Committed and prospective students alike visited Hood College for Admitted Students Day, April 7-8. They familiarized themselves with the campus, meeting faculty and other Hood students in their time at the college.
The event was an experience stretching two days where visiting students and their families could preview life at Hood. Attendees could sit in on mini-courses, attend athletic games, explore dorm buildings, and attend the college’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“The main point of Admitted Students Day is to get them very connected to the other members of the Class of 2021,” Elizabeth Gomer, the senior associate director of admissions, said. “For the small handful of transfer students, it is to get them connected to the other incoming transfer students, because we just can’t say, ‘Oh, everyone that’s here is the Class of 2021!’ We need to be inclusive.”
For Admitted Students Day, Gomer works with prospective students to plan their visits to the campus. According to her, one of the more fulfilling programs of the event is the “Hood Hello.” This segment is a small group setting where admitted students participate in teambuilding exercises and icebreakers.
The afternoon activities were compared to a “choose your own adventure” by Gomer, with admitted students browsing around the campus however they pleased. Whether they stopped by the fair operated by academic departments and student services, or watched the improve show at Avalon Theatre, the remaining day’s agenda was up to them.
Admitted students could arrive the day before for an “overnight experience.” Attendees ate dinner with current students at Hood, met with Hood student leaders, and participated in an interactive game night at Whitaker Campus Center.
“For the campus, it is an opportunity to really showcase what we do best, and that is building connections,” Gomer said.
The confirmed attendance for the event was a total of 165 registered students, with 51 taking part in the overnight visit as well as the day itself. Of that 165, 43 have already deposited the $350 check to confirm that they will enroll at Hood.
Compared to previous Admitted Students Days, little changed for this year’s event aside from expanding athletics and career-related sections. Hood’s administration gauges feedback and interest on each year’s event, and keeps what worked while replacing what did not.
“We want this day to really help them understand that this is a great place that they can call home for the next four years,” Gomer said.
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