Quinnipiac’s first virtual “Admitted Student Experience”
Courtesy qu.edu
March 28, 2020
It’s the “Super Bowl of admissions-sponsored events,” according to Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Events Heidi Erickson.
Erickson, a 27 year veteran of Quinnipiac admissions, with 32 years of admissions experience, says transitioning Admitted Students Day to an online version has been a “fascinating” experience.
“While there may be a lot of criteria that students and families use in terms of deciding what that right school might be for them, where they’re going to enroll, I think a dealbreaker is that gut feeling when they go and visit a campus,” Erickson said.
Erickson emphasized this feeling as a top priority during this transition in the re-named “Admitted Student Experience.”
“How do we bring out that feeling and have them truly in their gut get the Bobcat spirit and know that every day is a great day to be a Bobcat?”
Quinnipiac welcomed admitted students through its first virtual Admitted Student Experience on March 28. The on-ground Admitted Student Days were originally scheduled for Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29, but were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Saturday’s admissions event featured a message from President Olian, pre-recorded tours of all three campuses, videos showcasing student experiences and campus events, as well as live panel sessions over Zoom with every academic school.
The live Zoom sessions were recorded and will be uploaded to the admissions website, allowing admitted students and their families the opportunity to go back and view any session.
While admissions has collaborated with every campus partner from residential life to the Learning Commons, Quinnipiac students are a key part of making this event successful. Ahead of the event, current Quinnipiac students were selected to directly engage with admitted students, including senior English major, Elyssa Wrubel.
“I’ll be participating as a student panelist for College of Arts & Sciences’ live webinar,” Wrubel said. “Admitted students and their families will be able to hear from our dean, our career counselor, and a few other students, and all of us will be conducting a Q&A. Even though I’m saddened that we are unable to be on campus and offer students an in-person event to celebrate their acceptance and answer their questions–something I look forward to every year!–I think this virtual “Admitted Students Day Experience” offers a number of resources that approximates the real thing.”
Wrubel also noted that she is amazed by how this has come together so quickly, adding that she is “certain that even with this new format, we are all equally, if not more so, committed to ensuring that students still have access to an informative and meaningful experience that reflects what it’s like here at QU.”
The decision deadline has also been extended to June 1.
“Because COVID-19 has really kind of changed how we’re operating, we’ve actually extended our matriculation deposit deadline– the date that students need to decide if they’re going to commit to Quinnipiac— we’ve actually adjusted that to June 1,” Erickson said.
Saturday’s virtual Admitted Student Day is the first of its kind for Quinnipiac. However, admissions is hoping to use this platform to keep engaging with admitted students.
“What we’re hoping to do is keep on adding different kinds of virtual experiences so that families and students are unwrapping new things about Quinnipiac on a daily basis and are staying engaged with the community to see what we’re up to, and hopefully get the sense that they want to be a Bobcat,” Erickson said.
All content and details regarding the event can be found on Quinnipiac’s admissions website.
