<p>I thought we need a thread for parents of Duke Class 2012.</p>
<p>Does the school have shuttle bus from Raleigh-Durham airport to school campus?
Is anyone planning to go to the Blue Devil Days in April?</p>
<p>Parent of a 2010 here. Welcome!!! Please let me and the other "old timers" know if we can answer any questions for you.</p>
<p>There was no Duke-specific shuttle bus available back when we attended Blue-Devil days, but our hotel did have a shuttle. You may want to check into that.</p>
<p>We are planning to go to Blue Devil Days. The Millennium hotel has a shuttle from the airport for $30 one-way. The hotel offers shuttles to the University for $4.00 a day unlimited trips. Hope that helps! Congrats!!!</p>
<p>Hi!! Parent of an '09 Dukie!! I have used the public transit from RDU over to Duke. It was cheap, easy and I got off at the Duke Hospital Center. It does not go through the campus, but there are other stops nearby.
Here is the web site if you want to check it all out--maps of routes, etc.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ridetta.org/Home/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.ridetta.org/Home/index.html</a></p>
<p>We went to Blue Devil Days when S1 was accepted and loved it!! He is a very happy Blue Devil to this day!!</p>
<p>irish,</p>
<p>Great info. Thanks</p>
<p>We are from the west coast and D just got back from a visit, so we wont go, but might go for move in, and/or "family day" in October. Any thoughts or comparisons?</p>
<p>If you can go for move in, I definitely recommend you do so. There was separate programming for parents and students for 2 days (I think) over move in, and I thought Duke did a great job. It is also helpful, though not essential, to be there to help with last minute runs to Target and such.</p>
<p>I think it's important to be there on move-in day. There is much to do, and for a freshman who may be going to live away from home for the first time, it is a lot to deal with. Not only setting up the room, making those trips to Target (and Home Depot), but there's tons of new faces, new routines to deal with--even though it is very exciting, it is helpful to have a parent around for the first couple of days. I also found it reassuring to meet the parents of my son's roommate. Since we lived much closer, we exchanged phone numbers in case of emergency. Moreover, I found the programming by Duke very helpful not only for the students but for the parents. It was an emotional time for everyone (much more so than even I had anticipated) and I found it very comforting to hear many people at Duke speak to that. Plus we got lots of useful information, got to check out neighborhood restaurants, shopping, etc...When we left, we really felt like he was in pretty good hands.</p>
<p>I thought Family Weekend was a lot of fun also. It was great and reassuring to see how well acclimated my son had become and how much fun he was having with all the new friends he made, many of whom we got to meet. We went to some great concerts and got to eat where the students do which gave us the chance to experience campus food. We also visited the Nasher Museum which is beautiful and the Duke Lemur Research facility which is really an interesting thing to do. It also gave his younger sister a much needed opportunity just to "hang" with the brother she was missing a lot. Family Weekend is held during a beautiful time of the year in NC, so if you've got good weather, the Duke campus and the gardens are just a pleasure to walk around in.</p>
<p>But if I had to choose only one of the visits, I would definitely make it move-in.</p>
<p>Parent of Class of '11 here. Welcome and congratulations! </p>
<p>Yes, plan to attend move in & orientation. As mentioned by another poster, last minute runs to pick up supplies are inevitable. Also, it will give you a chance to meet your S's/D's roommate and his/her parents. Finally, the parents' orientation is a real "feel good" experience that will confirm for you what a great place Duke is for your child.</p>
<p>I suggest you also plan to attend Parents' Weekend in the fall. It's a lot of fun, and Duke offers a great schedule of events. Important: remind your child to get in line and get you tickets to the basketball game that weekend. Even if you're not a basketball fan, you can't fully understand the Duke experience until you go to a game at Cameron. Tickets for that game will NOT be one of the things you can reserve in advance as part of the parents' package for that weekend.</p>
<p>S is now winding up his freshman year, and his first year at Duke has been everything we hoped and prayed for. I'm sure it will be the same for you.</p>
<p>FYI:</p>
<p>There are three live chats scheduled for Class 2012 parents at 8-9pm on April 8,15 and 22.</p>
<p>There is a program for admitted engineering students this Monday. We'll be there and will have driven from NJ on Sunday.</p>
<p>Do most parents come to Blue Devil Days?</p>
<p>Lots of parents come for Blue Devil Days! They have programs for parents and for students--we thought we'd start getting our money's worth right away. It is hard to believe S1 has just one year left--it has gone much too quickly.</p>
<p>We have been to Blue Devil Days, Move-In, all of the Parents' Weekends and have visited on other weekends--we have always had a fantastic time. Don't miss the Duke Gardens in the spring, summer or fall--they are so beautiful!! Our son's housing on Central this year is separated from the West Campus by the Gardens--he walks through them every day to classes!!</p>
<p>If you are planning to come for any of the weekend events, start making your hotel reservations now! We have learned over the years (for all 3 of our kids) to make those reservations as soon as we know the dates!!</p>
<p>If you cannot make it to both move in and parent's weekend and choose move-in (that would be my choice), know that there will be other students whose parents can't be there. We took one of Son's friends under our wing, took him out to dinner, etc. Other parents were doing the same for other students whose parents couldn't be there.</p>
<p>Ditto the rec. about hotel rooms. Book now, cancel later if you need to!</p>
<p>Welcome from the mom of two 2011's. When your child was accepted to Duke and chose to attend, not only was your child embraced as a member of the Duke community, but you as parents were also welcomed with outstretched arms. </p>
<p>We attended Blue Devil Days as well as Parents Orientation and Parents Weekend. It would be great if you could attend them all, but certainly understandable if you cannot. </p>
<p>Move-in Day/Orientation is an unforgettable experience. We met so many great kids and parents. There is nothing like 105 degree weather, no air conditioning and runs to Bed Bath and Beyond that bring diverse families together into one large Duke family!</p>
<p>Watching your children walk into the Chapel followed by professors and administrators in their flowing robes is a sight beyond description. We listened to President Brodhead speak about our children's class, both their group and individual accomplishments - fathers and mothers sniffling and tearing up all around you. I would not have wanted to be any other place at that moment.</p>
<p>Parents Weekend was an opportunity to meet our sons' new friends, attend very interesting lectures and sneek into the Students Section for a basketball game. I am a graduate of UMCP and we never had spirit like that -- and this was just an exhibition game.</p>
<p>So -- try to get to as many functions as possible. But if you can't, remember that we are all one family and there will be a mom or dad to look after your son or daughter in your absence. By the way -- we booked our hotel for the 2008 Parents Weekend in February (upon the advice of a Senior Mom).</p>
<p>Thanks all! I should say at least one parent would be at move-in, just wasn'tt sure the whole family (including pulling a sib from sports and school), should go both times. Also my sister and her family are there, and would love to experience some of this on our behalf. Finally, we have been invited to Blue Devil Days here in California which might offer perspective about being far away. It just happens to be when another schools accepted student days is, and we are still not decided. Any thought's about paying full price at Duke? Did your student need to convince you, and how?</p>
<p>Shrinkrap --- personal finances are just that -- personal. It is very easy for me to say that is worth every cent. Without knowing your situation, which is none of my business, I am somewhat uncomfortable going on and on about Duke. Duke was and is our sons' dream school. They set Duke as their goal from grade school. H and I would have done whatever we had to in order to send them to Duke. But that was our decision. </p>
<p>When we visited Duke the summer before they applied, I could visualize them walking along Chapel Drive -- I knew that it was a perfect fit for them. Duke has lived up to its reputation and then some -- that's about all I can say </p>
<p>But keep in mind, if you live in California, you need to factor in airfare if your child wants to come home for Fall Break as well as Thanksgiving and Winter Break</p>
<p>Proudinnj,
I agree! Broadhead's speech to the Class of '11 in the Chapel on move-in weekend was a real "lump in your throat" moment. Very cool.</p>
<p>Thanks proudinnj. Duke was my D's dream when we visited last spring. She loved the" feel" and the beauty. We all did. It was our first step in this journey, and we had no idea what an ambitious dream it was. Compared to some here, we got a VERY late start in this "elite" thing. It is still hard to believe D get's to choose. The finances are doable without loans, I just wish I understood better what the appeal for her is. It seems largely related to various clubs and extracurriculars. Her other first choice has horseback riding and a great rose garden....Besides that, both are on the list because of the people she's met during "invitationals".</p>
<p>shrinkrap -- in so many ways it's the intangibles. For us, it's the smiles on the students' faces as you pass them on campus -- it's the professor and assistant dean who took time out to talk with H and me at the Pratt Barbecue. It's the pride you feel when people ask where your kids go to school. For our sons, it's been about making great friends, challenging courses, some "not so great" professors and some who truly care about their students -- If she feels it -- its the real deal. Hard to explain. But it's a feeling they didn't have about the other "elite" and not so "elite" schools we visited.</p>