A warm welcome for the class of 2018

On February 14, Concordia is welcoming hundreds of prospective students for Admissions Information Day. Attendees will receive help with admissions-related questions — and they'll get an authentic taste of life at Concordia.

In its earliest incarnation, Admissions Information Day was an application clinic, but according to Matthew Stiegemeyer, director of Student Recruitment, it has evolved into something more holistic.

“We’re trying to move past, ’What are the criteria?’ to give students real insight into our programs and the university's learning environment,” he says.

The event, which falls on Valentine’s Day this year, offers prospective students a chance to fall in love the university. “We’re finding ways to showcase the amazing things that are going on here,” Stiegemeyer says.

There will be multiple presentations focused on the experiences of current students, ranging from Space Concordia members — who will discuss their award-winning success in satellite design – to a panel of Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema undergraduates.

A recruitment event like Admissions Information Day can end up playing a significant role in a potential student’s decision about what university to attend

Hannah Kellett, a fourth-year major in international business, says she knew Concordia was the one after visiting on a scouting trip to Montreal with her father.

Originally from the small community of Roberts Creek on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, she knew she wanted to end up in Montreal, but Concordia wasn’t originally her first choice. It shot to the top of the list after she saw presentations on Concordia International's study abroad program and the Institute for Co-operative Education's coordination of paid internships.

For Kellett, the clincher was her impression of “all the extras” available to Concordia students. She accepted her offer of admission at the John Molson School of Business and has not looked back.

Kellett now credits her global experience — a term at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and an exchange in Chennai, India — with helping her land two high-profile Co-op internships: one in Washington, D.C., with a global-trade-management software company and another in international relations with the Business Development Bank of Canada. 

“I’ve found Concordia to be so flexible,” says Kellett. “There’s not a lot of red tape in your way. If you’re excited about something, they’ll be excited with you — and help you make it happen.”

Recruiters are hoping students will pick up on that energy at Admissions Information Day.

“Some of that is just meeting the people that they’re going to encounter if they decide to come to Concordia — current students, faculty members, staff,” Stiegemeyer says.

Seeing the mix of people on campus is a big reward for recruiters, too. “We’ve got people from Ontario and the United States, as well as local CEGEPs. To me, that’s the most exciting part: seeing all the different kinds of students who will end up joining the Concordia community."

For prospective Faculty of Fine Arts attendees, February 14 is also Portfolio Day: a chance for prospective Concordians to get feedback from faculty members on their works-in-progress. Visitors can also enjoy the results of current students’ efforts in the visual and performing arts — including a performance by a jazz duo.
 

Register now for Concordia's 2015 Admissions Information Day.