Shelbys Amazing CPW Adventure

Shelby’s Amazing CPW Adventure This past weekend was the legendary Campus Preview Weekend at MIT and I was extremely stoked to finally visit. Not only was it my first time visiting campus, but it was also my first time in Boston/Cambridge. Here is a photo of me outside of 77 Mass Ave. (So this is where my application went.) I was instantly stunned by the campus and the intriguing architecture. I was especially awed by Simmons Hall, aka The Sponge. After getting settled in my hosts dorm at New House 2, I was pumped and ready to attend some fun events and classes. Before my escapade, my host and I took time to chat in the Office of Minority education, where I was able to get the scoop on MIT from other current students. The more I learned about MIT, the more I was certain that MIT is the perfect fit for me. This only made me more excited to be on campus. My CPW weekend was off to a great start. The entire weekend was action-packed and downtime was nonexistent. I could probably write a book about my CPW experience, but rather, I will highlight some of my favorite events of the weekend! The Stata Center. Another mind-boggling architectural masterpiece at MIT. On Friday I went on a UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program) tour at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research to learn about current cancer research headed by Dr. Robert Weinberg. It was interesting to know that our tour guide had an active role in this significant research, and the fact that I would have the opportunity to partake in research at MIT was exciting. I toured the actual laboratory, how cool is that? I even got all of my inquires answered. When the tour was over, I couldnt help but ponder upon when I will participate in research at MITby this point (Day 2 of CPW, mind you) I was already convinced that MIT is where I would be next year. Between Friday and Saturday, I attended three fairs: the academics fair, the athletics fair, and the activities fair. I collected all sorts of brochures and packets from everything that I was interested in. Just envision a fully-loaded, on-the-verge-of-exploding, drawstring bag and youll have a comparable image of what my bag was like after these three fairs. I walked table to table at these fairs and discovered so many, perhaps too many, clubs, sports, and academic opportunities that I found thrilling. The opportunities seemed endless, and for that, I knew at this point that MIT was where I would go to college. MIT will allow me to explore and develop all of my interests. I know that next year as a freshman, in addition to my classes, I may try water polo, play in the MIT Symphony Orchestra, and make time for the literary club. On Saturday I toured WMBR, MITs student-run radio station that broadcasts all over Boston. They showed me their music library, complete with innumerable CDs and records. I felt like a kid in a candy store, and the first bookshelf I rushed to was the one designated to artists that start with L to see which Led Zeppelin albums they had. In fact, the radio crew let me pick a Led Zeppelin song, introduce it on air, and play it. And that was my radio debut (there will be more of me on air next year at MIT, just a heads up). In case you Zeppelin fans out there are wondering, I picked Immigrant Song to play on air. Remember, I have only touched upon a few of the events because, as I said earlier, I could write a book about my CPW experience (and maybe I will, who knows). Attending CPW confirmed that MIT was the perfect place for me.