Wharton Winter Welcome Debrief

I went to Wharton's Winter Welcome event this week. It was awesome... loved it. Loved the school, loved the people. Let's quickly go over the highlights.

People
I met a lot of great people (one of which was fellow blogger UniQpath!) Many of these people are still deciding among several schools, and I found myself hoping that we cross paths in the future here or elsewhere b/c I had a great time talking with them. I got the meet many of the people behind the curtain that is the Admissions process, including Mr. Thomas Caleel. I felt like I should give him a big hug and a thank you, but I maintained my composure. :)

Activities / Parties
We went out to dinner and then to a pub when I arrived on Wednesday night. Since I only have a few hours of sleep the night before, I was sorely tempted to go back to my hotel to sleep. However, I was having too much fun, so I stayed up and played with everyone else. The next night featured Follies (which was hilarious and a very uncensored take on student life), MBA pub (not my fav - too crowded, loud, and lacking in pizza), and bowling! We went to a bar afterward and then home to sleep. Lastly, there was the closing reception and party at Copa Miami.

Hints / Tips / Info Overload
Well, I had all my questions answered and more. Here is some information that might interest some of you:

GND: This got a lot of airtime. Apparently, the 1st year class was worried about what would happen given the faculty's changed stance of grade non-disclosure last year. However, they took a survey just recently (after DIP week - where most interviews are conducted) and found that something like 96% of the people hadn't run into any questions about grades. And for those who did, they simply said they did well/great/average and the recruiter left it at that. So, everyone is much more relaxed and they expect everything to go back to normal. So, it seems there was much ado about nothing.

First Year, First Semester: Hell. Just get through it and it's downhill from there.

Class Waivers: Try to get as many as possible, and then pick and choose what you want to take and what you don't.

Cool Stuff: Umm... I don't think I have enough room to list it all here. Venture Programs, Global Immersion Program, Clubs, treks, trips, etc.

Housing: Try to do it somewhat early if you are looking for an apt. vs. a brownstone. The housing thing stresses me out a little. It would probably be cheaper to rent a 2B w/ a roommate, but that involves finding someone to live with, which is time consuming and awkward (hi, will you be my roommate... no? ok, I didn't want to be your roommate either, I was just wondering...). I may just avoid the situation by getting a studio, which will be a little more expensive but will save me logistical hassle.

There was a lot more, obviously, but I can't remember or recount it all here. I am not sure if I will go back up in April for Wharton Welcome Weekend, but it's very tempting. I would love to meet more people as well as have an opportunity to look for housing if I have made a decision by then. At the same time, much of the information will be the same and there's not much reason to hear things twice. We'll see!

On the random thought front... I really wish this cold spell would snap. We've been so spoiled with a warm winter that I can't deal with the freezing cold now! :)