I took another step towards letting go of Miss 16. We visited Wilkes University today. Commence wailing and moaning.
Our appointment was at 1 PM, the admissions rep didn’t meet us until 1:17. I’m the type of person who is early for everything, especially when other people are dependent on me. Needless to say I was slightly peeved and told Miss 16 that we were leaving if our rep didn’t show up by 1:20. It’s not like we just showed up, we had an appointment…
Anyway, the rep (along with two of her colleagues) met with us for about 20 or 25 minutes. I took notes while Miss 16 asked and answered questions. They discussed the admissions process, financial aid and scholarships, as well programs for incoming students, social activities and education requirements.
After our session was over, we waited about 15 or 20 minutes to go on a tour of the campus. The campus tour was actually pretty nice. It could be the history buff in me or the Italian/New Orleans influences but the buildings were incredibly beautiful. Some time when we’re not on a mission, we’re gonna have to go back so that I can take some pictures. And, of course, we loved the library. They’re a Mac campus, so all of the computers in the labs and the library are Apple Macs. Miss 16 is a little nervous about that because she’s used to the PC but I told her not to worry she’ll learn.
Here’s the breakdown according to Miss 16:
Pros:
~ Offers my daughter’s major (Psychology and Special Education)
~ Scholarships based on need and merit
~ Successful mentoring program for incoming freshmen
~ Offers 24/7 tutoring
~ Classes are small (20 to 25 students)
~ Close to home
~ Choice between on~campus or off~campus living
~ Can have a car as a freshman
Cons:
~ Rooms are unattractive (a few of the rooms we visited had food or something on the floor, for the record, I don’t agree that the rooms were unattractive ~ I liked them. But Miss 16 is used to her room at home so we may have to have a discussion about what dorms are really like.)
~ Actual service is lacking and/or slow (remember we had that 17 minute wait)
~ Communication reliability is questionable (we never received our parking permits or any information from the University regarding our appointment even though they said they’d send it)
Despite the rocky start, I did like the campus. I noticed a lot of security cameras (great for this overprotective mother), all of the living quarters were swipe~key entry. The campus is very compact (most of the classes are held in two buildings) which means that my daughter wouldn’t be wandering from building to building for different classes. The campus is in the heart of Wilkes~Barre (off the Square and the River Commons) so there is an active social calendar.
I wish that we had had the opportunity to see the classes in session or talk to a few professors, but it’s summer so I completely understand. Overall, I liked the smallness of the campus and liked that my daughter would be close to home but that she’d also get the experience of living independently if I let her live she chooses to live on campus.
Our next college visit is later this week….
