Come on In

By Diana DeLuca ’23, November 17, 2021
Admissions open house event provides high school students with a glimpse of life at IC.
An overhead shot of the admissions event

Hundreds of prospective students visited the Athletics and Events Center to learn more about everything Ithaca College has to offer.

(Photo by Natalie Daffinee)

Hundreds of prospective students visited the Athletics and Events Center to learn more about everything Ithaca College has to offer.

(Photo by Natalie Daffinee)

Hundreds of high school students came to Ithaca College’s campus last week for an open house event. The day was filled with several opportunities for students to learn more about the college and town. There were regular campus tours, academic exploration opportunities in each of the college’s five schools, financial aid and scholarship information, and a student experience fair.

A total of 237 students — including 68 who had applied for admission — from states across the country, attended the event.  

Nicole Eversley Bradwell, executive director of admission, said the event presented a robust set of opportunities for prospective students to engage and learn more about IC.

“I’m super excited that we’re in a position to be able to welcome people to campus safely. I’m just so appreciative of the families’ spirit and will to continue thinking about higher education and engage in the college search in this way. It’s really inspirational to see everybody here.

Nicole Eversley Bradwell, executive director of admission

“I’m super excited that we’re in a position to be able to welcome people to campus safely,” she said. “I’m just so appreciative of the families’ spirit and will to continue thinking about higher education and engage in the college search in this way. It’s really inspirational to see everybody here.”

One of the calling cards of the event was the student experience fair that included several booths about IC’s admissions, scholarships and financial aid. Staff members and students were at the booths to answer any questions about life at IC.

Students visiting a booth

Attendees were able to visit booths to learn more about opportunities to get involved on campus. (Photo by Natalie Daffinee.)

In addition to those booths aimed at answering the big-picture questions, there were also booths highlighting campus life, including dining services, LGBTQ resources and recreational sports.

High school senior Sophia Latronica and her mother both attended the fair and expressed their admiration for the welcoming atmosphere.

“Everybody’s been very friendly and informative,” Latronica said. “It also seems like they actually care about the students since there are smaller classrooms and classes.”

In addition to campus tours, each school hosted Academic Exploration opportunities, where prospective students could learn more about the academic opportunities available to them. For Max Cordes and his mother Alison, getting to see the Roy H. Park School of Communications was the most exciting part of the visit.

“Getting to see all the classrooms and facilities was great,” Cordes said. “Especially seeing it first-hand versus on the computer.”

“We were excited to meet prospective students and their supporters and created a robust set of in-person and virtual opportunities. I wanted students to see that we offer a unique combination of academic theory, hands-on practice and performance.”

Nicole Eversley Bradwell

Lauren Bruck, who is interested in studying psychology, expressed an appreciation for the picturesque Ithaca area.

“I really like the location and the nature, especially Cayuga Lake,” she said.

Overall, Eversley Bradwell felt the event was an overwhelming success.

“We were excited to meet prospective students and their supporters and created a robust set of in-person and virtual opportunities,” she said. “I wanted students to see that we offer a unique combination of academic theory, hands-on practice and performance.”