by Inji Kim
As the college admissions season continues, the Admissions Office continues to welcome more prospective students on campus for a variety of events. On Oct. 29, Discover Drew Day, an open house to welcome prospective students to the Forest was hosted. A crowd of approximately 400 prospective students and their families had the opportunity to spend time with faculty, students, panel of student services and alumni. The main focus of the event was to let prospective students decide if the campus felt like home by providing an inside look into the forest. The event included hosting sample classes with professors as well as a private panel between some current Drew students and the prospective students.
With the help of over 40 tour guides and 20 campus ambassadors, the campus successfully hosted one of its biggest admissions events. The visitors were not only enchanted by the beauty of the campus during a fall day, but also were satisfied with the positive and friendly atmosphere displayed by the students. “The event was successful thanks to the students who were willing to share their experiences to the visitors. We’ve heard great feedback about how the campus is very welcoming, students gave directions and walked the visitors to their destinations; we are lucky to have such a positive atmosphere,” said Heather Robinson, Associate Director of Admissions. In addition to these factors, the open and modern interior design of the new commons has been a significant attraction as well. The distinctness of Drew lies in the fact that it not only offers traditional campus experiences, but also offers unique opportunities thanks to its proximity to New York City. “The selling point is once the student sets their foot on the campus,” said Robinson, “physically visiting the campus is a valuable experience for these students to discover the true value of what we can offer.”
Students were also able to notice the satisfaction of the visitors. Megan Cashin (’19) who worked as a tour guide for the event recounted her personal experience with a visitor. “I actually gave a tour to a transfer student who seemed intrigued by the idea of Drew, the personal interaction he could have with the professors rather than just a number seemed appealing to him,” said Cashin. Cashin added that the student mentioned his willingness to participate in future admissions events such as overnight events. The admissions office will hold two more open houses in fall along with seven Drew On the Road programs across the country in order to meet with more prospective students. The next on-campus events on the admissions calendar are Experience Drew Days that will take place on Nov. 10 and 11.