<p>I agree it was a perfect day for the event. I was there as well doing a brief presentation for the Nursing Department Program which IMHO opinion went very well except for the fact that the Program was held in Perkins and then attendees had to walk quite a ways to get to McDowell Hall to see all the SIM lab components. I guess that they just had too many attendees to hold the main Program presentation in McDowell Hall. Things seemed to go very nicely overall with breakfast at the Trabant and Perkins Student beginning the day. The Moo mobile was mobbed and I suspect they just ran out of ice cream with all the people there. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. It seemed to me that many of the students attending had already made up their minds to attend UD and were just there getting a better initial feel for the place. But I’m sure there were some who had not fully decided yet and hopefully the Program swayed them to the positive side. I’m hoping the weather will be equally as good next Saturday-it could not be any better. </p>
<p>A very different experience for us. We were coming up from Richmond in the morning so were unable to get there until 1030 for the mechanical engineering information session. We were very disappointed in the session. The speaker did not seem to know very basic questions about the program, such as numbers of engineers in the program or attrition rate or even the percent who get jobs 6 months out. How could you not know these answers? We had just come up from the Clemson admitted student day and there was a night and day difference between these two. I don’t know if it was just the ME program …but we were really hoping this was going to confirm that this was the place for my son…close to home, decent engineering program. We did talk to the dean of engineering later in the day and felt better about the program, but now my son is not as excited about U Del as he had been previously. </p>
<p>Also disappointed…we spent Thurs and Friday in DC seeing American and Catholic. It was a spectacular day to see the campus and I really wanted my daughter to fall in love with the place. Instead, we both left kinda shrugging our shoulders and saying “that’s it?”. Delaware has some work to do on grabbing these kids and leaving no doubt in their minds that UD is the place for them. Perhaps we were spoiled by the prior two visits? Or maybe its seeing Clemson for an entire year,…we have a freshman daughter there and they know how to do “THIS IS CLEMSON”. Shoot, when my oldest left there she wanted to go over to admissions and leave the deposit check. CC, she is an engineering student…absolutely loves it…</p>
<p>Thanks! It seems everyone we have talked to are really happy with their decision to go to Clemson engineering. Their engineering tour was outstanding. The distance is the only problem with it. We also went to Syracuse and Stevens accepted student days and were impressed. When you think about it, they are trying to get the family to drop $100,000+ down on their school…don’t understand how they wouldn’t put more time and effort into it. We found even the students that were supposed to be helping out, couldn’t direct us to where campus and housing tours were and didn’t even have a copy of the day’s schedule to answer questions.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for all of this information. My son is going to DD this Saturday (April 19) and I was checking to see what the format was and when to expect to hear from Delaware about the itinerary. It’ll be interesting to see how UD compares to other schools’ Admitted Students Day, as many of you have said. We went to Clarkson two weeks ago for theirs and my son walked out of it saying it was not the place for him. Last week we went to Purdue and he fell in love with it – and it wasn’t even an Admitted Students Day. He’s heading down to Georgia Tech on Friday, followed by the Delaware DD on Saturday. A lot of information to throw at our kids in a short period, but at least they won’t have time to forget the little things that impressed them about each school!</p>
<p>Has anybody who is scheduled for the 4/19 Decision Day received their itinerary yet? As of this morning my son has not received anything. I seem to remember folks going to the 4/12 Decision Day receiving e-mails on the Monday before? I do not even know where we are supposed to report to yet!</p>
<p>I asked my daughter this same question yesterday. She double checked her email and there was nothing as of last night.</p>
<p>I think we got our e-mail a couple days prior to the event. There is nothing in the email that you wont get when you sign in so don’t worry too much. Sign in is very efficient. Some observations. Skip the tour. It’s an abbreviated tour around center green. Not worth your time, you will not see any buildings. I found the department of her selected major presentation to be very enlightening. Glad we did it. Although it ended up being what soured her (us) on UDel. When a department chair cant answer basic questions on the curriculum, you know something is amiss. Plan on seeing a dorm or two, just prepare for a line at the newer dorm. On the positive side, the ambassadors in blue shirts are numerous and helpful. You will be best served by pulling one aside and asking them questions. Good Luck!</p>
<p>I agree with skipping the tour - that was pretty much a waste of time. And we had already been on a much more thorough tour last spring when we visited. Also, if you want to tour the dorms, make sure you get there well ahead of the cut off time. The itinerary said tours of the dorms would go until 2:30 but when we arrived at the new dorms around 2:05 we were told tours were over. Thankfully, they took pity on us and “squeezed us in”. There was also time allotted to speak with financial aid at the Visitor’s Center but when we arrived, there were so many people waiting that they could not see us. The presentation by my D’s major from 10:30 to 12:00 was the highlight of the day for us. The elementary education department did an outstanding job. We felt really good about choosing UD after their presentation. Oh, and make sure you get your parking ticket validated shortly after you arrive. We waited until 3:00 and they had “run out” of vouchers. Somebody from admissions was at the parking garage exit gate though waving people through so it all worked out. </p>
<p>My son got his ‘itinerary’ for the April 19 DD today around 3:20 p.m.</p>
<p>“9:00 a.m. Check-in at Trabant Student Center to receive a personalized schedule of the day.” was the first item on the itinerary.</p>
<p>each major may get a different schedule… for example… university studies was check in at Perkins. My son’s arrived Friday last week for last Saturday’s event. </p>
<p>I will attest to the validated parking situation. Once you sign in at Trabant (sp?), ask for a validation ticket. As the day wears on, they become harder to find. Also, for the engineering students, make a point to visit their new lab. My daughter is not studying engineering, but kids and parents were raving about it. So as much as my earlier post expressed our disappointment, I dont want to sound all negative. We hit campus expecting a day full of activities and frankly some selling of the university. That expectation was grounded in the fact that we had just come off two similar events at two other schools where they went out of their way to convince my daughter that they wanted her to attend. Delaware is a different vibe. Not all bad, just different. Their attitude was, here we are…hopefully you like us. Had we known that going in, perhaps our experience would have been a bit different. What I will say on a positive note is they are accessible. You have to make the day, not wait for them to make it for you. </p>
<p>@JMD1964 I’m sorry your day didn’t go as hoped. It’s so funny how we all experience things so differently. My son met up with a classmate who had just come from American University’s Event and he felt it was so bland and they did nothing special to make the school inviting to the students. He told us he felt they could seem to care less whether he went there or not. He was blown away by UD’s event and the enthusiasm and program set up for him. (we met up with him by chance in the University Studies program) Of course since my D is there he asked us many questions about UD. I can say the event seemed a bit more disjointed this time around (and no lunch! lol!) but I was more focused on visiting my daughter and real student interaction than the days’ events. But his friend was so excited to attend UD after being at American and Maryland the two days before. It’s funny how each sees different things and it truly is about the feeling you get when visiting a campus. </p>
<p>Is anybody planning on attending the Decision Day tomorrow? If so what is your major?</p>
<p>Attending with my son for University Studies.</p>
<p>My son, planning on chemical engineering, will be there with my husband. </p>
<p>Another beautiful day today for the second Decision Day. It was a little cool in the am but warmed up nicely as the day wore on. At least at the Trabant garage they were giving out the parking validation ticket when you arrived so you didn’t have to worry about getting it later ( I guess they learned something from last Saturday). Student greeters were very vocal welcoming cars and I noticed some were circulating randomly at the tables during breakfast time (at least at Trabant) talking to students about UD and answering questions. I thought this was a nice touch. IMHO the Nursing Program component seemed to go well and I believe those attending got a very good understanding of what the Nursing program was like at UD. There were a number of questions from attendees which I believe the Nursing Faculty and Nursing students participating answered well. Now it is over until students make their decisions by May 1. Good luck to everyone making their final decision, whether it is or is not UD.</p>
<p>Very disappointed in DD - what a disorganized mess! Emailed schedule had incomplete information, app with “personal schedule” didn’t work, ambassadors had conflicting and incomplete information, all resulting in us missing the information session for our daughter’s major - the whole point of spending the $ to fly in and attend the event! Have been to several of these events with each of my daughters, to LAC and univs, and this is the first one with no welcome by the prez, no campus tour, no free lunch in a campus cafeteria, + over $12 to park?! If UD is trying to lure admitted students, they’re failing. I’d say it was a waste of time and $, but at least we learned where NOT to go.</p>
<p>I agree in that the event as a whole seemed to lack structure or any real organization. Our “breakfast” location was Gore Hall where we stood around and ate breakfast sandwiches in the middle of a hallway with no tables or chairs to sit down at. I was grateful for breakfast but I am not sure the hallway of an academic building was the most suitable place! I was also surprised there were no campus tours offered(or at least any that I could find). The admitted students day I attended with my daughter four years ago at PITT was much better organized and absolutely convinced me PITT was the right place for her. This one did not really leave a real warm and fuzzy with me but at the end the close proximity to our home along with in state tuition and the beautiful campus which we walked around on our own seemed to win the day with my son! The blue hen ambassadors were exceedingly friendly and tried to be very helpful so at the end I guess it was a success.(The free ice cream on the south green did not hurt!)</p>