When prospective students – and their parents – attend an Open House at Capitol, they get an up-close view of life at the college.
As part of the event, they attend workshops and meet the professors they will be studying with. They can ask as many questions as they want, gaining a full overview of the program they are considering.
After the workshops, they tour the campus in the company of student ambassadors who love Capitol and are eager to spread the word.
Not many other college tours offer such close interaction, according to Director of Admissions and Operations Meghan Young. The events, she said, often help seal the deal for students who have been thinking about Capitol as their next step.
“They come, they see the campus and meet the professors, they meet the students and then they decide ‘I like it here, I’m going to apply’. It really has a big effect,” she said.
Young and her colleagues in Admissions organized two open houses during the fall semester, on October 26 and November 16. Each was attended by between 80 and 100 people, including parents and family members as well as students.
Open house activities typically kick off with a presentation by George Walls, the college’s Senior Director of Admissions.
“He goes over what’s so great about Capitol, everything from the small class size to our job guarantee, track record of job placement, and where our students go,” Young explained.
Under its job guarantee, Capitol pledges that its qualified bachelor’s degree graduates will land a position with a competitive salary within 90 days of graduation – or be provided with 36 additional undergraduate credits at no extra cost. Capitol students regularly go on to build careers at agencies such as NASA and the NSA, major government contractors, and technology firms.
Tech-minded students will feel "right at home"
The college does not attempt to be everything to everyone, Young explained. Rather, she said, “we seek out students that we know will have a good experience here. We know what they’re looking for, and it matches what we are.”
“Capitol is very STEM-focused,” Young said. “We only do twelve majors. And they’re only in engineering, computer science, information technology, and business. Capitol is very specialized and we appeal to students who are like that.”
Students who have been called “nerds” or “geeks” will feel right at home in the Capitol community, Young said.
“You can truly let that flag fly – nobody’s going to ridicule you like they might on a large campus. You can really be who you intend to be, while obtaining a quality education.”
Another perk of Capitol life: it’s easy to create your own student club. Thirty such groups already exist, and the requirements for establishing a new one are hassle-free: just gather a handful of interested fellow-students and seek out a faculty advisor.
Student clubs at Capitol regularly set up tables at the college’s open houses, introducing their activities to potential recruits. One group that always makes a big impression is the college’s rocket club.
While the open house attendees are finishing their lunch, club members prepare to wrap up the event in style.
“This year, for the November 16 open house, they got one of their largest rockets ever – it was taller than the student who was setting it off. Right after lunch, as the students were preparing to leave, they set it off on the front lawn. It was awesome,” Young said.
The next open house at Capitol is scheduled for February 1st.