Record breaker

Hundreds attend open house.

October 24, 2006

On Oct. 9, the largest ever fall admissions open house demonstrated tangibly the increased interest in Dickinson. "It was a beautiful fall day and Dickinson is a 'hot' school," says Cathy Davenport, senior associate dean in the admissions office.

The 269 families attending the event hailed from all over the country and world, including Great Britain, Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina and Texas. This open house was preceded by one on Sept. 16 that drew 206 families. These events and others like them are some of the ways that the college gives prospective students and their families a glimpse into what it means to be a Dickinsonian.

"Getting so many students to campus and running an organized program takes an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work, but it's worth it," says Dean of Admissions Seth Allen. "These well-orchestrated events have a tremendous impact on students and their families, making Dickinson stand out from the other colleges that they may visit."

Davenport says that there are many reasons why the number of visitors to campus has increased by almost 1,000 from the same date in 2003. Simply put: the word is out about Dickinson.