Admissions Open House Set for April 5

03/26/2014 

The 32nd annual Admissions Open House, a one-day program allowing accepted freshmen, transfer applicants and prospective students to acquaint themselves better with SUNY Cortland, is expected to attract 1,800 visitors to campus on Saturday, April 5.

This year, more than 10,900 prospective freshmen have applied for the fall semester at SUNY Cortland, said Betsy Cheetham, assistant director of admissions at the College and coordinator of Open House since its inception in 1983.

Additionally, the College anticipates more than 2,400 transfer applications for the Fall 2014 semester, she noted. In the past, more than 70 percent of prospective first-year students who attended Open House actually enrolled in the fall semester and 90 percent of the transfer applicants have enrolled.

“Our spring Open House is a critical part of the recruitment process of new students to the College,” added Mark Yacavone ’94, SUNY Cortland assistant vice president for enrollment management. “Many of the visitors to the spring event have been accepted as either freshman or transfer students,” he said. “This event allows them a final opportunity to interact with our faculty, staff and students before they make their final decision on a college to attend in the fall.”

Events will take place in Park Center, on the lower campus, and Corey Union, located halfway up the hill.

Visitors are encouraged to participate in a variety of information sessions and tours, Cheetham explained. The dining halls will welcome visitors to eat alongside current students at no charge for the prospective students and at the regular rate for their family members.

Open House begins at 9:45 a.m. in the Park Center Alumni Arena with welcoming remarks by College President Erik J. Bitterbaum, Student Government Association President LeighMarie Weber and Yacavone.

An academic, student services and student organization fair will be offered between 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the Park Center Corey Gymnasium and Poolside lobby. The facility is located in the lower campus near the sports complex and tennis courts. Prospective Cortland students and their families can meet current faculty and students to discuss the College’s major and minor programs, as well as its clubs and activities. Walking tours of campus led by current students will include academic buildings and residence halls. A shuttle bus will transport students wanting to tour the West Campus Apartments.

Information on an array of programs relating to the academic, cultural and social life of the Cortland campus also will be presented between 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., also in Park Center Corey Gymnasium and Poolside lobby on lower campus. Sessions will cover housing and residence life for both freshman and transfer students, financial aid, Honors Program, career services, academic support services and dining, college store and other essential services.

Additional sessions include campus activities and involvement, Greek life, study abroad, student disability services, recreational opportunities, intramural sports, fitness and sport clubs, childhood and early childhood education, pre-med advisement, pre-law advisement, transfer credits, and learning opportunities for students who haven’t declared a major. DanceWorks, Kickline and the Cortland Dance Company will perform, as well.

At the fair, special presentations are planned from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in Park Center. Rhonda Jacobs, assistant director of the outdoor education center, will discuss the College’s off-campus facilities in the Adirondacks and their role in the successful transition of youth to the campus experience. The campus Army Reserve Officer Training Corps representative Kevin Swab will relay the opportunities available to those who pair their academic life with military preparation.

Lunch will be available in the Brockway Hall, Neubig Hall and Corey Union dining facilities.

Guests also are invited to attend campus athletic and cultural events. Home athletic events will include a men’s lacrosse game versus SUNY Plattsburgh at 1 p.m. There will be no admission charge for athletic events on Open House day.

At 8 p.m., “Candide,” a tuneful and daffy musical satire with a famous score by Leonard Bernstein, will be performed in Old Main Brown Auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door for $8 for Open House guests and all students, $15 for senior citizens and SUNY staff and $18 for the general public.

For more information, visit online at cortland.edu/admissions or contact Cheetham at 607-753-4712.