Before accepted students decide whether to attend, they have the opportunity to experience campus life firsthand during the University’s Wesfest celebration. The University’s tradition of hosting prefrosh for three days sets it apart from other schools, which commonly have one-day events for their accepted students.
For Nathan Miskin, a prefrosh from Staten Island, NY, Wesfest presented an opportunity to see students’ serious and fun sides.
“Wesfest is fun because it exposes [us] to the social environment that we’ll be experiencing for the next four years,” he said. “If you connect with kids, it makes you want to attend. I’m still deciding between Wesleyan, Brandies, and Vassar, so [Wesfest] could affect whether I go here.”
During Wesfest, prefrosh have the opportunity to attend lectures and workshops, as well sample the school’s creative side with student-led music and theater performances. Hanh Le, who hails from Jackson, NJ, anticipates that Wesfest will provide the answer she’s looking for in deciding between Wesleyan and Haverford.
“I’ll be at Wesleyan this weekend, and then I’ll be going to Haverford on Monday,” she said. “I’m hoping the stark contrast between these schools will be enough.”
Le attended the Invisible Man performance and the Fashion Show, and most students agreed that the activities provide an ample way to learn about the school. For prefrosh Rachel Levenson, who is interested in studying abroad in West Africa, the study abroad information session gave her insight into possible options for junior year.
“I went to a study abroad info session, a panel on service learning, and a campus tour,” she said. “Wesfest has been great, and it’s nice to see that it doesn’t provide a skewed view of the school.”
Other students noted the University’s relaxed atmosphere, friendly students, and overall good vibes.
“The people are chill, it seems like there are good parties, and students are open and easy to talk to,” said prefrosh Travis Vastian.
Aaron Coobert agreed. As a potential physics major, Coobert visited a mathematics class on Thursday morning to gain a sense of the department.
“Everyone is really nice and laid-back,” he said. “I like the campus set-up because it’s easily accessible, and the classes have been really good.”
Tucker Kline, who arrived Wednesday night, found the student-to-student panel to be the most helpful.
“The panel gave me an honest sense of the school that I wouldn’t have gotten from pamphlets,” he said.
Although Kline got into other schools, he arrived here knowing that Wesleyan was his first choice.
“The school seems like a really cool place, and the students are really nice and talkative,” he said. “So far, I’ve gone to some a cappella stuff, a comedy show, the fashion show after party, and the discussion called ’Race and Urban Space.’ There’s so much to do.”