Last week, GW gave 75 high school juniors a glimpse of college life during one of GW’s two multicultural recruitment programs.
In addition to meeting GW faculty and staff and touring the campus, the high school students were paired with current GW students and had the opportunity to spend the night in a residence hall.
“The multicultural open houses are designed to give prospective under-represented students the opportunity to get to know the university better, as well as see themselves as potential members of the GW community,” says Rahsaan Burroughs, the associate director of undergraduate admissions.
This year, Colonial Insight – the multicultural recruitment program for high school juniors – drew prospective students from 13 states including North Carolina, Maryland, New York and Florida.
One of those students was McKenzie Conner of Baltimore, who plans to apply early decision to GW next year.
“I absolutely love it here,” says Ms. Conner, who plans to major in journalism and political science. “It’s my number one school.”
Ms. Conner was one of four girls who stayed overnight with Dominique Bozeman and Destiney Bishop, both GW juniors and roommates in Phillip Amsterdam Hall.
Ms. Bozeman and Ms. Bishop took Ms. Conner and the three other high school students to GW’s Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) – a place Ms. Bishop calls her second home.
“It’s a great place on campus where you can feel at home, and I think the administrators and staff that run the center play a huge role in that. When we have any problem, we feel like we can call Michael Tapscott, the MSSC director,” says Ms. Bishop, who is majoring in human services in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. “We feel like we’re all family at the Multicultural Center.”
Ms. Bozeman, who also hosted high school students last year, says one of the best parts about Colonial Insight is giving prospective students an opportunity to meet current GW students.
“It makes GW a much more welcoming place,” says Ms. Bozeman, who is majoring in English in CCAS.
Colonial Insight participants attended panels on majors at GW, adjusting to college life and the various ways to get involved on campus.
GW also offers Colonial Connection, a multicultural open house for high school seniors in the fall, which gives students an opportunity to sit in on an academic class. Last fall, 70 seniors attended.
Of the 70 students who attended the 2009 Colonial Connection, 97 percent applied to GW, and 64 percent of the students who applied were accepted. About 65 percent of those admitted ended up enrolling at GW.
The Dean’s Council for Multicultural Recruitment – a group of about 80 students dedicated to increasing diversity on campus – plays a key role in putting on both Colonial Insight and Colonial Connection. The council also makes phone calls to prospective students and helps new students transition into GW.
Matthew Scott, a freshman in GW’s School of Business, decided to apply to serve on the Dean’s Council after attending Colonial Connection in the fall of 2009.
“I ended up applying early decision to GW because of Colonial Connection. That experience solidified for me that I wanted to come to GW,” Mr. Scott says. “And when I got to GW, I wanted to continue to help bring more diversity to the school.”
Kathryn Napper, associate vice president and dean of admissions, calls the Dean’s Council a “vital part of the success in increasing the number of multicultural students at GW.”
“The students serving on the Dean’s Council embody the breadth of interests and the diversity of spirit that so characterizes the GW community,” says Dr. Napper.