Despite initial concerns regarding the larger than expected number of ProFros (prospective freshmen) on campus for Admit Weekend, those involved with the event generally gave positive feedback.
With more ProFros than expected, Roble Head HoHo (house host) Stephen Trusheim ‘13 said that despite having to “change all of our plans,” he had “just as much as fun as the ProFros did.”
After originally working through “layers of red tape” to get a Lake Lag BBQ approved, Trusheim and other HoHos had to find alternative means of entertainment for the ProFros. Trusheim initiated dance parties while fountain hopping at night.
“I got plenty of strange looks from parents when all of our HoHos walked around dancing to ‘Party in the USA’ as we led their kids around,” Trusheim said.
Working alongside HoHos, RoHos (room hosts) acted as additional resources for their prospective freshmen. Seeing Admit Weekend as a chance to “return the favor” for her own welcome experience, RoHo Helena Villalobos ’13, who is also a Daily photographer, said that she really wanted to show her ProFro a good time.
So, what were the ProFros thinking?
“I came to Stanford with high expectations, and my weekend exceeded those expectations,” said ProFro Louise Lu. “I found that there’s nothing I don’t love about Stanford. I can’t wait to come next fall!”
However, some of the weekend’s programming received mixed reviews, including the University-organized Academic Expos that aimed to give ProFros a taste of Stanford’s academic life.
ProFro Jenee Smith said psychiatry and behavioral sciences Prof. William Dement’s Academic Expo on sleep “was incredible, since he was such a unique blend of an engaging and serious” lecturer. And, after sitting in on Human Behavioral Biology (BIO 150), Smith said that the class “seemed like a real taste of Stanford [and] not just a part of Admit Weekend fun.”
Trusheim, on the other hand, observed an “artificially dead” feeling on campus. He said that this sentiment might have been caused by the inability of the Academic Expos to provide a genuine classroom experience and a general lack of group student involvement.
“I would like to see the University reach out to all the student groups here on campus and have them host events that really showcase Stanford’s unique life, instead of just explaining it,” Trusheim said.
Elena Higuchi ’13, another Roble HoHo, said that authenticity was a major complaint, as many ProFros felt that Admit Weekend was not “an accurate portrayal of life at Stanford.”
“And to be quite honest, it really wasn’t,” she added.
“They were disappointed that this was a dry weekend and [that] they didn’t get to see what real Stanford students would actually be doing on a typical weekend,” Higuchi said.
In an e-mail to The Daily, Julie Lythcott-Haims ‘89, dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising, acknowledged the challenge of condensing a “world class institution into an extended two-day tour.”
“Still, we try to put some key elements of an undergraduate education before them and hope that they experience enough of what we offer so as to come away with a good sense of the place,” Lythcott-Haims said.
While Trusheim observed that many ProFros wanted him to “sell Stanford to them,” he instead tried to get them to “figure out what they were really looking for in a school.”
“Having meaningful conversations about my ProFros’ dreams and aspirations and giving an honest impression of Stanford ‘sold’ more ProFros than I could have otherwise,” Trusheim said.
Lythcott-Haims also emphasized the wider picture in the questions she posed to students still undecided about which college to attend.
“Is it a school they would just be proud to have a degree from? Or is it a school where they’ll feel a true sense of belonging for four years and also be proud to have that degree?”