The University hosted its annual Fall Open House to engage prospective undergraduate students and their families and introduce them to the Monmouth community on Sunday, Oct. 13.
According to the official open house schedule, the open house served to allow attendees to meet current students, hear from faculty regarding academic programs and majors, as well as learn about resources available to students.
The day began with a welcome from senior administrators, followed by an opportunity to learn about academic programs from faculty members.
Students, faculty, alumni, and future students from each department gathered to inform prospective students on what Monmouth provides. Common questions concerned areas of study, clubs, and campus life.
During a full tour of campus, representatives from the offices of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid were present to help students with questions concerning the enrollment process of becoming a Monmouth student.
Michael Qualiano, an undergraduate admissions counselor, was integral in organizing the Open House and bringing in people. “We’ve got all hands-on deck today; staff, students, everybody,” for the 1,500 to 2,000 students that will visit the campus, explained Qualiano.
Lorna Schmidt, an Adjunct Professor of Communication and the Director of Advising, explained the benefit of the Open House to prospective students. “I think it gets them a true, first-hand feel for how the departments interact with each other and the type of environment that they’re going to be coming into,” she said.
This sentiment was echoed by Christiana Hart, a copywriter for Monmouth’s Marketing & Communications Department, who said, “A lot of the staff were asked to be here on the weekend for the Open House.”
The extensive staff and student presence that were available to assist and speak with visitors, afforded attendees the chance to connect and interact with the Monmouth community prior to applying, she continued.
Holly Mairs, a high school senior attending the open house, said, “I was surprised by all of the academic options Monmouth offers, especially for such a small school.” According to Monmouth’s website, undergraduate enrollment is just shy of 5,000 students.
Surrounding the perimeters and lining the indoor halls of each building were kiosks dedicated to a variety of clubs and activities offered by student life, along with students exploring them.
A potential nursing student commended the staff for being “informative about [his] academic program.” He also explained that the atmosphere had him “leaning toward” attending Monmouth next fall.
Qualiano said, “I don’t think there’s any doubt about how effective this event is at recruiting students. When I was in high school, the Fall Open House was how I decided to apply to Monmouth.”
“The staff and students really helped me open up to my major area,” Mairs said. “I felt comfortable enough to ask a lot of questions and weigh my options.”
Representatives from the offices of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid were present to answer any enrollment questions.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth University
