As I begin my third week of practicum, I am anxious about the events that are taking place this week in the Office of Admissions and Scholarships. During the summer, the atmosphere and activities in the office are quite different than during the normal academic year. For instance, admissions counselors are primarily in the office instead of traveling to different regions of the state visiting with students. This week, the office will be giving campus tours on Monday (today) and Wednesday mornings, and we will have a freshman orientation session on Thursday and Friday.
As the mission statement and website of the Office of Admissions of Scholarships states, this office is focused on recruiting students to the university as well as providing programming for new and prospective students. When I read over these documents to familiarize myself with the office before starting my practicum, I wondered to myself what exactly the programming aspect consisted of within this department. Of course, Orientation is a given. The staff works diligently in order to perfect the details of each session, making sure everything is in place and the orientation leaders are prepared for whatever may come their way. Orientation is a student's first visit to Mississippi State as a student so it is vital to provide them with a memorable, educational experience.
In addition to Orientation, there are several other programs that the Office of Admissions provides for students. These programs include Fall Preview Day, Spring Preview Day, Scholars Recognition Day, and Bulldog for a Day. Of all the previous listed events, the one that sparked my interest the most was Bulldog for a Day, mainly because I had never heard of this event. This event is typically held during the fall semester, and as Anna Catherine (one of the ACs) explained to me, it is convenient to hold these events on a Friday before a football game when students and their parents are almost guaranteed to be in town. Students are required to pre-register for the day; however, there are no "personal" campus visits held. The students (in a group of about 40-50) are grouped together with their parents and the experience MSU together as a unit. They are exposed to different aspects of MSU and the admissions counselors are there to provide any assistance that is needed. The students are provided with a small card that resembles a debit card; this can be used for a free meal in Perry Cafeteria or a discount on any merchandise from Barnes and Noble.
Bulldog for a Day is a great recruitment technique for students and families to experience. Because I want to work in Admissions during my professional career, I am absorbing more information this summer than I can possibly imagine. I completed my undergraduate career at ECCC and MUW so I am really enjoying learning more about MSU and the recruitment methods our university is implementing on a daily basis.
-Megan
It was really interesting to see the different activities that admissions put on. I find myself comparing it to the University at Buffalo, where they have a separate, albeit small, department for orientation called New Student Programs. It's intriguing to me to see how much planning and preparation goes on during the school year for something like orientation. New Student Programs at UB in addition to orientation, they are also responsible for UBReads, which is the common reading program. I'm sure they also do some recruitment and things like that, but it seems like that's the main focus of the programming for MSU's admissions. Thanks for the insight Megan!
ReplyDelete-Jason B.