CPW 2023: Prefrosh Converge on Campus for Food, Friends and Fun
Szczepaniak: “Even after arriving, MIT still feels kind of surreal.”
The first day of Campus Preview Weekend (CPW) has concluded. It is the second in-person CPW since the start of the pandemic, and one of the hottest in recent memory.
A Diverse Selection of Events: Mahjong to Minecraft
CPW is organized by the MIT Admissions Office in combination with campus academic offices; student organizations, dormitories, and living communities; and academic departments.
A total of 666 events were registered for this year’s CPW, with a sample of the events offered below.
Firehose: Hosted by the MIT Educational Studies Program (ESP), Firehose is a “night of knowledge and learning from peers.” Classes include Physics/Math Until We Die, HASS Until We Pass, and Integration Bee.
Next Act: Hosted by Next House, Next Act has three showings of ‘Remembering Her,’ a comedy about Abby, a young girl navigating high school and feelings of being forgotten.
Meet the Bloggers: Hosted by MIT Admissions, Meet the Bloggers is an opportunity for students to meet the faces behind the famous MIT Admissions blog.
A Sampling of Prefrosh as they frolic on the first day of CPW
The Tech spoke to several prefrosh about their first impressions of MIT, major interests, and the wide variety of CPW events. Here are some of their responses.
Name: Charis Ching
Hometown: Bay Area
Major Interest(s): 10B
Questions
What are your plans for the day? “I am excited to meet friends from a virtual summer camp for the first time.”
What activities would you like to be involved in during your time at MIT? “Club volleyball, MIT Cru, and engineering-adjacent clubs.”
Name: Thomas Brewitt
Hometown: Cambridge, MA
Major Interets: 6-4 or 6-9
Questions
How do you feel about adjusting to MIT? “Being local probably makes me feel more at home at MIT from the start. Since I practically live here anyway, it makes the idea of adjusting easier.”
What are you excited for this CPW? “Lab tours and the various board game events that are scattered across CPW.”
Name: Lizzy North
Hometown: Delray Beach, Florida
Major Interest(s): 6-4
Questions
What CPW events are you looking forward to? “Video game-themed events, including DineCraft, and Live Action Among Us.”
How would you characterize the architecture of MIT’s campus? “Highly geometric.”
Heaven or Hell: First Impressions of MIT
When The Tech asked prefrosh about their first impressions of MIT, a recurring theme was the friendliness of MIT students and community. Emilia Szczepaniak expressed that before coming to MIT, they thought it was “pretty fake and nonexistent.”
“Even after arriving, MIT still feels kind of surreal,” they stated. “But everyone has been super nice, the people are all really cool.”
Brewitt remarked that “the people seem, at least on the outside, far more relaxed than MIT’s reputation would suggest.”
“Everyone is very nice, and I can talk to anyone. People are very helpful and smart,” MJ Vo said.
When asked whether they had committed, Vo enthusiastically stated: “YES!” though they feel some “nervousness because it can feel like everyone is smarter than me.”
Victoria Zambrano, a prospective mechanical engineering major, expressed excitement for the Pappalardo lab tours, ziplining in EC, and the Activities Midway. “If I wake up early enough, I want to see the sunrise on Harvard Bridge on Sunday,” Zambrano remarked.
Anna Kim stated that they were looking forward to “all the ones with food,” in particular the iHouse Hot Pot and Theta Xi’s korean barbeque event. For some students, CPW provided an opportunity to reunite or meet friends. Zambrano, Kim, and Vo all participated in the MIT Women’s Technology Program.
Students also expressed appreciation for the weather. “The campus by the water is beautiful,” said Karie Shen. Prospective students will have three more days to explore MIT’s beautiful campus, from Apr. 14 to Apr. 17.
MIT students and community members interested in learning more about CPW 2023 can visit the official website here [1].
[1] https://admitted.mit.edu/experience