<p>Note: This post refers to the multicultural open houses for seniors in high school. This question is aimed at those who have attended such meetings and/or is attending an institution that holds such meetings.</p>
<p>Within the hundreds of letters that the minority scholar receives there appears to be at least one invitation to a multicultural recruitment open house from a prestigious university. However, as one that is not easily convinced about the sincerity of any of these letters, I was wondering if these events actually matter in terms of gaining admissions to one of these schools? If not, is there any way that one can make these events meaningful (with regards to gaining acceptance)? What are your experiences with such events and have you (since gaining acceptance to an institution) found out how it actually affects admission.</p>
<p>PS: Feel free to get specific with the universities. If you do not feel comfortable naming institutions please PM me your response.</p>
<p>Amherst College has a minority/ diversity program, divOH. They hold two sessions, approx 80 students each from a pool of 700 applications. They generally admit about 75% of those who have attended divOH. So yes, that weekend is a way to introduce yourself to the admissions/administration there. My D attended and is now a Junior.</p>
<p>My son attended a few of them and I believe as GA2012MOM does that they do help. First, it shows an interest in the school, and is yet another chance to show them love… which they eat up. Second, acceptance into the Open house shows their interest in YOU. Most of the time the trip is at the schools expense, so if they werent interested, you wouldnt have been selected. </p>
<p>you can make the trip more meaningfull by scheduling an interview during the weekend and aceing it. You can take the opportunity to seek out a professor/class that you are interested and attend. Even better learn more about the specifics of it at the school and be able to discuss it, both with the professor and at your interview. The extra interest will come through to help admissions. </p>
<p>Use the visit to tie into your essays, if possible for the school. Again, documents your interest in the school, and what you think makes it different.</p>
<p>My son got selected for some schools and not for others (all LAC’s) so I think at least in our case that it was not a blanket invitation for a URM. Out of all of them I wish he had been selected for Carleton. He wasnt and it wasnt high on his list due to location, but I wish he would have visited as it is a great school and to have a geographic comparision.</p>