff and student volunteers will not supervise or chaperone my child during this visit. I understand
that my child will be on his/her own and that Cornell will only facilitate my childs visit by
· Arranging for my child to stay with a Cornell student during the time of this program
· Putting him/her in an environment where he/she can meet other members of the Cornell community with similar interests
[/quote]
So while I have no first-hand knowledge of Cornell I would assume it means you're by no means tied to the host with a cord ;) From what I've read on the forum and know of people who've done visits, what happens runs the gamut from a host who will actually shepherd you around to ones that pretty much dump you on your own to go do their own thing, giving you just a place to sleep. But more typically you can expect to go with your host to one or more classes, eat some meals in the dorms with them, and accompany them in the evening. Basically they should give you a snapshot into the typical day of a student. While some will show you around campus you can't count on it, so you should sign up for the regular tour.</p>
<p>Most books on college admissions have a chapter about what to see/do on a campus visit. There are also many online sites; for example, <a href="http://www.bc.edu/admission/undergrad/process/tips/s-campusvisit/%5B/url%5D">http://www.bc.edu/admission/undergrad/process/tips/s-campusvisit/</a> and <a href="http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/campus_visit.html%5B/url%5D">http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/campus_visit.html</a> </p>
<p>Note how both sites stress making it an active process rather than being passive. This is a golden opportunity to see the campus first-hand, talk to lots of students, get a feel of whether its right for you. I'd suggest making a checklist of things you care about, one sheet for each college, taking it with you as a reminder of things you want to see & do, and fill it in with comments after each visit while its fresh in your mind.</p>
<p>Also to answer your question about contact, by all means phone or email. Explain it's your first visit and you're not sure what to expect, then take it from there. Find out what your host has in mind and then you can fill in some of the free time during the day with your own explorations.</p>