News Editor
F&M held admitted student day, A Closer Look, in Mayser Gymnasium April 12.
The day provided high school students who have been accepted as members of the Class of 2017 the opportunity to visit campus and learn about the different academic, social, and other opportunities that are available to F&M students. The day also gave potential members of the Class of 2017 the chance to meet one another.
“One of the most important parts of A Closer Look is for the admitted students to see who their classmates will be,” said Daniel Lugo, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid. “That might be the most important thing, to get a sense of, ‘Well, who am I going to go to school with, and who’s going to join me on this wonderful trip?’”
There were many scheduled events and activities for accepted students and their families. The day’s events began with a keynote address from Daniel Porterfield, president of the College. Following that, students and parents were separated into two groups with two different schedules.
Students attended a panel where a few current F&M students answered questions and offered insight into their college experiences, while parents were able to attend one of three panels addressing either the F&M parent experience, academics at F&M, or the campus community. Students and parents rejoined at noon for lunch in the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center.
Other events included an academic fair, a student activities and services fair, tours of campus, lectures about civic engagement and study abroad opportunities, a discussion of post-graduate services, a panel explaining F&M’s college house system, bus tours of downtown Lancaster, and performances by current students. The day concluded with a reception for the guests given by Porterfield.
According to Lugo, 490 admitted students made reservations to attend A Closer Look, including their families. He estimated 1,190 guests would be coming to F&M for the day. Lugo noted this figure was higher than last year’s attendance, which was already an increase over the year before.
An incredible amount of preparation goes into A Closer Look, with input from practically every office on campus. Lugo noted that F&M begins thinking about and planning A Closer Look in the Fall of the preceding year.
Lugo admitted students and their parents who come to A Closer Look understand the College is more than just a school.
“I hope they will see F&M is a place that is a very, very tight-knit community,” he said. “I hope they also get that the College is a lifelong family member, that there’s a lifelong connectivity that our students have that’s intergenerational. It’s more than a transaction about where you want to get your B.A.; it’s who do you want to get your B.A. with and who do you want to be affiliated with, quite frankly, for the rest of your life.”
Questions? Email Steven at sviera@fandm.edu.