Knowing What's Right

Presidents Day Visit Program

Photo by Carl Socolow '77

by Lauren Davidson

Presidents Day offered an ideal opportunity for Dickinson to host two visit programs—one for students admitted in Early Action (check out the video below) and another for prospective students just starting their college searches.

Decision Dickinson: Presidents Day Preview

Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing & Communications and Dean of Admissions Stephanie Balmer welcomed the admitted students and their families in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium (ATS), noting that “the campus visit through the lens of the admitted student is very different from those early visits. Deciding where to apply and deciding where to attend are two very different things.”

Balmer emphasized that the excitement for these newly admitted students is substantial on campus and on social media. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have been buzzing with students sharing the good news and posting photos of acceptance packets and newly purchased Dickinson gear, as well as members of the community reaching out to offer their virtual congratulations.

President Nancy Roseman also offered welcoming remarks, noting that it wasn’t long ago that she herself was deciding whether Dickinson was the right fit for her. “There are many great colleges across the higher-education landscape, and Dickinson is one of them,” she said. “You know what’s right for you.”

Students departed ATS to attend classes and participate in a question-and-answer session with current students, while parents enjoyed a Career Center presentation and a dialogue with Neil Weissman, provost and dean of the college. The morning ended with the families regrouping and exploring the campus through a number of customized tour options. 

Discover Dickinson Day

In the afternoon, more than 100 prospective students plus family members from across the Northeast and as far as California, Washington, Georgia and Illinois converged on campus for a Discover Dickinson Day.

“We are elated that you accepted our invitation to visit,” began Balmer during the opening remarks. “Many of you have just recently begun learning about Dickinson. You’re hearing from a lot of schools, reading through a lot of materials online and in print. Being here will give you the opportunity to get a sense of scale, a sense of size, a sense of community and a sense of the academic program—and allow you to put all the pieces together.”

President Roseman echoed the value of the visit, sharing her own story of spending time on campus as key to determining whether this was the right place for her.

“Dickinson as a small, residential liberal-arts college has a certain feel to it,” she explained. “There’s an energy that is so palpable—just an extraordinary, positive energy. That you are here today is such an important first step in your college search.”

See more from the day on social media with #dson2018 and #dsonvisit, and learn about upcoming opportunities to visit campus.

Published February 18, 2014