Annual Admissions Open House Set for April 11

04/07/2015 

The 33rd 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 11.

This year, more than 10,700 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 2015 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.

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.

“This program serves as a defining moment for our accepted students in determining whether SUNY Cortland will be in their future,” he said. “It is an informative and exciting day.”

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. 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 Michael Doris 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 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. New this year will be tours of the recently constructed Student Life Center. 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 will be presented between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Park Center and Corey Union. 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 and outdoor pursuit opportunities, intramural sports, fitness and sport clubs, childhood and early childhood education, special education, pre-med and 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.

Special presentations are planned from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. 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 in Park Center. Both first-year and transfer students can be part of an Orientation experience called the Adirondack Trailblazers. Mary Reagan, field placement coordinator, will present on “Student Teaching Opportunities at Home and Abroad” in Corey Union.

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

Guests also are invited to attend campus athletic and cultural events. Home athletic events will include a women’s lacrosse game versus SUNY Oswego at 1 p.m. and a softball doubleheader versus Buffalo State that starts at noon. There will be no admission charge for athletic events on Open House day.

At 8 p.m., “Legally Blonde,” a tuneful and hilarious Broadway musical based on the popular 2003 Warner Bros. movie starring Reese Witherspoon, will be performed in the Dowd Fine Arts Center Theatre. Tickets are available online at www.cortland.edu/boxoffice or at the Dowd Center box office starting one hour before the performance for $8 for Open House guests and all students, $15 for senior citizens and SUNY Cortland faculty and staff members and $18 for the general public.

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