<p>@Mammakin: I thought I’d reply on the thread you started . . . Interviews are great, they can set the tone for the whole visit. I’m glad your son’s went well, as apparently your trip did in general. Btw, I like the way he is using ED primarily to simplify the college application process for the college of his choice, and only secondarily to enhance his odds of acceptance. That’s how I would do it, anyway.</p>
<p>Wishing him success. Keep us posted. </p>
<p>Enhancing his odds has actually never entered a single conversation with him. Its all about the school. Its just me worrying about those types of issues. I have been asking questions here on CC without him even knowing. Btw, we just submitted his app. That was a lot of hard work!</p>
<p>Merc81, you don’t have to say, but I am curious what your connection with Hamilton is. You are so knowledgeable.</p>
<p>Congratulations on the app! . . . Right now, my connection is through my N, who chose Hamilton as her first college to visit in October, as a current H.S. junior. (She loved it and doesn’t care to look elsewhere now, though of course she should and will.) I told her she was still a kid, and she should them how to goof-off, **<strong><em>-</em></strong> style. Sadly, I don’t think she listened to me. Kids . . .</p>
<p>As for my collegiate affiliation, I’ll keep it off CC for now; mainly because if I had a college name associated with my user name I would lose some of the freedom to post a little sloppily, as I certainly have. </p>
<p>Thank you for the compliment. I hope to hear some good news about your son in December.</p>
<p>I should change that “N” into “niece.” I’ve adopted too much CC shorthand.</p>
<p>merc81: just want to run something by you, hope you don’t mind. Yesterday my son received an email from a nearby alum saying Hamilton admissions has requested he interview our son. My son has already had an interview with Hamilton on campus, so we are confused as to why they would need another one. After some research on CC, I can only think that 1) this is an admissions oversight or 2) that they need to find out more about him for some reason. My research indicates that this is a fairly rare occurrence, and the only other schools I could find that sometime request second interviews are Harvard or Yale. </p>
<p>My son emailed back that he would be happy to meet, but let him know the date and person who he had already interviewed with. He is waiting to hear back. This may be much ado about nothing, but I find it curious. Do you have any insight as to why this would happen?</p>
<p>Never mind. I called and got my answer… it was just a logistics issue. No more analysis paralysis : ) .</p>
<p>@Mammakin: I don’t mind your asking at all . . . So was it that the nearby alumnus/a was not informed that your son had already interviewed, and a second interview is not actually being requested? Btw, I liked your son’s response, along the lines of, “Yes, I’d be happy to be interviewed, but just so you know, I already did.” Perfect.</p>
<p>Thanks, I too was proud of my son’s response. It was better than I would have done : ) .</p>
<p>What happened was, I had made an online request for an off-campus interview in early September, and didn’t cancel it when my son had his on campus interview. Truthfully, I completely forgot that I even made it, and anyway would have assumed that there would be a tracking mechanism in place to cancel it out. When I called today, they said it happens all the time, so that made me feel a little better. Just a case of Momz-heimers. </p>
<p>@Mammakin: You got some very good information on this thread about the residence halls at Hamilton. I wanted to suggest a complementary approach as well. To the extent that you are advising your son, consider advising him to play a straight hand by choosing the housing he feels most comfortable with. IF anyone questions him about his choice of, say, substance free housing, the answer need be no more complicated than that of the question of why he might be wearing a blue shirt: “Because that’s what I prefer.”</p>
<p>College is a good – but difficult – time to develop independence of choice and expression. Starting early will make for a more meaningful four years.</p>
<p>Hi Merc81! Happy New Year to you! I can’t remember exactly where I heard it, but I believe Hamilton is eliminating substance free housing for freshmen this new year. I think I also heard that they are adding more freshman-only housing. The website still contains mostly 2014 information, so I am waiting for updates, although I haven’t looked for a few weeks. I will let my son take the lead on this, but I remain torn. On the one hand, it is probably good for him to be exposed to the ‘real’ world of mainstream kids who party. On the other hand, he is extremely uncomfortable around it. I keep reading that drinkers couldn’t care less if others don’t drink, but as a former college student myself, I can’t help but believe the judgement will go both ways.</p>
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<p>Everyone? That’s not the Hamilton I know. If a student is that judgmental and insecure that they ‘get their back up’ towards a fellow student because of a lifestyle choice, perhaps Hamilton should reevaluate its admission criteria and put a great emphasis on admitting students who are accepting of others and open-minded</p>
<p>^^
Gezz–“greater emphasis”</p>
<p>CrewDad, I found the comment curious as well. </p>
<p>If there really is some chess game going on with judgments and counter-judgments regarding lifestyle choices at Hamilton, then I think that entire dynamic can safely be ignored for being, in itself, a fringe dynamic.</p>
<p>Somewhat separately, I would probably view wellness dorms as being only an intermediate point in social evolution anyway. In an environment where respect for others is paramount, the choices of one’s immediate neighbors would have no impact on one’s “wellness” anyway.</p>
<p>@CrewDad: I can relate, just look at my repetitive use of “anyway.”</p>