Exploring the Options at IC

By Grace Collins ’22, September 28, 2023
Open House draws prospective students to South Hill.
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Both current and prospective IC students were in high spirits at the most recent open house, hosted by the Office of Admission.

Both current and prospective IC students were in high spirits at the most recent open house, hosted by the Office of Admission.

From spending time outside to catching up with friends, there are countless ways a high school student could spend a sunny fall weekend. For more than 200 students as well as their family members/supporters, they chose to spend September 23, on South Hill, learning about all that Ithaca College has to offer - and getting a glimpse into what a future as an IC student could look like.

The first of the college’s three Fall Open Houses, these admission events are designed to immerse students in campus life and empower them with the information they need to decide if Ithaca College is the right fit for them.

A total of 215 prospective students were among the 528 people who attended the event from 15 different states.

Come Check Out IC

There are still two more fall open houses, on October 9 and November 10, that prospective students can register for.

Attendees gathered in Glazer Arena and were welcomed with a showcase by IC Voicestream, the college’s all-gender inclusive a cappella group. Next, executive director of admission Nicole Eversley Bradwell addressed the crowd.

She then spoke to the college application journey, and the challenging decisions the students will have to make over the next year.

Student in a lab

During the academic tours hosted by each of the college's five schools, prospective students got a first-hand look at places such as the physics department labs in the Center for Natural Sciences. (Photo by Jennifer King MacKenzie)

“You have over 4,000 colleges and universities to choose from across the country,” she said. “That's a really big feat to decide, but part of that is coming here and understanding what this community has to offer. We want to help support you in making an informed decision.”

Videos highlighting campus views and student life played as the attendees broke off into groups based on their academic interests. Led by Admission Hosts, they made their way across campus for Academic Exploration sessions in each of the college’s five schools.

The sessions ranged from deans’ welcomes to academic fairs, with students getting the opportunity to connect directly with faculty and current IC students in their program of choice and get an idea of what their academic experience would look like. The Office of Admission also hosted a Scholarship & Financial Aid Session and Admission Application Workshop, and campus-wide tours were running continually throughout the day.

Liv Kayser of Fairport, New York, made the trip to Ithaca with her parents, and was especially excited to tour the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance.

 “My daughter walked on campus this morning as a ‘Maybe I’ll apply” and left confident and excited about applying to IC.”

Parent feedback given on post-event survey

“I’m interested in physical therapy, and IC has a highly respected program. Seeing the virtual cadaver simulator was so cool,” she said. “I really like the vibe here, and the people are nice.”

Students

Attendees also had an opportunity to hear from members of the Ithaca College faculty and staff. (Photo by Jennifer King MacKenzie)

Griffin Ro, from Scarsdale, New York, came to the open house to learn more about the options available to him in the Roy H. Park School of Communications.

“I’m interested in film, and the Park Pathways program was cool, because I’d get to figure out exactly what I want to do. I definitely feel like Ithaca College could be a good fit for me,” he said.

Post-event surveys from attendees showed that the open house had many students excited about a possible future on South Hill. Two-thirds of survey respondents said the experience at IC was more favorable than open house events at other colleges, and more than 92% said they left with a more favorable impression of Ithaca.

“This was the final open house we attended, as our daughter is a senior [in high school] and in the application process. We have visited a lot of schools and attended a lot of open houses. This was the best run, most informative, and most relaxed one,” said one response. “My daughter walked on campus this morning as a ‘Maybe I’ll apply” and left confident and excited about applying to IC.”