A Valuable Visit

Diversity open house helps prospective students 'find their home' at Dickinson

by Lauren Davidson

On Friday, Nov. 8, 30 students from Connecticut to California and numerous states in between arrived at Dickinson for the Discover Diversity Open House. This visit was designed for promising high-school seniors from diverse backgrounds or first-generation students and combined an overnight stay with a traditional open house.

“The feedback has been tremendous,” said Tara Fischer ’02, visit program coordinator. “Many students told me that they ‘fell in love’ and ‘found their home’ during this visit.”

Participants were able to sit in on classes, took personalized campus tours, engaged with students, faculty and administrators at a variety of receptions and information sessions, and got a feel for the energy and diversity that exists on campus. This year even included a campuswide Nerf Capture-the-Flag game that was a hit among both visiting and current students.

Diamond McClintock '14, admissions' multicultural recruitment intern who was involved in planning and running the program, noted that she saw many personal connections form between the visiting students and their Dickinson hosts. "A prospective students from Chicago stated that the people she met are the type of people she wants to be surrounded by in college," she recalled. "Many students said that they felt welcomed by everyone they came in contact with, and that resonated with them. A student from Trenton, N.J., told me his remaining college visits will have large shoes to fill after this visit at Dickinson."

Published November 12, 2013