By Adam Middleton
The Dean’s Council for Multicultural Recruitment successfully hosted more than 100 prospective students of color from around the country this fall as part of its annual two-day overnight programs, Your GW.
Created in 2003, the Council exists to aid the undergraduate admissions office in its goal to attract and enroll diverse students at GW. The council plays an integral role in the recruitment of multicultural students and any students that are committed to succeeding in a diverse and inclusive environment.
The Your GW (formerly called “Colonial Connection”) program began in 2005, designed to give prospective students from diverse ethnic backgrounds an inside look at what GW has to offer.
“Your GW is easily defined as a multicultural open house and overnight,” said Kimberley Gordy, a senior assistant director in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and primary contact for the Council. “When high school seniors attend Your GW, it gives them an opportunity to affirm their plans to apply to GW or to learn more about GW that may intrigue them to apply.”
During the program, high school students are matched with a current GW student who serves as a host to the prospective student. These prospective students have several opportunities to engage with a number of GW students through academic and social programs and tours of both the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses.
Maija Hallsmith, a senior majoring in international affairs, remembers her Your GW experience in 2010, including spending time with her cookie-baking hosts and making her first collegiate apparel purchase.
“I remember going down to the bookstore and buying a sweatshirt immediately,” Hallsmith said. “I really enjoyed my time here and, since it was my first interaction with GW, it was a nice overall, all-encompassing view of it.”
Now as the student coordinator for the Dean’s Council, Hallsmith works with Gordy to ensure prospective students enjoy their time at GW not only during Your GW but also with the Council’s other initiatives year-round, like the Virtual Pen Pals program and shadow days. Prospective students also have an opportunity to stay overnight during the Colonial Welcome Days in April.
“We’re addressing all the things that commonly come up in the pre-college search that limit the access and exposure some high school students have to college,” Gordy said. “We really want to find unique ways to engage high school students, to get them excited about college and get them more insight about the GW experience.”
A sign of success: Last year, the Council had over 30% yield—students who apply, are accepted and then enroll at the university—for the Your GW program. Four years ago, one of those students was Hallsmith, who says her overnight experience was the deciding factor in making Foggy Bottom her college home.
“I remember going home on the train and thinking to myself, ‘That’s it. That’s where I want to go to college.’”