<p>My family is trying to make plans, so we're curious about parent(s) vs. no parent(s). Does anyone have any experiences/opinions to share?</p>
<p>My husband and I both accompanied our son to CW last year. We were very happy that we went. There was a lot of practical info for the parents. Also, got to meet some profs, etc. There are information sessions just for parents, where current Olin parents will answer any and all questions. ALthough there are some sessions for parents and candidates, the candidates sit all together (in the front) while the parents are seated in the rows behind all of them (I can't remember, maybe the 1st session parents sat w/students, but I don't think so). I know that a few candidates were there without parents, and I am sure that Olin took good care of them.
I found CW to be most beneficial. It really helped me understand "life' at Olin and Oliners so much (and we had done 2 previous college visits to Olin).
Parents will not spend a lot of time with their candidate, but as a parent I got to see for myself what a good fit the school would be for my son. Also, got to see some of the stuff the current freshman were working on, etc.</p>
<p>All in all, DH and I were very, very happy that we went to CW.<br>
I would strongly suggest that at least 1 parent go, if both parents cannot.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p>As a former student whose parent attended the CW with me, I can attest on how valuable it was for me. I was in a kind of shock the entire time I was there and was so convinced that there was no way I could compete with the caliber of students that were also there, that it took my mom who had gone with me to remind me of all the amazing things we had found out about the school. She really helped to open my eyes to Olin and then when the envelope came in May, my decision had been made.</p>
<p>As sonicmom mentioned, you need to plan on not spending too much time with your son/daughter as the focus of the weekend is on whether or not Olin is the right for your son/daughter as well as the converse. The students also need to be able to speak on their own behalf as some overbearing parents can unintentionally sway opinions in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>Kevin Tostado
Olin '06</p>
<p>I was going to ask the same question Elorax, so thanks for beating me to the punch and thanks for the responses.</p>
<p>My parents kind of left it up to me whether or not one of them would come to CW - it's good to know that I wouldn't be spending the entire weekend with them because that was basically my concern. I want to meet Olin and "socialize" and everything on my own and not attached to a parent.</p>
<p>ohnocollegeapps- that's exactly how I felt, and what happened (my parents left it up to me, and I didn't go with anyone). One thing that would have been helpful in retrospect is that I believe that their reluctance of me going to Olin when I made my college decision may have been avoided if they had come and visited.
I do like my independence, and perhaps by them not visiting also helped me in making my own decision, based on my own experiences and not theirs. But with independence comes responsibility; you cannot depend on your parents to give you more perspective on your college decision.
Does that make sense?
Anyways, do what feels right to you. =)</p>
<p>I have the same concern as ohnocollegeapps, I'm worried that having parents around will limit my ability to form my own impressions of Olin. </p>
<p>The thing is, I have one parent(parent1) who already visited Olin with me in the fall. Since I've been invited to CW, parent2 would now like to come along and see the campus. However, parent2 can sometimes get too involved, especially if parent2 is really interested in whatever is going on. I would trust parent1 completley to give me exactly the right combination of space and support (which is why parent1 came on the college visits in the first place). However, I really don't want to hurt parent2's feelings. Travel plans have to be made ASAP, which just makes the whole situation more stressful.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, it's been really helpful.</p>
<p>Like sonicmom, I'd also like to recommend having your parents come along during CW. We went with our son last year and it was really helpful. From the minute we arrived we spent little to no time with him - he very happily went off on his own with the other candidates and students. By Friday evening my husband and I felt like our son had found "his people" and that's who he wanted to be with - not us! It was a great weekend and the info for parents and the chance to meet other parents was invaluable. We made some connections with other parents that first weekend that have followed on through orientation and family weekend during our son's first year at Olin.</p>
<p>I went with my daughter to CW. Since this was before Olin was accredited, I felt it was important that one parent visit and see what the school was really like. </p>
<p>The weekend was interesting and fun, one might say a "reward" for attending other universities' boring, sometimes useless and sometimes condescending information sessions. :)</p>
<p>ELorax:
The admissions office does a pretty good job of keeping the candidate's and the parents separate for a large portion of the weekend. You'll sit separately during presentations, the parents won't be allowed to watch your design build, and your meals will often be spent with your team or current Olin students. There are plenty of activities for the parents to attend, and not too many opportunities for them to interfere with what you're doing :) I have pretty hands-on parents, but I don't remember being bothered by them during CW.</p>
<p>-Molly '09</p>
<p>I was an "orphan" at Candidate's Weekend and I had a blast. I would definitely recommend staying at the Babson Executive Conference Center. A lot of the orphans in my year stayed there and we got to know each other very well over the two nights we spent there. It was definitely one of the bigger factors in deciding to take a deferred year to come here. This was from '06, so I can't comment on how it was last year.</p>
<p>-Stan '11</p>
<p>My daughter and I also stayed at Babson, and I'd recommend it particularly for those who will not have a car. I stayed there on several occasions over the four years my daughter spent at Olin, including graduation weekend. At times, they've offered a reduced room rate for Olin folks. </p>
<p>In the past, the admissions staff aimed to have all the so-called orphans stay at Babson, since it's adjacent to Olin's campus.</p>
<p>My son and I visited Olin together ahead of time. A few months later, when he was invited to Candidate's Weekend, he flew over by himself.</p>
<p>Moms or Dads like me will understand why my son was glad not to have me along: I can get really uptight! My son was able to have a much more relaxed & successful experience on his own :)</p>
<p>This worked for us because we had already visited campus together, and we were both already sold on what Olin had to offer, plus we felt comfortable that my son already had a "lay of the land" as far as where to stay (Babson for sure), the details of travelling, etc.</p>
<p>The college did a good job transporting him to and from the airport. I did make a point of reserving a room in Babson ASAP, because I think they do fill up.</p>
<p>My husband and I were able to catch up on the parent-oriented presentations in the fall, at Family Weekend (Yes, he is a current student).</p>