Visit Days Give Prospective Students a Taste of Trinity

MOLLY SCHINELLER ’18
STAFF WRITER
On Apr. 11 and 12, Trinity welcomed nearly 800 excited guests, visiting campus to decide whether or not they will attend Trinity in the fall as part of the Class of 2020. This year’s program for prospective students was a slight but notable revamp of the VIP Days program run in the past. The new program, Bantam Visit Days, was hailed as a great success. Senior Associate Director of Marketing Joe Catrino said of the program “[it was] so successful that many admitted students committed while they were on campus!”
When students arrived, they signed in and listened to a cordial address by President Berger-Sweeney in Cinestudio. Soon after, students were invited to attend “master classes” offered by many esteemed Trinity professors, and their parents attended a seminar on “Trinity in Hartford.” Dr. Gail Woldu of the Music department taught the master class, “American Popular Music from Elvis to Beyoncé.” “The students were actively engaged, curious, and they asked important questions” Woldu said, “would love teaching all of them!” Dr. Renny Fulco of the Public Policy and Law department expressed a similarly positive sentiment regarding her master class, “Stalemate! Second Amendment Rights, Gun Control, and the Quest for Common Ground.” She said, “Many of the students participated in the give and take, and those who spoke were knowledgeable and raised thoughtful questions. It was nice to have a room of such energized young people! I was very impressed.”
Following these master classes, students proceeded to an academic fair displaying prominently all the majors Trinity has to offer.
Kelly Vaughan ’17, a student representative for the American Studies department, said, “I loved getting to speak with the visiting families about the American Studies major, a department where I have really found my place and am so passionate about. This is such an overwhelming time for prospective families, so having the opportunity to express my love for Trinity was a great experience.”
After the fair, students and their families were offered a catered luncheon where they were able to network and socialize with other potential incoming members of their class. An open choice period followed, giving all participants the opportunity to observe panel discussions with current Trinity students and representatives from various administrative offices. Those who chose not to attend a panel session were invited to tour campus, luckily under clear skies after the rainier morning had cleared away.
The program also offered a student life fair, featuring many of Trinity’s most engaged clubs and academic organizations. Judith Pickering ’18 said, “I tabled for the Outdoors Club, which provides students with a way to explore nature off campus in a variety of ways. This seemed to ease people’s concerns about attending a ‘city’ school.” Pickering also included her observation, “There was positive interest in the opportunity for student leadership.”
Max Le Merle ’16, who tabled for Investment Club and the Student Government Association, also felt that the prospective students seemed ready to engage in leadership roles for extracurricular activities. Le Merle said “It was awesome to see students lining up at tables to ask questions not only about the club, but about life at Trinity. It was a fantastic opportunity, and it made me proud to see all the Trinity students who showed up to represent their organizations and the prospective students excited to join next year.”
The close of the Bantam Visit Day events does not signify an end to Admissions’ engagement with prospective students. Head of Communications Joe Catrino says, “On average, we welcome approximately 100 guests a day on campus in April for information sessions, one-on-one interviews, and campus tours.” Students who were unable to attend the events on Monday on Tuesday have also been offered a similar experience in several Join the Bantams events, which offer a smaller-scale version of the Bantam Visit Day program. Students who wished to stay overnight at the college were also invited to join in on the Passport to Trinity program just last weekend.
In addition to congregating potential members of the Class of 2020 on Trinity’s campus, Admissions has also organized regional receptions in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles and other major cities in the United States.
All of these events are not only intended to benefit accepted students hoping to ease their college decision-making process, but also to help those currently on campus get a sense of the incoming class. Judging from the experience during Bantam Visit Days, current students, faculty, and staff seem to be very excited to see what the Class of 2020 has to offer.