By Kimberly Swick Slover
April’s Dimensions events attracted a record-breaking 1,300 prospective Class of 2018 students and family members. Admitted students and their families had the option of attending one of three Dimensions programs, an increase from the one program held in previous years. Those who attended had a chance to visit classes, spend the night in a dorm, attend faculty showcases and student research panels, and participate in candid conversations about student life. Many also flocked to events that were new this year, such as the Innovation Center Open House.
Deciding where to attend college is the most significant decision most admitted students have ever faced, says Director of Admissions Paul Sunde, and it’s important for them to make informed choices.
“There is no better way to do this than to spend some time getting to know our students, our faculty, and our staff,” Sunde says. “They wanted to see what classes are like and to learn for themselves about the way our students and faculty engage with one another outside of the traditional classroom setting,” he says. The student life programs were well attended and gave students and families “a good sense of the warmth and collaborative spirit of our community.”
(View the slideshow below, or on Dartmouth’s Flickr channel.)
“Our admitted students and their families were excited to be on campus, and they were very engaged,” Sunde says. “We’ve received dozens of enthusiastic ‘thank you’ messages from new ’18s, and hundreds have committed to attending Dartmouth.”
A visiting student whose parents were undecided about her college choice was so excited by her Dimensions experience that she stopped at the Co-op before leaving to buy them “Dartmouth Parent” coffee mugs. “The mugs were her way of letting them know she would definitely be a Dartmouth ’18,” Sunde says.
