<p>Hey guys, I am a long time reader of CC but a first time poster (you guys have been extremely helpful thankyou!!) and I have some big questions that I'd appreciate advice with.</p>
<p>First of all, some background. I live in New York and I live with a single mother and while we aren't very poor, we can't afford to throw a lot of money around and we wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think it was a necessary trip since I am applying ED. I was a Questbridge Scholarship Finalist (big scholarship program) who ranked this school but didn't get matched and decided to apply ED anyway. </p>
<p>This school is a reach for me in terms of GPA but I don't think an unrealistic reach. I have a 32 ACT composite score with about 3 AP classes, I'm in an advanced math class, and I have a good amount of ECs. I have had an alumni interview already that went very well, the interviewer seemed very impressed with me as he emailed me showing his appreciation meeting me before I could send him a thank you letter. I also have a family friend who has been an undergraduate and graduate student of W&L who keeps in touch regularly with professors in the school and he said he would put in a good recommendation as well.</p>
<p>[[And before anyone questions why I would go to this school without visiting, I know a number of people who has had an amazing experience at W&L and I have done extensive research on the school and know of most of the stereotypes and what is needed to know about the school.]]</p>
<p>My mother and I have decided to go visit the school this Friday (which is a 7hr road trip) and I was wondering</p>
<p>1) Would an on-campus interview be beneficial even though I have had an alumni interview?</p>
<p>2) How would I go about sitting in on a class? I have never done this before but I hear this being suggested constantly.. Isn't it kind of awkward to just walk in on a class, especially if its like a small class and the students would just be like "um.... whos that guy..?"</p>
<p>3) We obviously plan on attending the tour & info session, but what else is there to do in Lexington to get a good feel of the school? And what is there to do outside in Lexington in general? This IS a 7 hour road trip and might as well have fun when we get in Virginia.</p>
<p>We plan on going Thursday night and returning home Saturday night or Sunday.</p>
<p>I know this is a big read but some advice would be very appreciative.</p>
<p>I think you should reconsider the timing of your visit:</p>
<p>In many ways, this is NOT a great time to visit because classes ended last Friday Dec 7th for the entire semester, so you won’t be able to sit in on a class, and your regional adcom may not even be in. Are there tours and info sessions still going on? Please be sure to double check that, if you absolutely must go this week. Any visit is better than no visit perhaps, but this is not an optimal time to go. </p>
<p>This Friday, I fear you will encounter a very quiet campus. Exams, which students take VERY seriously here, will be wrapping up. Because of the Honor Code, students get to schedule their own exams, and many, many students will have already finished up and left campus by Friday. Students will generally not have time for casual conversations. They will either be studying, writing that final paper, or scurrying around packing and leaving town!</p>
<p>In general, though, an on campus interview is a really good thing to do for this school. They REALLY seem to count a student’s interest. The more contact you have with your regional admissions counselor the better. If there is any way you can do this trip when the students are back and classes are back in session, you should definitely visit. Classes resume Januay 7th (although that first week is Rush week, so I’d even recommend going later in January if possible.</p>
<p>I believe you can set up sitting in on a class with the admissions office. That’s usually the way to arrange that.</p>
<p>Going that first week back would be ideal, after rush week very few of the freshmen guys will have the time or inclination to talk to you until late March rolls around.</p>
<p>I would call the admissions office about going back in January. They can help you with visiting a class, talking with a professor, etc. The campus will be empty when you are planning to visit.</p>
<p>My son went on a visit the last night before exams began vs. the evening of the last day of exams–so while not a direct comparision, i can tell you that he got a much more serious view of the academics vs. other visits. He was also a recruited athlete, and instead of the usual partying that they did at other schools, he and his hosts played pick up basketball as getting excersise vs. parything made more sense for his hosts. as for me, we still got to tour campus, see the town, meet students and professors and coaches—so all and all, with the holiday season, and it so hard to plan such a long trip, i would say that there is little to be lost by making trip now vs. in january besides not seeing a ruckous party—quite frankly, i think that WL students can party with the best of kids, have no fear!</p>
<p>I really appreciate the responses, sorry I didn’t follow up with this topic, I was in a conversation with an admission officer during the time I posted this and she gave me very similar advice as to what was posted here. </p>
<p>I have another question though, </p>
<p>Is anyone here on CC a low income student who is attending/ has attended W&L on a full scholarship/ close to full scholarship? Did they feel some degree of separation socially from the rest of the alumni?</p>
<p>Did it feel awkward not being able to afford the kind of luxuries that other students could? Such as having a car on campus, going to nice places over the weekends/ spring breaks, etc?</p>
<p>We were just discussing this with a friend of D’s who attends an Ivy on a significant amount of scholarship money and my D who is on a full scholarship at W&L. Friend has felt a fair amount of “social separation”; D has not. Interestingly, D commented that there are plenty of kids at W&L from wealthy families who do not have cars on campus or large allowances. She has not seen much travel over the weekends with the exception of the outing club, which has relatively low-cost outdoors trips. Her theory was that most people at W&L were too polite to make an issue out of funds. Other kids may have a different take on it, but that has been her experience over the past year and a half.</p>
<p>My daughter is attending W&L on a 50% grant which is based upon financial need. She feels pressure to dress a certain way, which is not cheap. My take is that male students have fewer concerns about appearance. Costs associated with Greek activities are not trivial. That said, she has had a phenomenal experience and is becoming the responsible, thoughtful, scholarly young adult we expected.</p>
<p>Pressure to dress a certain way for both genders will be there, but it isn’t all consuming. There will be far, far more pressure, however, to go greek. That there is the huge expense of fitting in:</p>