Although separated by the COVID-19 pandemic, community members warmly welcomed newly admitted students virtually this year. While the formal programming started on Friday, March 27, the outreach was far more extensive, involving the help of current students and faculty.

Before the formal programming, admitted students were paired with student ambassadors with similar extracurricular interests. These ambassadors reached out to new students via email and social media to help guide them throughout the revisit process. Mitchell Riley ’22, a student ambassador, said, “I had really positive responses about the online Revisit Day. I believe many of the prospective students saw the day as an impactful and informative event in their [school] selection process.” 

In addition to the outreach from the student ambassadors, the admission office reached out to many of the admitted students to help answer questions about their interests and concerns. Mr. Boscow, assistant director of admission, remarked, “We had regional calls, program specific calls, and individual calls where admission counselors were able to connect directly with students that they interviewed earlier [so that students] felt like they had a personalized experience despite not being on campus.” 

On March 27, the virtual Revisit Day took place with prospective students attending multiple Zoom meetings throughout the day. Events started with remarks from Head of School, Mr. Craig Bradley, and a panel titled “Living in a Diverse Community: Being Safe, Seen, and Supported.” This was followed by a musical compilation featuring performances from Right Brain Logic, Blue Notes, HDA, student solo musicians, and the Hotchkiss Philharmonic Orchestra. After the compilation, students presented a panel that focused on giving students a better insight into the academic curriculum, classroom experience, and student resources. Alumni, Denzel Bullen ’19, Annabelle Duval ’19, Grace Hazelton ’19, Priyanka Kumar ’19, Daniel Pai ’19, and Alex Tonelli ’02, also joined in to give prospective students an idea of their experience from previous years. Mrs. Kaitlyn Leonard, assistant director of admission, added, “Hearing from former Hotchkiss students who were from one to 18 years out was an amazing addition to the programming this year.” 

The Revisit Day concluded with Mr. Erby Mitchell, dean of admission and financial aid, interviewing multiple teachers on their teaching styles to better inform new students about members of the faculty: Mr. Charles Frankenbach, head of the English Department, Dr. Richard Kirby, instructor in chemistry, and Ms. Letty Roberts, instructor in mathematics.

Despite being away from campus, the virtual Revisit Day encompassed the spirit of the school. Prospective student Daniel Li said, “The welcome was phenomenal! Even though I was miles away from everyone at the meeting, I could still feel the incredibly warm and welcoming atmosphere.” 

Mr. Boscow noted, “I think the work of the admission team, our faculty, and our students contributed greatly to students deciding to attend Hotchkiss next year.”

The date for new students to confirm their acceptance was Friday, April 10. The Admission office is not yet able to provide specific yield statistics for this year.