Discover Dickinson

Prospective students and families experience the Dickinson community firsthand through fall-visit programs

by Lauren Davidson

Spending time on campus is one of the best ways to determine if a particular college might be the right fit. Dickinson offers a variety of visit programs and options year-round, but fall is a critical time for high-school seniors as they narrow down their list of schools to which they will apply. This fall, Dickinson hosted three successful open houses and thousands of visitors for tours, information sessions and interviews.

The third open house on Nov. 10 saw the largest visitor volume with 120 families attending, totaling just under 400 people. Twenty-six students came specifically for a new Discover Diversity overnight program on Friday and Saturday, traveling from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California and the East Coast. From campus tours and meals in the Dining Hall to student panels and academic-inquiry sessions hosted by faculty in the arts and humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, students and families experienced everything the Dickinson community has to offer. 

Tara Fischer ’02, events coordinator, shared that many of the messages from the faculty and staff really resonated with the students, especially a talk by Joyce Bylander, special assistant to the president for diversity inititives, about ‘finding your habitat.’ “Right before leaving, a student excitedly told me that she had ‘found her habitat’ during her visit this weekend,” Fischer says.

Alan Paynter, coordinator of multicultural recruitment and organizer of the Discovering Diversity weekend, agrees, noting, “The excitement and energy around campus was nothing short of amazing. The visiting students were thrilled and had nothing but great things to say. The true diversity and spirit of Dickinson was evident and noticed by all. And to no surprise, our students came through yet again and showed how welcoming they can be to our guests.”

Students were provided with computer-lab access during their visit, primarily to allow those from Hurricane Sandy-affected areas to work on their college applications. Several students also brought laptops to utilize the college’s printers and WiFi.

What’s next?

The admissions staff is gearing up for a variety of spring-visit programs.