Wearing green, food industry management senior Leticia Briseno leads potential students on a walking tour Friday through campus stopping at Beaumont Tower, the Red Cedar River and the Rock among other important destinations. Friday began the annual Green and White Days on campus, which promote MSU through activities such as academic sessions, student panels and residence hall tours.
It’s something almost every high school senior has to face at one point or another: touring universities to find the best fit for their university careers.
On Friday, about 1,000 students from around the nation got their first look at MSU as they participated in the university’s first Green and White Day of the year, a program put on by the Office of Admissions as a recruiting tool for prospective students.
There are three more Green and White Days scheduled for Wednesday, Friday and Aug. 1.
Assistant Director of Admissions Mike Kolar said Green and White Days were scheduled to coincide with the time period when many high school seniors and their families begin investigating potential schools.
“It’s high time for families to visit campus,” he said. “The average family who starts looking around at colleges does so at the end of July and August.”
Participants are given a presentation on the requirements for admission to MSU, along with the opportunity to tour campus, meet graduate students and get a feel for campus life in East Lansing.
In the afternoon, presentations from some of the on-campus colleges are given to help students better understand the benefits of those schools.
“We’re trying to give every student a very in-depth view of this campus from one end to the other,” Kolar said.
Drew Kim, assistant to the dean for recruiting and K-12 engineering education in MSU’s College of Engineering said for each Green and White Day, the college would present two demonstrations outlining basic information about different majors, the college itself and more. He said the response to the program has been decent overall.
“I can’t say it’s just because of Green and White Days because we do so many programs, but I do know our enrollment has gone from 650 (students) to about 1,100 this year,” Kim said.
Troy Brothers, a 17-year-old high school senior from Fraser, Mich., said he decided to come for Green and White Days because he considers attending MSU in the future. Through the program, his desire to apply was strengthened, he added.
“I’ve learned that (MSU) has a lot of study abroad programs and a rigorous curriculum, all of which are of interest (to me),” he said.
Although Brothers eventually might end up at another school, Kim said he has confidence in the program.
“As long as they visit us, there’s a very good chance they’ll end up being a Spartan,” he said.
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