Boston: MA: It is no secret that searching for the college suitable to all your needs is time consuming and takes patience. Wentworth Institute of Technology is located in the heart of the Fenway in Boston and is accessible to many MBTA lines.

The cool November afternoon was typical of a Boston fall day. The Open House was quite informal which made the visit even more pleasant. The guide began the tour by visiting the library. Wentworth's library houses thousands of books of all subjects. With a college I.D. a student has access to books from most nearby colleges and universities. The library also has a number of drafting tables for the architectural/design students. (As I am interested in design, this caught my eye!) After the library, we took a moment to speak with representatives from the Computer Graphics Department. They had a demonstration set up and offered to answer any questions.

The next stop was the dorms. The newly-remodeled dorms were at one time apartment buildings. Their set-up was quite unique. The renovators made two apartments into one dorm suite. Each suite has four bedrooms: 2 singles, 2 doubles, two bathrooms, and a living room area. Rooming with 6 to 8 people may sound like a lot, but as a newcomer would you honestly enjoy living alone? The R.A.s make sure students get to know one another by organizing activity nights. There is also a laundry room, cafeteria, and study room in Evans Way. Apartments (rooming 2-4) with kitchenettes are also available. Out of kindness to others there is a 24-hour courtesy implemented at the dorms. This means that people should act reasonably in the halls and in their rooms at all times since there may be others trying to study.

Lastly, the guide showed the prospective students the physics labs. The professors demonstrated various experiments. Their eagerness to teach new young minds was profoundly evident.

Though the tour guide finished what was outlined on his schedule, I still felt the tour was personally incomplete since I had not seen the design rooms. After speaking with a design student who was a junior she was more than pleased to direct me to the labs. The professors took time to speak individually with the on-lookers and to discuss any questions or concerns. This one-on-one attention was pleasing.

I must point out, though, what first attracted me to Wentworth Institute of Technology was the mandatory co-op for most majors. It allows the student hands-on experience in his/her field. Eight to twelve months of co-op are a requirement for graduation. In my opinion, this is one of the most outstanding qualities of the school. Don't let its size intimidate you! n




Reviewed in 1993