By MARIA PAPPAS

STAFF WRITER

As one of the first sunny weekends of the year came and went, so did dozens of groups of admitted students and their families, who toured Fordham’s campus for Spring Preview on April 11. Students put on their Sunday best and flocked from all over the nation to get an inside look at Fordham.

“We hosted more than 4,000 people this weekend at both campuses, so the most challenging part of the event is managing the volume of visitors so that our students and their families have a great experience,” Patricia Peek, director of undergraduate admissions, said.

The students began their day in the early hours of the morning, arriving on campus for check-in as early as 9 a.m. Early tours departed continuously from O’Keefe Commons between 10 and 11 a.m.

The students were also invited to attend mass at the University Church, or the “Financing Your Education” seminar at 11 a.m. At noon, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University, officially began the days proceedings by giving a welcome address to prospective students and their families in the gymnasium.

Afterward, prospective students were served lunch and had a chance to interact with various representatives at the Lombardi Center Fieldhouse.

These representatives included faculty and administrators from various departments, as well as those representing some student clubs, who informed the students about extracurricular opportunities and academic programs available at Fordham.

To learn more about Fordham’s academic programs, students attended presentations where they were able to explore the various major options that the University has available.

The students were able to choose which academic programs they wanted to attend, and the subjects spanned a variety of the prestigious programs that Fordham has to offer: business, communications and english, philosophy and theology, sciences and social sciences.

After sets of afternoon tours, students were separated from their parents and guests. The prospective students and parents attended Student Life Panels, where current students and administrators spoke about the college experience.

The panel for parents included campus representatives such as Chris Rodgers, dean of students, and Kim Russell, the assistant dean of students and director of residential life. These individuals answered parents’ questions regarding enrollment, what their children should take on over the summer and how to prepare the students to enter college in August.

The admitted students panel introduced prospective students to current Fordham students, who spoke about their experiences during their own college searches and answered any questions that the students had.

At 4 p.m., the final tour groups departed to make their rounds around the campus with the sun shining down upon them.

Brittany Tobin, GSB ’15, a member of the Rose Hill Society, reported on her experience as a tour guide.

“Spring Preview was a success. It is my second preview, and the prospective students were more excited than ever,” Tobin said. “People came from all over the country to see Fordham.”

Peek echoed Tobin’s sentiments, particularly mentioning student involvement.

“But, most important, our visitors want to meet current students,” Peek said. “From the club leaders to the student ambassadors, everyone was approachable, helpful and demonstrated to our guests the distinctive nature of the Fordham experience. Many students committed an entire day this weekend on their respective campuses to meeting families, giving tours and leading panel discussions.  We could not have had such a successful program without their contributions.”

Students were invited to stay after these tours had ended, as there was no formal closing session. The Spring Preview scheduled events were not the only ones available for students; they were invited to explore many of the aspects of Fordham, from visits to each freshman residence hall to complimentary dining experiences at O’Keefe Commons, the McGinley Center, Lombardi Center Fieldhouse and even a hot dog cart on the patio of Hughes Hall.

Students and their families were also able to meet with admission counselors and financial aid staff to answer any of the individual questions that they had in addition to those answered at the financial aid workshop.

As for those students that could not attend Sunday’s festivities, admitted students also have a chance to attend the final Admitted Students Day on Wednesday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.