Virtual Candidates' Week: What to expect and how to enjoy!

Hey- a big congratulations to all of those who are a Candidate attending our virtual Candidates’ Week 2022! So now that you’re invited to Candidates’ Week you may very well be wondering.... what does that actually mean?! What does a virtual Candidates’ Week look like? Are they making me do a week full of interviews?! On a scale of one to ten how stressed am I going to be? If these questions are running through your mind, keep reading... 

Candidates’ Week- or weekend as it’s been in the past- is a time-honored Olin tradition and this is our second year holding a virtual Candidates’ Week (so we’re basically old pros by now). All of the events are happening via Zoom instead of on our campus. Though you won’t be here ~IRL~ the vibe and purpose of Candidates’ Week will hold true to the Olin spirit of creativity and excitement. 

To start at the top, Candidates’ Week is a multi-purpose event. One aspect is that it includes the second part of your application. This evaluative portion (which includes an interview) is mandatory in order for you to continue to be considered for admission. Let me reassure you (or perhaps disappoint you if this is what you’d prefer!) we are not quizzing you on calculus or having you solve a physics problem in real time. Olin is a unique and collaborative community that is deeply committed to making the world a better place through engineering and innovation. This evaluative component is to help our admissions team build an intentional cohort and allows us to gain more insight into your potential contribution to our community. Really, at the end of the day, we just want to get to know you better! As cliché as it is, there isn’t a right or wrong way to approach the evaluations, you should be your truest most wonderful self. 

So, you may have noticed I mentioned that the evaluation was only one aspect of Candidates’ Week. Candidates’ Week is a two-way street and is also your chance to get to know us better. There is a whole slew of events and activities throughout the two main weekends of Candidates’ Week that are meant to give you different views of our community, both social and academic. If you're interested in diving deep into how our project-based curriculum works you can talk to faculty directly during our academic chats and ask them any questions you have. Our awesome president, Gilda Barabino, will be holding Fireside Chats to learn more about her and her vision for Olin’s future. There’s a variety of social programs like the Suite & Greet, Icebreaker, and Design Challenge events where you can hang out with Oliners and fellow candidates in fun and informal settings. We’re a diverse community and there isn't one “type” of Oliner so it can help to take advantage of these different events to talk to as many folks as possible. 

We here in OAFA (Office of Admission & Financial Aid) and the rest of the Olin community are thrilled to meet you!! 

(Also, there’s a fire spinning performance you should go to that too 😊)