DUNMORE, Pa. — This fall, Penn State Scranton’s Admission office is continuing its series of informative, engaging and convenient virtual recruitment events for prospective students.
Due to the continuing public health guidelines established in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, all fall admissions visits, academic showcases and one-on-one appointments are being held virtually, according to Director of Enrollment Management Sandra Feather.
The events include a mix of virtual visits for high school students, adult and transfer students, and international students, as well as a virtual campus tour, an evening devoted to financial aid options, and a series of information sessions on the campus’ degree programs.
“This virtual experience will connect prospective students with Penn State in order for them to learn more about the admissions process, academic program options, student engagement opportunities and what it is like to become part of the Penn State community,” Feather said.
Back in the spring, the admission office had the unenviable task of rapidly converting to an entirely remote operation. However, the staff proved more than up to the task, and the change ended up allowing the office to expand and more finely tailor its programming, Feather said.
“It gives us a lot more flexibility, and we don’t have to spend a lot of money and time on travel,” Feather said. “And, until now, we’ve never been able to segment the market and focus on specific populations. Now we can do that. We have veteran events. We have international events. I just had four international students from around the world in an event yesterday.”
The spring and summer events gave the admission staff the chance to see what was working and what wasn’t in the virtual realm. This fall, they’ve made several enhancements, Feather said.
“We’ve had alumni from all over the country involved in our Zooms. We can have faculty zero in on their special program outcomes and have current students and recent graduates talk about their experiences,” she said.
The feedback speaks for itself, with the vast majority of students giving high marks in post-event surveys, Feather said, adding that many have noted it was the best virtual college recruitment event they’ve attended
“I couldn’t be prouder of my staff,” Feather said. “Moving forward, we just have to continue to be student-centered in our approach.”
Upcoming Penn State Admission virtual events include:
Virtual Visits for International Students
- Thursday, Sept. 10, 3 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 17, 3 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 24, 3 p.m.
Virtual Visits for High School Students
- Monday, Sept. 14, 3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 16, 4 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 21, 3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 23, 4 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 28, 3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 30, 4 p.m.
Virtual Visits for Adult and Transfer Students
- Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m.
Penn State Scranton — Virtual Penn State Day Fall Open House
- Sunday, Oct. 4, 1 p.m.
Academic Showcase: Business & Project and Supply Chain Management
- Monday, Oct. 5, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: Corporate Communication
- Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: Engineering
- Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: For Students Who Are Undecided About Their Major
- Thursday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m.
Virtual Campus Visit and Tour
- Monday, Oct. 12, 11 a.m.
Academic Showcase: Biology and Science
- Monday, Oct. 12, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: Information Science & Technology (IST)
- Monday, Oct. 12, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: Psychology
- Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: English; Letters, Arts and Sciences
- Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)
- Thursday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m.
Academic Showcase: Nursing
- Thursday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m.
Penn State Scranton Financial Aid Night
- Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m.
For more information on Penn State Scranton’s virtual recruitment events, visit https://apply.psu.edu/portal/ws-vr-pr. Or, contact the Admission office at 570-963-2500 or snadmissions@psu.edu.
For more information on Penn State Scranton’s degree programs, go to https://scranton.psu.edu/academics.