Admitted Students Day attracts record numbers

A time for attending campus events, staying overnight and sampling classes

From as near as Somerville, Mass., and as far away as Seoul, South Korea, students admitted to the Class of 2015 will arrive on the Brandeis campus Monday, April 11, to participate in a long-standing tradition at Brandeis – Admitted Students Day.

With more than 1,400 students registered, this will be the largest Admitted Students Day in school history, eclipsing last year by almost 400 students, and more than doubling the number two years ago. Nearly 350 students are registered to stay overnight with a Brandeis student, nearly doubling the number of students who did overnights in 2010.

The day is an opportunity to experience Brandeis as a student by attending campus events, staying overnight in a residence hall and sitting in on a class.

Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer, who will open the day by addressing the Class of 2015, sees the record number as an indication of the excitement surrounding Brandeis, especially following the inauguration of President Fred Lawrence.

"I feel there's just a lot of energy and a little extra buzz about Brandeis this year, and we're seeing that with the record numbers" Spencer said.

Students who decide to attend Brandeis often have vivid memories of Admitted Students Day as when they first met a future professor or roommate.

Doug Nevins '11 not only hit it off with someone who would become his friend and roommate; he felt a part of the Brandeis community from that day on.

"Though I came to Admitted Students Day unsure about my decision, it was easy for me to already feel part of the Brandeis community," recalled Nevins, who attended Admitted Students Day in 2007.

Many current students say this day of engagement with the Brandeis community made a strong impression that they still vividly remember. For that reason, a large part of the student body gets involved in the activities, eating breakfast with admitted students and their families, tabling for a club at the activities, representing their major at an academic fair or hosting an admitted student. 

Luigi Solla, a Brandeis admissions office counselor who is coordinating his third Admitted Students Day, views this as a "showcase" day for students to show the deep passion they have for the university.

Solla cited as an example emails sent out by students running the Patchwork Garden – a student-initiated project created to teach about how food is grown and to raise awareness about food sustainability – inviting admitted students to visit and even do a little work in the garden.

Although most students do not formally participate in Admitted Students Day, many inevitably become a part of the goings-on through unplanned interactions with admitted students and their families. "Even the students who are not part of the program will become part of the program in some way," said Spencer. "We encourage current students to share their Brandeis stories."

For Solla and the entire admissions office, the day is an opportunity to meet students they only have known previously through their personal statements, letters of recommendation and supplements.

Admitted Student Day is not only "meeting people we've only met on a stack of paper, but it's also reuniting with students we met at college fairs and interviews," said Solla. "Those are some of my favorite moments."