Admissions Office Reports Record-Breaking Interest in College
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Admissions offices across the country rely heavily on certain amounts of data that they collect throughout the year to determine how the recruiting year is progressing and whether they are on target for the following fall. The main areas of concern are the number of people who have requested information about the college, the number of high school seniors from which to recruit, the number of people who have visited Associate Director of Admis- the College, and sions Mike Schmitt most importantly, the number of applications received.
tential students and their schools. Associate Director of Admissions Mike Schmitt has been hitting the road all semester and will continue to do so in the future. Schmitt, who graduated with a BA in Classical and Early Christian Studies from Christendom in 2003, has visited many Catholic high schools and parishes to meet with students, college placement counselors, as well as pastors and youth ministers. In addition to this, the College has been repre- Academic Dean Dr. Pat Keats speaks with visiting students. Visit Days are scheduled next semester for sented at dozens of conferences and February 15 (President’s Day) and April 12. college fairs across the country.
Schmitt is responsible for a number of new Organizing longer Visit Weekends has also initiatives in the Admissions Office this year, been a great added feature to the Admissions with the “Meet Christendom” events being Office offerings. Each semester, high school As of late November, Christendom’s Admis- the most exciting. These are informational juniors and seniors can visit the campus sions Office reported tremendous growth in meetings held in the homes of alumni, par- on any of five different exciting weekends, all of these important areas. The number of ents, and friends of the Colgeneral requests for information has doubled lege. Intimate and enjoyover this time last year; the number of cur- able, the gatherings include rent high school seniors who are interested a discussion of the value of in Christendom is up 30%; the number of an authentic Catholic liberal visits to campus by prospective students is up arts education, a slide show 40%; and the number of applications for the of Christendom’s semester in Fall 2010 semester is 50% higher than this Rome program and a DVD time last year. viewing about the College, as well as a Q&A session. Some According to Tom McFadden, Director of of the more successful “Meet Admissions, the growth in interest can be at- Christendom” events have tributed to a number of different important been held in Dallas, Omaha, areas that he and his team have been focusing Kansas City, and Raleigh, Seniors from Holy Family Academy in VA were well represented. on in recent months. drawing about half a dozen families to each one. Additional meetings spending Fridays in the classroom, and the One of the most important areas is the are being planned for Maryland, California, rest of the time getting a feel for the social and spiritual aspects of Christendom’s unique amount of time and effort they have been New York, and New England. way of life. putting into building relationships with poAnother initiative that seems to be “The fact that seniors who complete applications bearing fruit is the can get reimbursed up to $200 for travel expenscreation of Junior es when making an overnight visit is bringing and Senior Visit more prospective students to campus,” says BritDays. During these tany Scheidler, the Visit Program Coordinator. special events, high “I am sure that we will have even more visitors school juniors and utilizing this great offer next semester.” seniors participate in a day-long event, If you would like to have a Christendom repand experience first resentative visit a high school in your area, or hand what the Col- speak with a youth group or homeschool comlege has to offer. munity, or if you would be interested in hosting Two Senior Visit a “Meet Christendom” event, please contact Visiting students had the opportunity to ask questions of a student panel during Days were held this Mike Schmitt at mschmitt@christendom.edu the Senior Visit Days. semester, and Junior or call 800-877-5456, ext.1293.
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