The college is expecting higher attendance across this year’s Admitted Student Days, an early sign of increased engagement from prospective students as the college works to stabilize enrollment, a top administrator said.
The first event was held on Saturday, April 11, with additional sessions scheduled for April 18, April 25 and May 2.
“In terms of overall trends, we are seeing positive momentum compared to this time last year,” said Emmanuel Lalande, senior vice president of Enrollment Strategy and Student Success.
“Deposits are where we expected it to be, and we’re also seeing increased engagement from admitted students across multiple touchpoints, including campus visits and event registrations.”
Admitted Student Days are among the college’s most important events, giving admitted students and their guests an opportunity to visit campus, meet faculty and connect with current students before making their final college decision.
Approximately 600 registered attendees, including admitted students and their guests, joined the first session on Saturday, April 11. Across all event dates, between 1,300 and 1,400 guests are expected to attend.
Each day is structured to include welcome sessions, academic program experiences, campus tours and student panels, along with opportunities to engage with advising, career services and student life.
Lalande said this year’s programming is intentionally more immersive and school-specific, allowing students to connect directly with their intended areas of study.
“We’ve placed an emphasis on ensuring students can see themselves here, academically, creatively and socially,” he said in an email.
That emphasis resonated with Aline Hernandez from McHenry, a suburb northwest of Chicago, who committed to Columbia’s fashion program after attending an open house last November.
“I felt so welcomed here,” Hernandez said. “I really vibed with what Columbia had to offer more than other schools, so I wanted to show my parents. I told them, ‘I’m committing here — I need to be here.’”
Returning for Admitted Students Day gave Hernandez a more in-depth look at the program.
“When I came for the open house, I didn’t get to see the fashion lab as much as I did today,” she said. “I also got three presentations from three of the students here in Columbia, specifically in the fashion department, and they went over a bunch of different things, like other different minors, majors, taking new classes and just speaking with the faculty here, too, is something I got to do more than I did when I came for the open house.”
The expected increase in attendance comes as the college refines its recruitment strategy, including more targeted outreach and timing scholarships and financial incentives around key decision points such as deposit deadlines and major campus visits.
The college has also introduced additional incentives tied to early commitments and event participation, including a one-year $2,500 scholarship for students who submitted tuition deposits by March 15, as well as incentives connected to attending and committing after Admitted Student Days.
“Scholarships and incentives for new students have long been part of our enrollment approach,” Lalande said. “What you’re seeing this year is less about introducing something entirely new and more about refining how we align those efforts with student decision-making timelines and behaviors”
He added that these efforts are not entirely new, but reflect a shift in how the college aligns outreach with student decision-making timelines. The approach is intended to reduce uncertainty for students and families, strengthen students’ connection to the college and support their transition from admission to enrollment.
Incoming first-year journalism and communication major Manuel Calderón said attending Admitted Students Day gave them the opportunity to connect with other admitted students and begin building a sense of community before starting in the fall.
“Being admitted was such a spark of joy. I mean, it was wonderful. I remember I was at work, I opened the letter and I started sobbing,” Calderón said. “I had to take my 30 then.”
Calderón, who came from Ohio, said connecting with students in their program was a highlight of the day, offering an early opportunity to meet peers with similar interests and career goals.
Beyond on-campus programming, the college is also expanding recruitment efforts internationally.
The college also announced a partnership with the Bahamas Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training in March. The five-year agreement will support up to 20 students, with government funding ranging from approximately $7,500 to $16,000 per student.
Lalande said the partnership is intended to expand international recruitment beyond traditional regions, build government-supported enrollment pipelines and align academic programs with global creative industries, with initial focus areas including fashion, media and entrepreneurship.
Student Government Association President Jenna Davis said the energy from admitted students was exciting and refreshing.
“Students want to be here and it’s very apparent in the questions that they’re asking and in the activities that we’re doing,” Davis said. “It makes me very hopeful for enrollment rates for the upcoming fall.”
Copy edited by Venus Tapang
