<p>Is there anything during CalSo that justifies the price? My family was interested in going with me so I can experience visiting Berkeley for the first time with them. However, the price for a guest is $195 which is ridiculous. This means my mom can go instead of my whole family since we don't have much money. Is there any way I can get my mom to get a discount on CalSo? Also, is it possible for my mom to be with me during orientation? My mom does not give a dam about any cal parents, social networking, or any resources for parents, she's just proud that I got accepted and wants to visit with me.</p>
<p>To be honest, nothing at CalSO justifies the price.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m not sure there’s any justification. It’s either you go or you don’t - it’s not required after all, you just miss out on phase 1 scheduling and a tour of the campus.</p>
<p>I don’t know if the price is justified or not. But, they have programs/presentations geared for students and programs/presentations geared for parents. Likely you wouldn’t want your parent with you during your program. As a Cal Parent, I really enjoyed the programs and it was nice to meet other parents in my same situation (having a kid go away to college). I like to know how things work, so I found the program informative. But, I don’t think it is necessary. If you just want your parent to visit with you at Cal, probably the best time for that is Parents Weekend. </p>
<p>Wait! I know the answer. I learned it in college…supply and demand! If people stop paying high prices, they tend to come down. :)</p>
<p>The payment basically goes towards:
- Bag + Book + pen that you get (maybe $50 value)
- Food (About $20-25 value)
- A night in the dorms $40. You basically pay for maintenance.
- Calso leaders (about 40 people) get a paycheck for doing this even (as well as free housing and food from the university for the entire summer). So I guess this is where most of the money goes to.</p>