Though most prospective first-years finished their preview of Brown on Wednesday, some are still on campus for one more day on College Hill. About 140 admitted students are staying for Third World Welcome, the Admission Office's program for minority students, according to Natasha Go '10, the program's co-coordinator.
The program gives students of color an opportunity to learn about the academic and social experience of minority students at Brown, said Christopher Belcher '11, another of the program's co-coordinators.
The two-day program is more intimate than A Day on College Hill, Belcher said. Because the program is "smaller and more manageable," students admitted in the early decision round are permitted to participate, he said. Early decision students have not been allowed to attend ADOCH since last year to make the event smaller.
The TWW program kicked off with a buffet-style dinner at Sayles Hall, where prospective first-years had the opportunity to interact with faculty and administrators from several departments.
Other events Wednesday night included a "Cultural Show," featuring several of Brown's performing groups, and later, an ice cream social with Minority Peer Counselors and representatives of various ethnic and cultural student groups.
Today, students can attend classes, tour Brown's science facilities or attend a panel on research opportunities for minority students, among other events.
TWW participants told The Herald they enjoyed the program's first day.
Chao Long decided to attend TWW to help her decide between attending Brown and Princeton. "Princeton did not have a program specifically for minorities," she said. "I'm not leaning towards either school yet, but it's nice to know that Brown has a supportive community in terms of race and heritage."
Other prospective students already committed to Brown saw the program as an opportunity to meet more of their future classmates.
Evangeline McDonald '13 said she was persuaded to register for the program by a phone call from a Brown alum.
"I signed up because an alumna called and told me that TWW was one of her best Brown experiences. I've already chosen Brown — I have a Brown sticker on my car, and own a Brown sweater and sweatpants — but I came out here because TWW seemed like a lot of fun," she said, adding that ADOCH seemed like a "whirlwind" compared to Third World Welcome's more intimate setting.
Diego Ciccia '13 and Ramy Pena '13 have also committed to Brown, but said they registered for the program to get to know some of the members of their class in a more comfortable environment.
"We come from inner-city schools, so we feel more welcomed in this diverse environment. We were here yesterday for ADOCH, and we just didn't feel as comfortable," Pena said.
"There are just more people that we can relate to in the TWW program."
