Trinity 360 Report

Colleges and Universities A-Z Trinity University (Texas)
1

<p>The short story: I’m going to go to Trinity and have already mailed my deposit and confirmation form.
The long story (I apologize ahead of time for any grammatical mistakes): </p>

<p>On Friday, my parents and I parked (illegally, receiving a ticket) and walked around the campus just to get a glimpse before the Trinity 360 the next day. It was very nice—the weather was incredibly mild—and walked around. As we were looking at the map across near Thomas (residence hall), we were approached by a girl from Pasadena, CA, a junior, I believe, who asked us if we needed help. Said no, we’re just looking around, going to 360 tomorrow. I asked her where she was from and she told me and wished me luck in my decision. </p>

<p>Saturday, got there at 8:30 or so for the program. TONS of people, way more than I (or Trinity, I think) expected. The Alamo Stadium parking lot across the street from the school was full. Registered in Northrup Hall and got a printed name tag with my home and my admissions officer, as well as a printed program for the students. Inside the program was a green sheet with a number and a meal ticket redeemable at Mabee. The parents were to be split up from the students for most of the day. Milled about a bit before going to a program in Stieren Theater (breakfast was offered in an adjoining building, pastries and o.j. and stuff). Introduction was given by Dr. Char Miller, professor of history and urban studies. Extremely nice theater—flanked on the brick walls on either side was that cool projection effect that said “TRINITY UNIVERSITY.” Behind the podium, a Power Point presentation was playing—with pictures of the school, guest speakers, etc. Chris Ellerton, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, introduced us to all the admissions officers. The auditorium was PACKED. He then revealed that a red card inside the student program meant that the student was going on a scavenger hunt—had already taken a campus tour previously. When he asked how many had visited before, almost the entire first five rows and a couple of rows in the middle section raised their hands. A green card indicated the campus tour—and the number indicated our group. He called off the numbers, waited for those people to leave, and we left. The parents stayed behind for a program called “Reflecting on the First Year” where they “learn[ed] from current first year students” about the transition. My parents said that this was really good and they enjoyed it a lot. Apparently they brought out six freshmen, each from different socioeconomic classes—a jock (swimmer on a scholarship), a black guy (apparently really intelligent, articulate, from the San Antonio area), two Sorority Janes (as I like to call them, parents said they were ditzy), and a smart guy (had been accepted to Cornell, NYU, Fordham, other schools, explained why he chose Trinity, from Houston, I think). All freshman dorms are considered substance-free. The upperclassmen dorms have substance-free floors; it’s apparently quieter and less distracting.</p>

2

<p>Meanwhile, I took the campus tour. It’s really pretty, very nice, low trees. All of the students were trying to mingle with each other, learn names. There were a lot of Texas residents, but one girl in my group was from the Chicago area (another, from Tennessee), and I met two people from Maryland and one from Omaha.<br>
The campus is divided into two—a sort of upper campus, where most of the classes are, and a lower campus, where most of the dorms are, so you do have to walk “up” to classes, but it’s just one stairway. The buildings are beautiful (particularly the administration building!) and it feels like the campus was built into the area—I can’t quite describe it. It definitely meshes into the surroundings. We visited a dorm room (in MacLean), and it was VERY CLEAN and FAAARR above my expectations. Everyone comes from a different background and different levels of expectations. I have stayed at Northwestern State University about 6 to 8 times for various summer activities, and the dorms there are nasty, all have community bathrooms, cockroaches, have concrete bottoms to the showers, and—the hot water system there is so screwed that we had to yell “FLUSH!” before flushing the toilets to warn the showering folks, as the shower water becomes scalding for a couple of moments. The mattresses were from somewhere in the Stone Age, and the wood on our in-room sinks was rotting. So, Northwestern always remained my “standard” for colleges. All the rooms are in suites, and there was a nice brick wall on one side, the beds were bunked, the little built in desk/shelf area on one wall was very new and looked like something out of Office Depot. Most importantly, it was NEW and definitely livable. All the rooms have VoiP, and you’ll be charged for cable whether or not you use it. I was kind of shocked by the size (I’m an only child and quite used to LOTS of space; I’m ready for this experience) but the walk-in closets are huge for a dorm! They’re the size of my closet! Living on campus for three years is the requirement. This doesn’t bother me, I’d always believed that I was going to live on campus all four years anyway.</p>

3

<p>After the campus tour, we were taken to the Chapman Grad Center for the “first year experience panel.” I believe about one or two tour groups joined us there, and a junior, Julia, spoke, a psychology major from Houston. She talked about the social life (very laid back, some Greeks—she said she wasn’t Greek and it hadn’t stopped her from having a social life), the classes (lots of writing and essays), dorms (she’s a resident advisor), life in San Antonio, etc. I liked her and she was quite personable.
The first year experience panel lasted about 40 minutes, and then we were allowed to choose two panels to attend, for a 25 minute session each---Greek Life, Intramurals, Athletics, Leadership, Media & Publications, Multicultural Interests, Performing Arts, Spiritual & Religious, Study Abroad, Research & Internships, and Volunteer & Service. I chose Study Abroad first and simply went up the stairwell in the Chapman center. The room quickly became full—some even had to sit on the ground! Our speakers were a junior who had spent a semester in Copenhagen (urban studies major), a senior who had studied art in Florence (I think?), a Spanish major who went to Barcelona, and a junior who studied in Australia. Trinity has no study abroad program, officially. They spoke quite highly of Nancy Ericksen, the study abroad counselor, who matches students up with programs. You do not have to pay Trinity on top of your study abroad costs. I think it’s a great idea to have no official study abroad program and allow students to choose from a wide variety of programs.
Then I went to the Research & Internships panel. One of my largest concerns about Trinity is the relative “unknown” factor of the school. When I mention Trinity to people here in Louisiana who are from Texas, they nod and say, “Great school, you can’t go wrong with that one.” For the most part, everyone else has no clue. So, I’ve been concerned about my degree not getting me very far—especially considering that I want to work internationally. We had a senior guy who was a major in Economics, concentration: theoretical math, a senior girl who was a major in Economics, concentration: public policy, and two sophomore girls who were the sciencey-research types. The senior guy said that internships and research opportunities are pretty available and open at Trinity—it’s a matter of maintaining good relationships with the professors, and they’re generally good, he said, about letting any interested individuals know about openings. The senior guy will go on to grad school. When I raised my concerns about a Trinity graduate being recruited only locally, he said that he had gotten job offers from firms in New York City and Boston; his roommate, an accounting major, has gotten job offers from firms in NYC, Boston, and D.C. I found it quite informative.
Lunch was served at 12:25, and we all hopped over to Mabee Dining Hall (meal tickets were attached in our program, allowing us a complimentary entrée, side, salad, drink, and dessert). It’s really nice and cool in there. While the weather was mild while I was there, I can definitely see the advantages of a semi-dark dining hall when the temp is 100 outside. There’s a main eating area with tables and chairs, and lounge areas on both sides. On one side, there are two or three sizable flat panel T.V.s, low volume, and some comfy chairs. I was quite impressed with the flat panel T.V.s—I consider this quite a luxury. The food was O.K., I had chicken fajitas—while I thought it was a really cool idea (chicken fajitas at school!) it was sort of bland, but not awful in any way. I shyly sat down by myself, incredibly conscious that I didn’t know anyone (I’M SO SORRY I’M NOT FROM TEXAS!), and a nice girl walked by, and I smiled, and she sat down with me. Meal plans are also required—there’s “light,” “medium” and “heavy.” Not a big deal for me—I'd never considered not being on my college's meal plan.</p>

4

<p>After lunch, the parents and students reunited (parents had lunch earlier than we did) at the Academic Faculty Fair in the Sam’s Gym, Bell Center. The gym is smallish, but verrrry nice with its own indoor swimming pool. That the faculty gave up their Saturday to do to the fair for incoming freshman really impressed me. They were all incredibly nice and sympathetic (we were all terrified on one level or the other!), and very informative, patient, willing to answer any and all questions. </p>

<p>Had to go the bookstore (by this time, I was sold) to buy a t-shirt (at $16.95!!). Then, my parents and I went to the sample class of our choice—the class known as HUMA 1600. All freshman at Trinity are required to take this “First Year Writing Seminar” which is three hours per semester, both semesters. Or, you can take HUMA 1600, which is a six-hour course about humanities. The professor, Dr. Thomas Jenkins, was AWESOME. He opened up the presentation with a picture of the cover of the movie Troy, which has a speech bubble near Brad Pitt’s mouth that reads “HUMA 1600 rocks!” Then he showed us a clip from the movie, and asked us, “What is Troy about?” “WAR!” “And?” “LOVE!” “But it’s about war more than love.” Then he launched into a discussion about war poetry, and its characteristics. He showed us a small clip from the movie Casino, in which Robert de Niro is blown up—to, he pointed out, Bach’s “St. Mathew’s Passion.” We examined the words in “St. Mathew’s Passion” and discussed how that related to war/love poetry. Talked about The Illiad, and he showed us a clip of a Yugoslavian bard playing the lute (with a bow) and making up this loooong song (about a wedding feast) “on the fly,” just spontaneously. Related that to the Homeric tradition. Ah, it was AMAZING and I loved it. Dr. Jenkins has his degree in Classical Studies from Yale and his Ph.D. from Harvard, which completely sold me on the school. This guy will grade my paper—no T.A.s! I’m a firm believer in “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” and this was a definite confirmation that Trinity is truly the best “won’t kill you but will make you stronger” choice I could make for college. </p>

<p>There was a closing session at around 4:00, but we had a plane to catch the next day, so we just headed back to the hotel. </p>

<p>Re: parking. There are more parking spots on campus than there are students. It's $60/year to park (which is SO cheap, I think!). From what I can understand, there's a covered parking garage near Prassel, it doesn't cost any extra to park there, but as it's a long walk back to central campus, most people don't.
Re: San Antonio, as mentioned in flashback's post in "Why Trinity?" I come from a small town where an inmate stealing the sheriff's van is an exciting day and makes the front page of the newspaper. There's an amazing shopping center nearby called the Quarry Market, and it has Ann Taylor loft, Whole Foods Market, Michaels, Chili's, Canyon Cafe, BORDERS BOOKSTORE AND a STARBUCKS!, P.F. Chang's, a movie theater, Chipotle, and MORE. Almost all of those things are complete novelties to me. San Antonio is more blue-collar than Houston or Dallas, but it's still the nation's eighth largest city and I, personally, will have to adjust to all the services available there. </p>

<p>Report ends here--to everyone's great relief, I know!
EDIT: There were 530 people at Trinity 360 that day!</p>

5

<p>Great report! Thanks for posting all the details. :)</p>

6

<p>Ok, Europegirl- you rock. I know that took some serious time but gave us quite a view for those who didn't go so thanks so much. I am an international student so when I go to see schools I need to have my final few with acceptances and maybe $$, all in a row or it would cost me way too much to fly several times. I think reading between the lines, you found students even the ones who aren't prospective freshman friendly. I love that dorm thing. I'm like you thinking I will stay on campus all 4 years. I am also like you, an only child, and used to space too. I spent a summer at a northern school too (different one) and the dorms were pretty gross and small too but not as bad as the one you described. It sounds like Texans are a real melting blend so that stereotype of Texans is overrated. I think it is important to me to have really friendly people but want to have all kinds of people from all kinds of places. I like that you have had serious thoughts about the afterlife of Trinity and it's unknown reputation for recruiting etc. My college counselor has mentioned that compared to the other schools relative to recruiting. This is terrific that we get these views of the schools from our computers- isn't technology great!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

7

<p>Thanks guys! I know how hard it is to find solid information about Trinity, and I wanted to help fill in the information void. </p>

<p>froshtobe, what country are you from? (I consider international kids=very cool.)</p>

8

<p>The Caribbean - Europegirl. I am used to going to schools with lots of different kinds of people and lots of different nationalities and it sure makes it interesting. I like all kinds of people as a result and take people for who they are and not what they are. Yea, I probably sound like a commercial here but well that's what happens when you get a good blend.</p>

9

<p>I'm a firm believer in public schools simply because the earlier you learn to work with all different sorts of people, the better. I completely understand what you mean. </p>

<p>Apparently, one of the girls who was leading the parents' tour on the Trinity 360 day was a Hispanic native San Antonian--and her roommate was a Jewish girl from Houston whom she just absolutely grew to love, and is rooming with next year. I think it's great when two very different people are thrown together and discover just how much they have in common after all.</p>

10

<p>I couldn't agree more. As long as we do this for 4 years, let's make it interesting. There is lots more to learn besides in class and that usually involves other people - good AND bad, same and different.</p>

11

<p>haha ya i did the 360 a couple weeks back and thats was pretty much exactly my experience.. while you were out there though you really should have scheduled an overnight visit... a lot of what they tell you on the tour/you hear from the paid people isn't completely accurate so its nice to get the real unscripted info... read the stuff i posted in teh "why trinity" thread, it might be helpful for you</p>

12

<p>I did read them flashback and most of what you said is positive but then there is the question of life after Trinity for grad/ career stuff that seems to be the open question. Most campuses will be mostly white or "whitish" but that is different than how you think and act. I have seen plenty of "multi-colored/multi-ethnic" jerks and plenty of people who take people at face value and college will be no different than anywhere else.</p>

13

<p>Hey Europegirl, you have any different choices yet? Made any decisions? This last wait and scholarship stuff is like drip turture. How is Trinity looking in the line up for you?</p>

14

<p>Oh, I'm definitely going. . . I only applied to Texas Christian University and the University of Texas. Trinity is my best choice, esp. with the scholarship they've offered me. I'm so excited about going--I can hardly believe that I'm going to see the Murchison Tower again, when I make Trinity my home in August.</p>

15

<p>Well that is great that you have made that final choice. Will be there at some point soon I hope. I am still wating on the financial details from Trinity and others and acceptances from some others but Trinity remains high on the list for me still.</p>