Early Bird

Top 5 takeaways from Open House

The signature recruitment event of the year continues to set attendance records.

By Cory Phare

November 13, 2019

It’s becoming redundant to call Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Open House “record-breaking.” Yet each iteration of the signature recruitment event continues to raise the bar in terms of attendance – and experience.

“Open House really showcases everything MSU Denver has to offer,” said Garrett Spradlin, assistant director of admissions for Visitor Services and Recruitment with the Office of Admissions. “It’s all here – from views of the skyline in JSSB to mock lectures, resources like the Access Center, Study Abroad, Student Academic Success Services and more. It all helps attendees see themselves here.”

With that in mind, here are your top takeaways from the Nov. 2 event.

1. The numbers continue to climb. Fall saw 473 potential students, up from 425 in spring – itself a record-setter. Total attendance also rose to a new best, from 936 to 1,042 in the same timeframe.
2. Beyond the volume, over half of the attendees had already been admitted. Spradlin credited this to the recent Colorado Free Application Day campaign that also saw a record number of future Roadrunners applying for – and getting – their first feathers. “It actually served as kind of a yield event, where people are using this opportunity as their decision to enroll at MSU Denver instead of just starting the application process,” Spradlin said.
3. Show them the money: Two $500 scholarships were raffled off for attendees. Add to that the fact that Financial Aid helped more than 100 attendees, and you have the right formula for Roadrunner recruitment.
4. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort, as almost 250 faculty and staff took part in the event. And with representation from nearly all of the University, it was truly a one-stop shop for attendees to learn about all the academic and support resources to help them to graduation.
5. Less is more: “Even though we made the event an hour shorter, we still had great numbers,” Spradlin said. “That’s a testament to everyone’s work – folks were clued in and informed, so the attendee experience was really a seamless one.”