I don’t know about you, but I love fall in the Northeast. There’s nothing like the changing leaves and green grass to put you in the collegiate mood. So, it’s no surprise that we scheduled the first open house of the season for Monday, October 10 (last Monday, for those of you keeping track). The weather was perfect and campus was full of prospective students and their families.
Classes were in session, so visitors were able to see a slice of student life on campus.
Registration started bright and early at 8:00am. Early bird visitors had the option to take a student-guided tour in the morning, a chance to see residence halls, academic buildings, the library and the dining halls. After the tour, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Mary Lou Bates welcomed the audience and spoke to them about the application process. A brief note about Dean Bates: she has been at Skidmore for more than 30 years and is truly a wealth of knowledge, not just about Skidmore College, but the state of admissions in general.
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Mary Lou Bates. If you see her around campus, stop and say 'hi!'
Next on the docket, visitors heard straight from current Skidmore students. Seven students (from freshmen to seniors) participated in a student panel and question and answer session with the audience. This part is always a favorite among visitors, there’s nothing like hearing from a student what life is like for a student.
A quick walk to the Sports Center and main gym brought families face-to-face with faculty and staff at a meet-and-greet session where prospective students could ask faculty questions about academics, coaches about sports, staff about the study abroad experience, and anything else they may be wondering about!
Visitors had worked up an appetite by that point, so they moved on to lunch at the Dining Hall. Did you know that when you attend a Skidmore Open House, lunch is on us? And trust me, you don’t want to miss lunch at the Dining Hall. Affectionately referred to as the D-hall by students, food choices range from wood-fired pizzas to a global food station to vegetarian options. Don’t believe me? Check out what some of our students have said about the Dining Hall.
Tours leave from the D-hall after lunch
After the tours, students and their families were invited to a small reception with Admissions staff. And if you can believe it, they still had questions! I answered questions about everything from financial aid to the application process to directions on how to get back to the car! It was so great meeting potential Skidmore students and their families and I can’t wait for the next Open House. Have you registered yet?
