Undergraduate Open House draws students from 17 states

Visitors flocked to Gallaudet for the spring 2011 Undergraduate Open House on Saturday, April 16. While some prospective students walked down from the neighboring Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), others drove or flew cross-country for the event.

A total of 77 prospective students representing 17 states and Puerto Rico attended the open house. Regardless of distance, they all had one thing in common: they were curious about what Gallaudet has to offer in their higher education pursuits.

Among the events provided during the open house were the Academic Fair; Student/Parent Connections, which gave information about services and programs on campus; lunch with faculty and students; and of course, a campus tour. The Academic Fair was hosted in the Multipurpose Room of the JSAC. Academic department representatives and advisors set up booths to show prospective students the many benefits of Gallaudet.

Several attendees, such as Ohio School for the Deaf student Mekayla Walker, commented that their curiosity about the differences between Gallaudet and one of its major competitors, the National Technical Institute of the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID/RIT), was the main reason for attending the Gallaudet open house. Californian and MSSD student Maria Ana Guzman said she is interested in coming to Gallaudet for the deaf culture and exposure. “I never thought about coming to Gallaudet before I came to MSSD last year,” she said. “I was actually thinking about RIT!”

Cassidy Best from the state of Washington, a student at Rogers High School, is looking for something different from the mainstream program she has experienced throughout her life. Best added, “Gallaudet is a good school!”

–Tanya Sturgis, student writer, Office of Public and Media Relations