End of Day Four

After the Harvard tour, we ate lunch in downtown Boston at McGann’s, an Irish Pub. We mainly went because they offered a cheap clam chowder, and everyone wanted a taste of chowdaa before we left New England. (Also everyone wanted to say “chowdaa”). Besides the clam chowda, we had traditional lunch fare, like fish and chips, sandwiches, etc. For dessert we finished up at J.P. Licks, an ice cream parlour recommended by a BU booklet as “the best ice cream in Boston.” So obviously we had to try it out.

And yes, it was pretty good.

From Boston, we drove straight nonstop up to Auntie Carina’s house, and we made pretty good time, reaching the house at around 4:00. We had fun hanging out with Craig and Angela, playing foosball and Call of Duty: Black Ops, and finally seeing baby Lance. For dinner we had a delicious barbeque cookout, and we went to sleep in a house for the first time since the start of our trip!

The statue of three lies

If you were still wondering about the Harvard statue, it's actually based on the figure of a man named Leonard Hoar, who also contributed a lot to the founding of the college. Most of the original founders got houses named after them, like Harvard House, etc, but Leonard Hoar didn't, for a very simple reason. A respectable college like Harvard would never have been taken seriously or have been respectable at all if it had advertised "Hoar House" as one of its main attractions on campus. So Leonard Hoar got a statue instead.

Day Four (7/1/11)

We woke up another day in the Doubletree hotel (our last day sadly) and ate Maggie Mee breakfast again. We were looking forward to an information session at Boston College, but Jenna and I really didn’t like it at all. The college was beautiful and medium sized, but there was a big emphasis on the Jesuit education, and it seemed like the college would be very religious. The emphasis made us both uncomfortable, and although the student panel said religion didn’t interfere with their curriculum, we knew the real story from the way they referred to their professors as “Father.”

After the information session, we really didn’t feel as if we would apply to a school like Boston College, and we thought that taking the tour would not be really helpful in influencing us in the opposite direction. Because this was the only school that we really had a negative feeling towards out of all the schools we had been to, the adults eventually agreed that it was okay to skip out on the campus tour. Instead, we drove back down to Boston for something to do.

As we drove out of the Boston College campus and into Boston, we noticed signs for the Harvard campus, and decided to walk around there instead. The campus was very green and pretty, and the buildings on campus were pretty openly spaced, though a little imposing. We wandered in on a walking tour of the campus gathered around a statue of John Harvard and decided to listen in on the guide speaking about the statue. It’s probably important to mention the statue is mounted on a plaque that states “John Harvard, 1638.” Imagine the scene…

A campus tour. CROWD, GUIDE in front. Circled around large statue of a man.

Guide: There are three lies about this statue. Anyone want to guess one of them?

Someone in the crowd: The college wasn’t founded in 1638.

Guide (extremely enthusiastic): GREAT! That’s right, the college was, indeed, actually founded in 1636. (*lists a bunch of other information about founding that I forgot*)

Guide: Now, what is the second lie?

Crowd: …. *crickets chirping*

Guide (undaunted): The college was not founded by John Harvard! It was actually established by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and John Harvard was a man who gave the colony the land to build the oldest original parts of the college.

Members of crowd murmur interestedly among themselves, a few laugh.

Guide (rhetorical question): And what is the third lie?

Guide: THIS MAN IS NOT JOHN HARVARD!

Crowd laughs uproariously.

Guide: John Harvard died at the age of 31! John Harvard was weak and sickly! This man is strong, tall, and good looking! John Harvard lived in a swamp! Do you think you would find someone like this in a swamp? NO! This man is NOT JOHN HARVARD!

Crowd: DUN DUN DUN! (dramatic chant)

So yeah, listening in on that part of the Harvard tour was pretty fun.

 The green facing a building on the Harvard Campus.

 In front of the steps of a main library at Harvard.
 

Second Half of Day Three (6/30/11)

We had lunch at Passage to India, an Indian restaurant in the heart of Boston. We were all very hungry, and I can still remember exactly what we ate: Chicken Murkni, some kind of eggplant dish, Lamb Tikka Masala, and a large bread basket full of different types of naan, poori and chapatti. Although we left very full and satisfied, it was pretty expensive for just a lunch menu.

2:00 pm

We reached our appointment at Boston University right on time after lunch, and walking around, it was a pretty nice campus. Boston University, or BU, as they abbreviated it (I referred to it as “boo”) was the first large university we visited since UPenn. They already had their orientation tours going on for the incoming freshmen, and we were able to see a little of what life might look like if we were freshmen at BU. Overall, the requirements for admissions were definitely not as rigorous as we had seen at other schools, and it seemed as if “boo” was a pretty good safety school. Again, we went to the college bookstore, but we didn’t buy anything.

 An example of a housing option at Boston University.

 Us in front of the admissions office.

Central campus. The statue of a dove made out of 50 other doves is in the center, with the school seal on the right and other campus buildings in the background.

From BU we went straight to the nearest Costco went on a shopping bonanza, buying vitamins and other things for Tua-Kim and Tua-Ku to bring back to Thailand. We also went to Target, bought more nail polish, nail clippers, and a hairbrush (mine was pretty dead), and a shoe store to buy some walking shoes. By the time we got back to town, it was pretty late.

8:00 pm

We found a good place to eat in Boston’s Chinatown, where we had chow fun, fried squid, and baby bean shoots (tow meow). It was a good price, and we all left for the hotel tired and happy after a good day of college touring and shopping.

Us in front of the entryway to Boston's Chinatown.

Day Three (6/30/11)

7:30

We woke up from our dreamy soft beds at Doubletree Inn and Suites (it’s a new chain by Hilton, apparently) at 7:30, which was a little too early for me, and definitely too early for Jenna, who fell right back asleep. While I sleepily wandered around brushing my teeth and getting dressed, Ah-ah (Shirley) had already showered and was making coffee and reading the morning paper. After Jenna and I were a little more awake, we ate a delicious and well-balanced breakfast of Maggie Mee (Ramen noodles), coffee, and last night’s leftover cookies. (Although Doubletree was a great hotel, it didn’t provide free breakfast). Then we packed up our bags for the day and moseyed on down to the car.

9:00

Thanks to our early start, we made it to Tufts right on time for the information session. We were already starting to get used to the routine of the college tour, which was pretty standardized throughout all the colleges. Information session in the admissions office, then a walking tour through the campus with a student. Mostly it was the campus tour that was the more exciting portion of the tour, but at Tufts, the information session started right off with a bang. The woman talking was an admissions officer at Tufts, and she was REALLY peppy. She started by saying she probably wouldn’t be able to fit everything she was planning to say in just an hour, and so her solution would be to talk as quickly as possible. She also mentioned that she had about 12 cups of coffee that morning, so talking fast wouldn’t really be a problem for her. Then she went on to talk about academics, some interesting statistics about the college, admissions, and a little about student life at Tufts. I learned a lot, but the newest and most valuable information to me was about admissions, and included some of the following information:

-Tufts usually has very unique admissions essay questions, such as “Are we alone?” and “Which do you prefer, a gorilla or a guerilla?” (this question was accompanied by a very accurate miming of each type)

-Getting good grades and test scores is the first part of admissions, which allows you to make the first cut. To pass the second cut you must have a varied and widespread program of extracurriculars, awards, and other things that demonstrate that you would take interest and participate in the college programs.

-Tufts looks at not only your grades, but the rigor of your academic program, and checks to see that you are taking the most challenging courses (that are appropriate) that your high school offers.

-Your essay should distinguish you from other candidates, and impress upon the admissions officer something unique about yourself. It can be funny. But it probably shouldn’t be if you aren’t usually funny.

I liked Tufts better than Wesleyan because it was less extreme and less liberal. Because Wesleyan was the first liberal arts college we visited, I thought it was very new and impressive, and I had never seen a curriculum like theirs before. However, after visiting Tufts, I was able to get a better sense of the spectrum of different colleges, and Tufts was right in the middle. It wasn’t too big, but also it wasn’t too small. It offered liberal arts courses and other courses, and it gave incoming freshmen and sophomores the ability to experience different types of academics before declaring a major, just like Wesleyan.

Walking on the campus tour, I was also really happy with what I saw. The Tufts campus was very pretty and open, and we had a great guide who filled us in on all the Tufts traditions and quirks of student life. I was very happy with Tufts. We went to the Tufts bookstore after the tour, but it was pretty small and there was nothing on sale, so we didn’t buy anything.

 A path going through the Tufts green.

 An example of the architecture on campus grounds.

An example of a classroom at Tufts (Olin Language Building).

One of the largest lecture halls at Tufts, doubles as a stage.

Boston skyline from the roof garden at Tufts.

 Undergraduate admissions building, with a plaque of Jumbo, the Tufts mascot.

statistics

An interesting fact. After two days, 5 colleges, and 2 full tours, the greatest correlation between schools is the femininity of their male tour guides. Feminine hand gestures and waves. Feminine voices. Well-manicured nails. It seems as if we start trending further to more and more feminine we might actually get a girl tour guide. Yay.

10:30 at the end of Day Two

We arrived at the Boston hotel and were immediately presented with warm cookies, which were honestly the most delicious thing I have ever eaten at 10:30. Apparently part of the hotel marketing was to provide customers with “welcome cookies” upon arrival. I had never heard of this particular chain before, but their cookies really worked, because next time my family books a hotel, I’m specifically requesting that one. The hotel was very nice too :)

Our hotel in Boston on the next morning.

After a long day and some very nice colleges, I was happy to hit the showers and sleep!

Day Two, Wesleyan Campus, Lunch, and Dinner

Instead of shopping at the college bookstore, Jenna made a beeline for the nearest Urban Outfitters, where we spent a happy 45 minutes (not really for Tua-Ku though). We bought a bunch of clothes on sale, nail polish, and a dress.

As a result of spending so much time at the mall, we were running late for our tour to Wesleyan, so we sped out to Middletown, CT. Wesleyan was the first liberal arts college we had been to, and at first glance, it was my favorite college so far. They allowed undecided students to spend time taking a broad spectrum of courses in the first year or year and a half, and “discover their major” by learning what they really enjoyed. Because I am undecided about what I want to study, this was a perfect match for me. I’ve always felt that what I need is a little more time to study different things and I will be able to figure out what I want to do.

The campus was sometimes pretty and sometimes ugly. The first buildings we went past were big, blocky concrete structures (probably built in the seventies), but as we moved on we saw new architecture mixed with old, like a glass and steel structure addition to a old granite building. Some of the buildings on campus were gothic or even greek-looking, with lots of columns, towers, and cathedral-style spires. The campus was fairly open, and green and shady, which I liked. Wesleyan also offered on campus housing in the form of dorms and houses (renovated A-frames etc).

 A building on College Row at Wesleyan (I'm wearing green and Jenna is in white).

A building housing a fraternity (Alpha Delta Phi) at Wesleyan.

 Construction on a building on College Row.

 A library (Olin Memorial Library) on Wesleyan Campus.

Foss Hill on the Wesleyan Campus, where students lounge, do work outdoors, and play sports after classes and exams.

We left Wesleyan for the heart of Middletown, where we lunched and shopped at a toy store for gifts for Becky (Tua-Kim’s cousin)’s children. After about an hour or two, we drove to Becky’s house for a long visit. Becky and her sister were very glad to see Tua-Kim, and Jenna and I spent the time entertaining the five children (Becky had two boys, her sister had three girls) with their new toys. The oldest girl, Julia, was only in the third grade, and the youngest was about 4. We ate pizza for dinner.

Day Two (6/29/11)

Shelton, CT, at the Homestead Inn

We started out from the hotel and breakfasted at Panera Bread, where I ate their delicious everything bagel and cream cheese. Then we drove to Tua-Kim and Tua-Ku’s old house and talked to the landlord and caught up with old neighbors. Jenna and I had fun playing in the river for a little while, like we used to whenever my family and I visited.

 At the old house, by the river.

From the old house, we drove to Yale. The town around the campus (New Haven) was very quiet, and not much was going on. When we arrived at Yale, we were too late for the campus tour, so we did a little walking tour of our own. As always, the college had taken advantage of the summer break to do construction and maintenance on the buildings and sidewalks, so at times it was very loud. The buildings themselves were mostly in the style of Colonial American architecture, due to Yale's roots as an old American college. Buildings on campus were fairly close together and some of them were very imposing, and there weren’t many large, open, green spaces. Because we didn’t register for a tour, we didn’t hear much about the academics, but because Yale was one of the only college names I recognized before the tour, I knew it was probably very prestigious and selective. Overall, I liked Yale, but it seemed very serious and New Haven was a little too quiet, so it wasn’t the best match.

 Jenna and I in front of Connecticut Hall, the oldest building on the Yale campus.

Cathedral Tower at Yale.

Pictures of UPenn (finally, a new post!)

 Katie, Jenna, and I walking to the campus from the hospital parking.

 Visiting the residence halls (in fashionable clear ponchos!)

 Interior of the Wharton School of Business at UPenn.

 College Hall and the surrounding campus, where admissions and the administrative offices are located.

 Banner over the entryway to the School of Engineering.

 UPenn's athletic stadium. If you notice, it's actually much larger than necessary for the football games at UPenn, and that's because the stadium was the former home of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jenna in front of the UPenn logo.

Photos

will be coming up as soon as I can get access to someone's camera. In the meantime, my vivid imagery and immersive descriptions should be all you need to imagine everything.

Still Day One, NYC

5:30

We arrived at Fordham University, situated in the heart of the Bronx. It was a little too late for the guided tour, so we drove a couple times around the block to get an impression of the campus instead. The college inside was shady and green, with widely spaced, lovely old buildings scattered across the grass. Although the lawns of within the gates were immaculate, the street outside was a different story. The sidewalks were covered with trash and the city outside seemed cheap, shady, and crowded. While we were there, two accidents happened on the street, and traffic around the campus was horrendous. It seemed like the gated campus inside would be very safe, but I wouldn’t want to go to a college where I would have to be shut within the gates the entire time.

6:30

We checked out NYU, which wasn’t one of our planned colleges, but because we were in the area and Fordham was a little disappointing, we decided to visit anyway. We took a break from driving outside a campus building and sat on the benches, observing the people walk by. The building we were sitting outside was tall and modern, all glass and granite and steel. The streets and stores were more welcoming, well maintained, and evenly spaced than the environment we saw outside at Fordham. Also, NYU was not gated, which made it seem more welcoming and less imposing.

Although there was no tour, we were able to walk around the buildings and spaces on campus, and we visited a nearby park with a fountain and stretched our legs. Overall, NYU seemed more friendly, modern, and chic than Fordham.

After NYU, we left New York for our hotel in Connecticut, ate dinner, showered, and went to bed, tired after a long day.

p.s. JENNA LIKES THE ISLAND MANHATTAN. SMOKE ON YOUR PIPE AND PUT THAT IN!

Day One (6/28/11)

7:30

We weren’t ready to leave yet.

8:10

After some last minute packing, breakfast, and showering, we finally got on the road. The drive to Philadelphia was pleasant, without enormous amounts of traffic, and we made it to U Penn without any more hitches. We drove up and parked in the hospital area, and then walked to the campus. The city around the campus was very accessible for walking and biking, and looked pretty clean and nice.

The campus was beautiful and shady, with lots of large trees and charming old buildings. We were directed to the information desk by a helpful student, and then the woman there pointed us to the room where students and their parents were sitting. We came into the information session late, so we only heard about the last fifteen minutes of it, where the admissions lady was talking about what to write in the essay and stuff. Then we divided up into groups and walked with our guides on a campus tour.

It was raining at that point, so while waiting for our ponchos (which the school very helpfully provided), the students went around the circle and told our names to everyone, and learned a little about U Penn. Some interesting factoids: 

- University of Pennsylvania is one of the only Ivy League schools with a large percentage of foreign and international students.  
- Over 100 languages are offered there, and if they don’t happen to have a language available, they’ll send for an expert who can teach in that subject.

After we donned our complementary ponchos and all looked like large plastic bags, we set out in the rain and walked along the main thoroughfare (which was unfortunately under construction, so we weren’t able to experience the full beauty of the green). We visited the residential buildings, where most freshman live, the engineering school, the Wharton school of business, the college of arts and sciences, and finally the athletic stadium, learning about Penn traditions and academics. Overall it was a very enjoyable visit, and going through the buildings we were able to imagine what college life would be like, studying with friends, sleeping in the dorms, and participating in the famous Penn toast throw.

After the tour, we thanked the tour guide and made a large contribution to the school in the form of souvenirs from the Penn bookstore. For lunch, we indulged in some Philly cheesesteak and meatball subs, and then we were on the road again.  

not really the trip yet but whatever

6/27/11

Today was the pre-tour celebration dinner. We (Addie, Phillip, Katie, Jenna, and Shirley) ate at Fogo de Chaó, an exciting Brazilian restaurant in Baltimore harbor. Instead of sitting down and ordering what we wanted from a menu, the waiters came out and brought us grilled meats on a spit, and we were able to sample whatever we wanted from each cut. We sat down and ate a salad (mine had lots of beets yay), and then a nearly endless procession of waiters came and offered us succulent ribeye and top sirloin and leg of lamb and pork sausage and whatever other meat you can think of all hot off the grill. It was pretty great.

After our enormous meal, we walked it in the inner harbor, watching the paddleboats glide by on the bay. Ambling down the sidewalks, I reflected a little on the colleges I might want to see (which were basically none because I had no preference), but mostly I was just happy to be going on a trip with my family. Driving back home, we were all full and ready to start out at 7:30 the next morning.

Welcome!

Hi! This is a blog following the harrowing and dangerous exploits of Addie, Jenna, Phillip, Katie, and Shirley on their 2011 summer college road trip. The one writing this is Addie. I will be the only one writing for the remainder of the trip, as I have taken it upon myself to chronicle our intense journey, which will probably be filled with narrow escapes, encounters with witches, and other general awesomeness. I'm posting the first couple sections all at once because I haven't had internet but I've still been typing up drafts on word, so I have a lot to say all at once. There will be two kinds of posts on this blog, informative, dry, probably boring ones, and ones that I want to write so I can remember funny stuff that happened. With that all in mind, enjoy!