Sam Goldberg ’17 visited multiple Admitted Students Days at multiple schools during his college search, but Goucher stood out in an interesting way. “At the other schools I went to, it was usually some guys in business suits directing traffic,” he said. “I got here, and the [admissions] ambassadors were singing SpongeBob songs from the top of the stairs … . It was very memorable.”
Near the top of the same stairs—sans SpongeBob this time around—Sam was one of the student ambassadors greeting people at the Dorsey College Center on April 20 at this year’s third and final Admitted Students Day.
Fellow ambassador Meg John ’18 said Admitted Students Day is a chance to connect again with students whom she may have given a tour or hosted overnight. “We only get this short time we might be in their lives, but we try to have a big connective moment,” she said.
A total of 365 students, plus family members, ended up visiting Goucher’s campus during these admissions events, held on March 30, April 10, and April 20.
At the April 20 Admitted Students Day, high school student Kelsey Broadfield visited with her dad, Jim, from Trumansburg, NY. She said she’s deciding between Goucher and Bennington College in Vermont. She said she enjoyed the beautiful day, the friendly people, and visiting the class peace studies class “Privilege and Power.” “It was a really cool, really small class … . It was fun to participate in conversations,” she said.
She thinks the two colleges have similar philosophies, and it has been hard to decide where to go next year. She said she likes that Goucher is near an urban center, though she thinks Bennington has positive qualities as well. “I am going to make a pros and cons list on the ride home,” she said.
If Kelsey decides to become a Gopher, she might be joining the largest class in school history.
President José Antonio Bowen said Goucher has had a record admission year, and though final numbers won’t be in until next month, the college appears to be on track to welcome one of the largest and most diverse classes of first-year students in its history. “Goucher drew 2,465 applicants this year, a record high, up from 2,183 last year,” Dr. Bowen said.
Sixty-four of those applicants—about 2.6 percent of the total pool—used the Goucher Video Application, a new application method that made a splash in the higher education world this past fall. Fifty-two percent of the video applicants self-identified as students of color, compared with about 30 percent for the general applicant pool, and the most popular intended majors were creative—such as communications, dance, and theatre—but also included pre-med and biology.
Students who have committed to Goucher come from 34 states and various foreign countries. And more stream in every day as the deadline to commit—Friday, May 1—approaches.
“Students, faculty, and staff who may interact with students visiting should remember to help out with directions, a smile, or answers to their questions about your experience here,” Bowen said. “I think visitors can pick up on our love for our community, and we can let them know they’re welcome to be a part of it.”
Photo: Kamryn Polastre Scott ’15, of Red Hot Blue, interacts with an admitted student and Mortimer the Gopher during an Admitted Student Day tabling event April 20.