Donald Keough, Editor-in-Chief
Visiting admitted students were welcomed on April 3 for this year’s admitted student open house program.
This program, which is also referred to as admitted students day, offers an opportunity for students recently accepted into the university to visit and get a sense of what Denison is like.
This visit day saw 292 admitted students visit campus according to Meghan Ulsh ‘12, the vice president for enrollment management.
“The strong turnout for these spring visit days-higher than we’ve seen in previous years-reflects the genuine excitement prospective students have about becoming part of the Denison community,” Ulsh said in an email response.
Although the official visit day was on April 3, on the day prior there were pre-program activities for prospective students. Kacper Grych, a prospective student from Chicago, attended a dinner, which was one of the pre-program activities. He said that it was a lot different from what he expected.
“We had a dinner, but it was more about talking to the people who got accepted here, and just learning about the community, in my class, and what their goals are,” Grych said.
Grych also said he was able to make connections with students he met at the dinner.
“I made friends; it was fun,” Grych said.
For the official visit day, attendees first checked in and received their program materials before listening to President Adam Weinberg give a welcome address to the prospective students and their families, which outlined the university’s values.
Following his address, students participated in a variety of scheduled events tailored to their interests. These events included assigned class visits, faculty masterclasses, panel discussions, drop-in chats, tours and student showcases.
Although he hasn’t made an official decision on whether or not to attend a specific college, following a bluegrass ensemble course Grych said that he enjoyed his Denison visit. He is considering a number of factors in his college decisions, with support from faculty being one of these factors.
“I honestly just heard from multiple different sources that this is a place where I will feel welcome and supported,” Grych said. “I was always told that I’ll just find my way around here.”
Additionally, he also said that it was good to get a feel for the number of organizations he could be a part of. He said that he enjoyed the openness campus programs had, and that it seemed easier to become involved than at other schools.
“I’m just hoping for open opportunities, [where] people can just let me in and help let me experience what they experience, and hopefully let me share what I’ve experienced in the past,” Grych said.
The visit day officially wrapped up in the late afternoon casually, allowing prospective students and their families to socialize with the campus community before departing.
The next visit day will be on April 20, and currently 225 students have registered to attend.
“There’s nothing quite like experiencing our campus firsthand, and we’re looking forward to showing these future Denisonians what makes The Hill so special,” Ulsh said.