On Saturday, October 25th, Saint Anselm warmly welcomed roughly 300 hundred prospective students, along with their family and friends, to tour and learn about Saint Anselm College as their potential future home-away-from-home. This is nearly double the amount of students than the last open house in February of the 2025 Spring Semester, which had a turn out of around 170 students! These high school students are exploring all varying paths of study and academic interests, making the future of Saint Anselm and its students look brighter and brighter. What’s more is the autumnal foliage was just as welcoming as the College faculty and current students. It was a bit chilly but an overall sunny and beautiful day, perfect for advertising the campus!
The day kicked off bright and early at nine in the morning, in the Carr Center basketball court, converted to host the prospective students and their families, with a few welcome addresses. Welcome Addresses were given by Kristina Packowski, a student speaker from the class of 2026, Julie Lanman, the Director of Admissions, and President Joseph Favazza.
As usual, the open house included many workshops and interactive sessions for the potential students to participate in. The students were split up to attend these various forty-five minute sessions, with a longer one hour time slot being cut out to accommodate lunch, prepared by AVI, for the visitors and their families. There were six total available sessions for interested students: an Anselmian Academic Workshop, the Nursing Information Session, a NHIOP Panel, an Academic Fair and a Student Life Workshop. The panels included both currently enrolled students and faculty and staff to truly encapsulate the nature of the academic and social life here at Saint Anselm College. The Academic Fair had a spectacular turn out, taking place in Davison Dining Hall. Each of the twenty or so academic departments from the College each had a table set up with both professors and college students to interact with the visitors and answer questions about course work and future careers. As always with Saint Anselm, the Nursing information sessions are always a big hit. Each of the visiting high school students could tailor their schedule throughout the day to attune to their personal interests, for both academic and life on campus. These activities were a great way to get the current high school students interested in their academics and social life here on campus and their future at college.
In addition to the range of sessions offered, there were tours also offered, per usual, spread throughout the day. The tours included a campus wide tour. The prospective students were able to experience tours of the school’s main academic buildings, namely the new Nursing Simulation Center in Grappone Hall, the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute, Goulet Science Center labs, and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. In addition to touring the campus, the students and their families had the opportunity to go on a brief tour of Joan of Arc Hall and explore the freshman dorms and living space.
The more Open Houses that the Admissions team puts on, the more fun, involved, and engaging they strive to make them. This past month’s Open House was different from previous ones’ mainly with the addition of the Student Life Workshop and the activities put on. Sarah Lopes, class of 2026, took on the task of hosting a Saint Anselm Family Feud. Ashleigh Sargent, Director of Admissions Operations, comments that, “It was the highlight of the day for students!”
Overall, Saint Anselm College was very welcoming, both in the weather and those present on campus for all those high school students and families looking for a future home and place to pursue their academic dreams and careers. As college applications begin to roll through, and more Admitted Student Days and Open Houses start to crop up throughout the year, it is encouraged that Saint Anselm students should be just as inviting and hospitable as usual, if not more so. Saint Anselm’s goal is to always maintain the Benedictine tradition of community and hospitality, and Open Houses are just one important way faculty, staff, and students can show families that their children will be in good hands.