By SIERRA HALL
Contributing Writer
This past weekend, Allegheny College hosted a Sneak Preview for prospective high school students, giving them an opportunity to stay overnight with current students, attend classes and have an Allegheny experience.
“Being able to talk with actual people and talk about actual things other than homework is really great,” said Emma James, a prospective student.
The weekend had scheduled events for the prospective students to attend. Sunday night included a game night, nachos, a pizza pie event, dodgeball and a performance by The Comedy Council, an improvised acting group on campus.
Originally a drag show was scheduled for Sunday, but was cancelled, to some people’s dismay.
“I was really looking forward to some quality entertainment and was disappointed under whatever circumstances that it was canceled,” said Devon Pasternak, ’17, when she had to make last minute plans for her prospective student.
It wasn’t long until the students found a different entertainment group taking the stage in place of the drag show. The Comedy Council moved from their normal performance area in Grounds for Change (GFC) to the Henderson Campus Center lobby. Because the troupe used microphones for this performance, their voices could be heard easily throughout the whole lobby. Onlookers could even be seen viewing the show from the balcony above the stage.
Feedback from prospective students who attended the show and other Sneak Preview events was positive.
“It’s a chance to experience the campus with actual students, not just people telling you what you want to hear,” said Sydney Kahn, a prospective student from Philadelphia. “The only thing I would change is that I want a bed,” added Kahn as her host took her to watch The Comedy Council.
Some current hosts, once prospective students themselves, had the same thoughts about their own overnight experience at Allegheny College.
“It was the reason I came to Allegheny. It gave a real look into the college experience,” said Noah Pillion-Gardner, ’17, who attended the Sneak Preview one year ago.
Many other students echoed the same statement. Meredith Dreistadt, ’17, said her overnight experience was the deciding factor in her attendance to Allegheny over enrolling in Penn State.
“I think that utilizing the overnight program is the most informative experience that a prospective student can have here at Allegheny, or anywhere else for that matter. When I was a prospective student, I found it extremely helpful to be able to spend time with a college student who was able to give me an authentic look at what college life would be like,” said Dreistadt.
Brianna Valdez, a prospective student from San Antonio, positively summed up her Sneak Preview experience.
“It is amazing to be able to experience the college before accepting rather than blindly hoping you’ll like it once you get here,” said Valdez.
