<p>We are scheduling a visit to campus. We'll only have one day, and dd wants to tour campus as well as visit the Physics dept. and one of the engineering departments. Would an appointment with the Honors Program be beneficial as well? I don't know that we'll even have time for it, but if it's helpful, we can try to squeeze it in. Any thoughts? Thanks!</p>
<p>squeeze all in you can 
they keep records of it all…</p>
<p>She’s already been admitted. She’s just never been there before and is trying to decide whether or not to attend.</p>
<p>squeeze all you can in 
You need to make a decision and have all the information</p>
<p>Well dd has tried to set something up with the Honors Program but they can’t seem to be bothered. She’s called, emailed, and called again. No response. We’re in College Station for her visit (had to fly to Texas), so I guess we’ll stop in to the office to be sure they received her National Merit Finalist letter, but it feels like a waste of time. They did have a student call her a few weeks ago to see if she had any ‘questions’, but that’s about it. She’s already feeling like if it’s this hard to just make an appointment, she’ll be totally lost in this enormous student body; just a number. Too bad. This campus has changed a lot since I was a student here, but that’s another post.</p>
<p>Did you try contacting Casey Ricketts, the National Merit Scholars recruiter? DS is a NMF and our experience could not be more different. DS attended SHIP last summer and National Scholar Day in November. Everything was very well run. The honors department has been very responsive to our emails and phone calls. We experienced the opposite at other universities. I would stop by the honors department and talk with them. Perhaps try calling them first thing before you arrive on campus. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Did you try contacting Casey Ricketts, the National Merit Scholars recruiter?</p>
<p>Yes, she was given his name and email address the first time she called. She’s called the main number several times and left messages. </p>
<p>Well, I’m sure there’s a reason - even if it’s to help her decide whether or not she really wants to go to a school this big. We just came from a visit to a much smaller, private school where they’ve offered her full tuition. She was able to spend the night in the dorm, they gave all of us meals, let her sit in on 3 classes… People were very friendly; professors even striking up conversation in the cafeteria line. This experience is MUCH different. I realize A&M is too big to be able to offer a similar visit, but when she can’t even schedule an appointment with the Honors Program…</p>
<p>^And Casey Ricketts hasn’t called back? He’s been very quick to call me back and help with whatever I needed. I applied after the scholarship deadline and he still made sure I’d get the NM scholarship. I didn’t get into business because I applied so late, but he made a call and got me in.</p>
<p>Needavacation - we had a similar experience with the honors department at A&M. We have had a great experience with every other interaction at A&M - but the honors department is awful. They are best described as “snotty” on the phone, it is difficult to get questions answered - I think they don’t really want students to attend A&M.</p>
<p>jrt336, No, Casey Ricketts has not returned any of her calls or emails. We went by the office and dropped the letter off. He was out. No response to that visit either even though it’s obvious we came a LONG way to visit. Oh well. I’m sure they are busy.</p>
<p>As I said, it really helped my dd see just how big the university is and how she would really have to be totally on her own. She enjoyed the visit with the Physics dept. and is impressed by what they have to offer. The food at Sbisa was by far the best of all the universities we’ve visited. (Blue Bell ice cream earned bonus points!) Those two things combined with the National Merit scholarship offer are keeping A&M in the running, but it’s really dropped to her last choice. She’s going to be a very young freshman and a smaller, more personal school would probably be better for her at the undergraduate level.</p>
<p>my dd came to A&M as a very young freshman, turned 18 just as school started. She came from a very small high school. I know the size of A&M overwhelmed her at first. And I almost felt bad leaving my baby there. She is in the college of Architecture and thankfully, the classes are small and personal. Her first semester, last fall, all her classes were on the smaller side - but this semester, her political science class is huge and impersonal. And she is in a communications class that is mostly Jr’s and some Sr’s… it’s tough being the youngest in some situations. I am thankful half her classes are in her major and small - 15 student classes.<br>
A&M is not for everyone, the size of the campus and student body can overwhelm some. Getting through freshman year can be a challenge.
I do know the reward is great and so worth it.</p>