Love it or hate it, Admit Weekend is once again upon us. Starting tomorrow and carrying on through the weekend, hundreds of prospective freshmen will be scouring the campus to see if Stanford is the right fit for them. Yet, the question arises: Exactly what view of Stanford are ProFros getting?

Admit Weekend is considered by many to be an abbreviated version of New Student Orientation (NSO), a week-long “summer camp” held at the beginning of every school year, filled with bonding activities and dorm cheers. Admit Weekend, too, is characterized by a certain hyper-energy, with dorm flags waving in the air and fountain hopping galore.

While this can be highly enjoyable for ProFros, the nature of Admit Weekend’s festivities is debatable. On the Editorial Board alone, we sat divided 3-3 between “absolutely hating” Admit Weekend, and feeling it was “one of the best weekends of my life.” It is our opinion that, whether Admit Weekend nearly made you choose another school or whether Admit Weekend alone made you fall in love with Stanford, it does not accurately portray our school. Over the weekend, the notion may arise that among the myriad of events and social activities offered, nobody here goes to class or works hard — or that they are academically serious. This is, of course, far from the truth.

To the credit of the organizers, Admit Weekend is typically well-run, with enthusiastic HoHos and RoHos. The task of arranging mini-courses, housing, dining and events like HoHoPalooza is enormous, and the coordinators of Admit Weekend should be commended. They have undoubtedly put in numerous man-hours to ensure the success of the Weekend, known along with Reunion Homecoming, NSO, Parents’ Weekend and Commencement as part of the “Big 5” annual events on campus. While some elements of the weekend may seem contrived — the rampant use of acronyms and excessive dorm pride — these are in actuality, a part of what Stanford really is.

But Admit Weekend also presents a falsely idyllic view of Stanford in which students are perpetually happy and frolicking outdoors with very little school work to do. Also, the campus is officially dry this weekend, resulting in an atypical weekend social scene. It is true here, like at the majority of schools with whom we compete for these students, that drinking is a part of the social scene. The absence of a Senior Night this weekend, for example, skews what a ProFro might perceive as an “average weekend” during the rest of the school year.

To members of the incoming class of 2012 who are taking the time to read this editorial, take all you see around you with a grain of salt. Engage in lengthy conversations about Stanford with your RoHo and HoHo, but also don’t be afraid to approach random students, while waiting in line at Jamba Juice or in the Bookstore, to get their candid opinions on the University. We have had good experiences here, but by talking to as many people as possible and sitting in on classes during the day, you’ll get a better idea of the “real” Stanford.

This editorial originally ran April 19, 2007