Karl von Reden, PAB Chair
You are reading this part of the Olin College website because your daughter/son is seriously considering this College for a truly amazing engineering education. With children as talented as ours, the most important thing we can offer is moral support -- especially since much of what they already know is beyond our daily horizon. However, the choice of a college is often based on factors other than the quality of the education. We parents tend to be biased toward well known institutions or try steering our children toward colleges based on favorable geographic location or, yes, attractive financial conditions like the generous full-tuition, no-strings-attached, scholarship given by the Franklin W. Olin Foundation to all students for the entire undergraduate education. In the end what matters most is what is best for the individual student.
All engineering schools nowadays claim to go beyond just educating the next generation of pocket protector wearing technical wizards with little connection to the needs of the real world. Olin College actually supports this claim by apportioning a considerable part of its curriculum to so-called "co-curriculars" and "passionate pursuits" in the fields of humanities and arts and emphasizing entrepreneurship as a central theme of the school. Olin College is also committed to continuous improvements and innovation by listening to the students' (and alumni and parents') feedback and changing needs.
When our daughter, Anna, was admitted to this relatively new College with a trailblazing philosophy, we all felt like we were a part of an exciting experiment. She is now a senior and member of the fourth graduating class in Olin's short history. There was never any doubt in our minds that the outcome of this experiment would be a great undergraduate education opening a world of possibilities to her. It may still feel a little bit like taking a chance when enrolling in Olin College, but rest assured: you can't go wrong!
Whatever your family's decision -- good luck!
Sincerely,
Karl von Reden, Parent of Anna ('09)
Chair, Parent Advisory Board (PAB)
kvonreden@whoi.edu
Please enjoy the Parent Handbook—a valuable resource—and refer to page 3 for details about how you can get involved.
Have questions or just want to hear another parent's Olin experience? Contact one of our current parents. They would be happy to help and share their perspecitve.
