Admitted Students Day: Where is the School Spirit?

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March 8, 2023

By Frances Wilson

GENEVA – HWS Admissions will welcome the Class of 2027 for Admitted Students Day which runs from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm with many academic activities. Although this day celebrates academia and education, what about the activities that happen outside of the classroom? Where is their representation on this day?

Incoming students attend a welcome panel, a mock first-year seminar of their choice, a panel about student life presented by HWS students, an academic open house, lunch at Saga, and a tour of the main campus, residence halls, and the arts campus.

HWS students are unaware of Admitted Students Day because of how little Admissions advertises and communicates to the public about this important day. No notifications, posters, or decorations signify this day is important. The only sign of importance is the banner that hangs between Coxe Hall and Williams Hall.

Admissions should consider bringing in student performances, such as theater or music, and allowing HWS students to advertise some of the extracurricular activities on the quad that will engage the incoming class.

“The Chorale has been a part of HWS for many, many years, and performing on admitted students day would demonstrate HWS’s commitment to the arts, perhaps providing a better balance of all the opportunities at the Colleges”, said Kennedy Jones, a junior who is part of The Chorale. She thinks that students who are not part of admissions should have a presence during Admitted Students Day.

Holly McCarty, a sophomore at the colleges, works closely with admissions and prospective students every day. “I think giving admitted students the chance to interact with students outside of just areas of academic interest could help them shape the image of campus and where they could fit here at HWS”, she said.

Jessica Duma, a junior, has worked on Admitted Students day and finds that it would be challenging to get HWS students to interact on this day as it is on a Saturday morning. She is also a part of The Chorale but is hesitant about performing because of how little notice she would get beforehand. She believes that it would be hard to orchestrate and she does not feel that it reflects the needs for new students accepted at Admitted Students day.

Jessica discussed how she felt withdrawn from the students when they asked about sports and specific questions about teams because she doesn’t know much about HWS athletics. She disliked the idea of telling the students to email the coaches themselves. “It would be nice if some representatives of sports teams could field those questions. It might also increase the amount of participation in athletics at HWS”, said Duma.

Allowing HWS students to converse with prospective students would give them a chance to see the “real” HWS and get a sense of how they could fit in once they start their First Year. “We have plenty of incredibly popular extracurriculars here at HWS and marketing these to incoming students would provide them with a more well-rounded look at the campus during their time at Admitted Students’ Day,” stated McCarty.

There are more Admitted Students Days coming up and Admissions should start advertising and reaching out to students who want to interact with the incoming class. It is important to show HWS's spirit and allow incoming classes to get a sense of where they could fit in once they start their First Year.