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Curious about what to expect? Assistant Director of Admissions Eliza Mlodzinski shares the insider scoop on this year’s Fall Open House below.

Why should a prospective student attend our Fall Open House? What makes it a valuable experience? 

Fall Open House is a great opportunity to learn about all aspects of the Bryn Mawr experience. Students and families can explore campus on a tour, see our learning environment by shadowing classes, and meet the campus community by talking with staff, faculty, and current students from various programs. This single day covers so many different topics and questions that come up in the college search, from the application and financial aid process to what’s served in our dining halls. 

What are the unique benefits of attending Fall Open House compared to other campus visits or events we offer? 

One unique experience offered at Open House is the chance to sit in on a Bryn Mawr class. Students will pick a course when they arrive at registration, with offerings from a broad range of campus departments, from the humanities to STEM. This is a great way to see what a Bryn Mawr classroom feels like, and to see what the academic environment of a women’s college feels like. The morning course selection also lets students get a preview of the courses taught at Bryn Mawr and get excited about college academics! 

Make the Most of Your Bryn Mawr Experience: Programs, People, Possibilities is another part of Open House that goes far beyond a traditional campus visit. Programs from all over campus, including Residential Life, Global Engagement, our Dean’s Office, and many others, will be tabling and mingling with families, giving them the opportunity to find answers from the experts on the student experience. This is also a great chance to meet staff from some programs that are totally unique to Bryn Mawr, like our 360⁰ Program, which emphasizes an interdisciplinary academic experience by offering students a cluster of courses from different disciplines, all approaching a common theme, along with experiential learning (often a week-long travel experience) that relates to that theme. 

What special activities, sessions, or opportunities can students and families expect at this year’s Fall Open House? 

During our Open House, members of the Office of Admissions will be sharing insight into how they read applications during our Application 101 panel, which will offer great tips for students looking ahead at the application process. Our Office of Financial aid will also host their own Financial Aid 101 session on our aid process and be able to take questions from attendees.  

Students will also have a chance to eat lunch in our dining halls and form their own answer to the classic college search question of “how is the food here?” Parents will hear from Katie Krimmel, the director of our Career and Civic Engagement Center on experiential learning as a Bryn Mawr student, and the courses charted by our alums.  

As mentioned earlier, the day will end with our Make the Most of your Bryn Mawr Experience: Programs, People, Possibilities fair, and we’ll be hosting a raffle during the fair, so keep your ticket on hand until then for a chance to win some Bryn Mawr gear! 

How can students best prepare for Fall Open House to get the most out of their visit? 

Ahead of the Open House, I’d recommend thinking about what kind of classes you’d like to visit. You don’t need to have an exact course title in mind at all, but having a sense of whether you’d like to see a science, humanities, or social science course can help take some pressure out of picking a course on that morning. Or if you’re excited about seeing what students do each day in an Anthropology, or Philosophy, or Computer Science class, arrive with those ideas and see if the department you’re curious about has classes during Open House. 

Will there be opportunities to connect with current students, faculty, or admissions staff? 

Yes, families will make connections with the campus community! You’ll have chances to chat with current students while on tour, or when sitting down to lunch with them in the dining hall. Our admissions staff will be present throughout the day, eating lunch with families, and sharing their knowledge during programs like our Application 101 session. We encourage students to introduce themselves to faculty in the classes they shadow as well. Our Deans Office, who serve as advisors on campus, our athletic coaches, and staff from programs like Global Engagement and Student Engagement will also be available during Open House. There are casual moments to interact with all corners of campus, whether when our students are guiding families between sessions, or when grabbing a coffee and chatting with admissions staff during registration.