Thousands of prospective students will be on campus from April 15 to 17 to take in all Cal Poly has to offer during Open House. Presented by Student Life and Leadership, the three-day event showcases the campus to families, students and community members.
The slogan of Open House is “To Cal Poly and Beyond,” which promotes the opportunities Cal Poly provides. Matt Justus, co-chair of the Open House Committee, said the main goal of the weekend is to show all sides of the university to prospective students.
“Our biggest focuses are to have them see the local community so they could know what it would be like to live in San Luis Obispo,” Justus said. “Then, we want to show them how strong Cal Poly academics are and the type of education they would get. Finally, we want to show them how strong of a person they can become by getting involved at Cal Poly.”
Kelsey Hayes, the other chair of the Open House Committee, said the committee has focused on presenting everything Cal Poly can offer students and not just one aspect of life here.
“We really just want to give them a view of the best-of-the-best that Cal Poly has to offer,” Hayes said. “Whatever they are interested in, they can find something here for them.”
The weekend kicks off on Thursday, April 15 at Farmers’ Market where 25 clubs will be represented downtown. The event is designed for students who get into town early to experience open house and campus life.
The event continues Friday with the University Welcome” speeches, including an address by President Baker. Then students are broken up into their respective colleges where they get to learn more about their majors and the academic side of the university.
Jason Mockford, the assistant coordinator of orientation programs, said Friday is geared more towards academics because classes are in session. Some colleges are even open to visitors interested in sitting in on a college-level course. Also, he said the students and parents can deal with many of the business aspects that need to be taken care of such as financial aid or housing.
Friday concludes in the University Union with the “Friday Nite Invite” in which admitted students meet other prospective students. Justus said the invite gives those visiting a chance to meet current students and organizations to learn more about what Cal Poly students think about the university. Also,the admitted and prospective students’ parents can meet each other.
On Saturday, the showcase begins with a Poly Royal parade on campus. President Baker will serve as grand marshal for the parade and will then address those visiting on Dexter Lawn. Mockford said making Baker the grand marshal was one of the ways the program wanted to honor his support of Open House.
Following his speech, more than 200 clubs will set up in booths around campus to show the variety of ways students can become involved. Mockford said Saturday is open to the public since the campus is being showcased for community members and alumni along with the incoming students. The day concludes at night with the Cal Poly rodeo club’s annual rodeo.
Mockford said he enjoys seeing all the parents and students getting off of the shuttle from the parking area and how anxious they are to view campus. He said he wants all visiting students to get a good idea of the entire campus so they can make the best decision for themselves on where to attend school. The deadline for admitted students to decide whether they will come to Cal Poly is May 1.
“I want them to get a feel for what campus life is like and a feel for what their particular department program will be like so they can make an informed decision about where they want to go to school,” Mockford said.