Tomorrow marks the start of a busy few days for us. The first DOTL is tomorrow, Scholar's DOTL is Saturday, and there's another DOTL on Monday (it will probably be the largest one). There are hundreds of students working behind the scenes to make this happen and they are so, so excited to meet you all. I thought I'd write about a few things to keep in mind for your visit.
Parking: I hope you've read the parking instructions on the DOTL website. We have reserved the entire Emmet & Ivy parking garage for visitors. You can park there for free. The catch is that you have to take a shuttle or walk up to the Lawn for the start of the day (there is a closer parking garage, but it's a little expensive and some construction is taking up some of the spaces). Once you get beyond the first intersection, it's a nice walk. You'll walk along the tennis and beach volleyball courts, then pass the back of Alderman Library before crossing McCormick Road to go to the Lawn. If you've visited before, McCormick Road is where the Office of Admission and is located. You'll probably see the chapel and realize where you are.
We'll have some student volunteers (look for orange shirts) and staff members at the garage to point you in the right direction. If you want to take the shuttle bus, look for those orange shirts. They'll be standing at the spot where you can hop on.
Timing: Registration will start at 8:00 am and lasts an hour. You don't have to be here at 8:00 am on the dot. Please don't arrive too early! Our staff and students will be running around trying to set up and get prepared for the day up until 8:00 am.
There is a full schedule of activities, both academic and non-academic. None are required. You can opt to go to everything (many families split up with students going to class and a parent going to the resource fair or panels) or you can do your own thing. Try to get over to do the residence hall tours at some point. You'll be escorted through three different styles of dorms (traditional, suite, and residential college) in small groups.
Food: If you want to eat with a current student, we have a Lunch Buddies program (see your agenda when you register). There are a number of dining spots on Grounds. The Lunch Buddies will probably take you to one of the main dining halls (maybe Newcomb?). There are some smaller cafes tucked here and there that might be convenient if you are trying to fit many activities into your day. If you have extra time on your hands, you might want to explore the Corner.
The Greenberry's Coffee in Alderman Library (across from the chapel) and the West Range Cafe at the curve of McCormick Road are good, central spots to rest if someone in your party wants to have a little down time.
Getting Help: If you need help during the day, there will be student volunteers (again, look for the orange shirts) at kiosks around Grounds. Most students realize what day it is pretty quickly and are happy to help if you are a little lost. Just ask!
You can always stop by the Office of Admission at Peabody Hall if you need to talk to us.
Dress Code: People always ask what they should wear. You need to be comfortable! You're going to be walking around Grounds like a normal student does. There's no need to dress up. The vast majority of students wear jeans. You can certainly wear jeans.
Rain Plan: Unfortunately, it looks like it might rain tomorrow, April 8th. If that happens, we will have to split the group into two for the 9:00 am welcome. Half of the group will move into Old Cabell Hall's theater (Old Cabell is the building that faces the Rotunda on the lawn) and the other half will go to the Newcomb Hall theater. It's not ideal, but we have speakers lined up for both groups. After that, the day goes on as usual.
Just a heads up: CavDog doesn't usually come to DOTL if it's raining. That's usually a game time decision.
If you have questions, please post them in the comments. Safe travels!
