<p>hey parents i have a couple questions.. ok well im going to visit Purdue in december and I was just wondering what to expect and also what to look at.. im coming all the way from southern cal. Also whats the weather going to belike... and the last of my app. materials (transcripts recs) got sent last friday im hoping they will have reached a decision before my mom and i go out there.. b/c a visit would be pointless if I dont get it....</p>
<p>thanks parents!!!</p>
<p>Campus is nice enough--lots of brick and solid if not fancy. Town is limited with only a few shops and fastfood joints near campus. Not much nightlife.</p>
<p>I'm not a parent, but my parents both went to Purdue and I've driven by Purdue in December. When I was there, it was in the 30s and snowing, so you'll definitely want a real winter coat. My parents talk about walking to class in the snow with very strong winds, and only walking to and from dorms once a day to avoid the weather as much as possible. At the same time my dad talks about 100-person snowball fights that left one side of the street with no snow on the ground, so I suppose that the weather isn't all bad.</p>
<p>As for the school, my parents both loved it, and I have a friend (all the way from Texas) who goes there and really likes the school; she's in the engineering department, which is very well respected. When you visit any school, go to some sort of university center or cafeteria where there a bunch of students, and talk to random students and ask them what they think about the school. In particular, if you're entering a program where you might be some sort of minority, it might be worth asking a student in a similar situation whether or not it was a good idea. I recall someone from cc who visited a heavily male engineering school (not Purdue) and asked 5 girls if they would go there if they could make the decision again, and they all said no. That sort of thing is quite telling. You might want to make an appointment with sort of advisor in your department-to-be, if possible.</p>
<p>My former roommate was a double major in dance and math there. The town is pretty crummy IMHO but there's a fair amount going on on campus, especially if you join the Greek system and you enjoy watching sports.</p>