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Last year, Rowan did a terrific report on the Stanford Info Session she attended on the Stanford campus, so I won't repeat what she said here. Instead, I'll give a very very succint report of our reaction to the local info session we attended last evening.

There was competition from the Red Sox game (they won) and the vice-presidential debate (not getting into that!). The contrast between the MIT info session on its own turf and Stanford away from home was rather marked. The crowd at MIT was huge. Stanford Info drew about 100 people. There was less energy on stage and in the audience. Three people were roped in to assist in the presentation, the father of three sons who have attended or are currently attending Stanford; two young women, both of women were engineering majors, one practicing law, the other in law school. They were all articulate, but somehow came off less effectively than the two MIT undergraduates who helped Marilee Jones make her pitch. Maybe it's because they've already distanced themselves from Stanford a bit.

Stanford's main theme: "Fun in the sun."
Stanford on how to present yourself: "Be yourself on your best day."
S's reaction to presentation: Stanford feels very pre-professional.