Fall is in full swing, meaning high school students are evaluating their options regarding the college they will eventually attend.

 

Penn State Behrend hosted an open house on Saturday for students to get a first impression of the campus. There were many people in attendance, as they packed into McGarvey Commons for check in.

 

After checking in, visitors made their way further into McGarvey. The room was set up with an assortment of tables for visitors to ask questions and learn more about Behrend. In addition to a refreshment table, there were booths set up for admissions, The Black School of Business, The School of Science, The School of Engineering and The School of Humanities and Social Sciences. There were also tables with information about campus resources including personal counseling, ROTC and IT services.

 

"We invite high school juniors and seniors to attend. A lot of the students are in the process of applying for admissions now, so this gives them the opportunity to talk with faculty, tour the facilities, we show them on campus housing. The can find out about all the services that are available. We have a lot of students who are helping us, so they get the opportunity to also talk with students to find out what their experiences are like," said Mary-Ellen Madigan, Ph.D., Senior Director of Enrollment Management.

 

Other buildings around campus, including OBS, the Burke Center and the Kochel Center, had a similar setup to McGarvey, with tables showcasing different programs and majors. The TV studio in Kochel was setup to showcase the Communication program, where it exposed visitors to the different aspects of the studio and gave them a feel for the workspace. Similarly, engineering labs were open for visitors to walk through, as well as multiple classrooms.

 

Behrend boasts a student to faculty ratio of 16 to 1, allowing students to work more closely with professors, as compared to larger universities. Behrend also has a lower tuition rate in comparison to Penn State University Park. By attending Behrend, a student can save up to nearly 3,000 dollars on tuition alone, while still graduating with a Penn State Degree.

 

However, there are also some reasons why Behrend might not be the right fit for everyone, the first being the snow. Although Erie did not break the single season snowfall record last year, the number was close. For many, driving in the snow is not ideal, making it especially hard for some off-campus students to get to and from campus. Furthermore, Behrend has a relatively small campus, especially compared to University Park and the 46,000 some students in attendance.

 

The open house brought a large number of potential students and parents, giving them an opportunity to see the facilities and interact with faculty. Behrend hopes a good impression was made and that some visitors will choose to attend in the future.