I 100% agree with Steel on this...KWEST was a great time and I went on another one of the South America trips. I recommend that part of the world since you dont have the time changes that can really be rough on a week long trip and on adjusting when you return back to Evanston and start CIM almost immediately. Everyone in my group got along great and when we had the big reveal it was very surprising to hear what people did before school. Some amazing backgrounds thats for sure, everything from McKinsey and Bain to people with careers completely out of the norm.
As for it being a great way to start school that is definitely a great way to look at it...it gives you a group of around 15 to 20 other 1st years and then 5 2nd years who lead the trips that you form a tight bond with before stepping foot in Jacobs as a student. CIM starts tomorrow, I am sure one of us will give you an idea what that is like...but from what I was told we wont have much time at all though. This is the beginning of the end for freetime for us for a while.
Recruiting begins a few weeks into October, so we have 3 weeks after CIM to settle in before chasing careers. IB and MC presentations are first and very frequent, the joke is that its a good source of free food and goodies.