Loyola unexpectedly hosted a second President’s Open House with little more than a week left until National Decision Day.
According to Emily Bomersback, associate director for marketing and communications in the office of admissions, the second open house was an added opportunity for students who may have not been able to make the original event.
The first President’s Open House took place on March 18, the same weekend as St. Patrick’s Day. Bombersback said the first open house was a success with over 300 admitted students and their families. Jonathan LeBeau, a student ambassador in the Office of Admissions, said that the holiday had impact on the numbers.
“The first one had a good turnout, but a lot of people weren’t able to show up. We got a lot of phone calls because a lot of people weren’t able to get hotels at reasonable rates because it was St. Patrick’s Day that weekend,” LeBeau said.
Bombersback said the second open house was worth holding, because these events give prospective students a chance to visit campus to experience Loyola in person.
“President’s Open House offers admitted students the opportunity to really feel like a Loyola student. From meeting with faculty and staff, to hearing from alumni and current students, the campus really opens itself up and allows students to experience our community and determine if Loyola is the right place for them,” Bombersback said.
The Office of Admissions reported that the second open house welcomed 185 students and their families on campus April 22, 2017.
Calvin Tran, also a student ambassador, said that the second open house was for students still on the fence about which college to attend.
“This last minute Open House gives them a chance to really persuade them whether or not they want to come to Loyola or not,” said Tran. “We [also] opened up this opportunity for students who wanted to see Loyola again and who wanted to experience it again to give them the opportunity to visit the campus and see what else we had to offer.”
Bomersback said she hopes that hosting two of these events will eventually have a positive effect on student enrollment.
“When students can truly see themselves as Loyola students, they are much more likely to enroll,” Bomersback said.