Prospective UCLA students arrive at Rieber Court for the Afrikan Student Union Admit Weekend. Other student groups are holding similar events.
A group of potential students take part in an icebreaker at Rieber Fireside Lounge for Afrikan Student Union Admit Weekend.
Prepare your campus maps, Bruins. More than 10,000 prospective freshmen and their families are expected to arrive on Saturday morning for Bruin Day, UCLA’s largest-ever program for admitted students.
Betty Glick, the event’s co-chair, said the university is consolidating the freshmen admit events of previous years into a single, comprehensive program. Previously, “College Days” and other yield events were spread out across multiple weekends, which made it difficult for organizations and departments to reach all interested students.
The day will begin in Royce Hall with an introduction by Chancellor Gene Block, who will discuss his vision for the campus and the merits of attending UCLA. Performances by the Marching Band and Bruin Harmony will follow.
Afterward, prospective students can attend lectures on topics including the honors program, financial aid and transitioning from a private high school. Rosa Pimentel, assistant director of admissions, said the lectures are intended to provide information to families and expose admits to classrooms and professors.
“(The lectures) will give an introduction of what day-to-day life will be like once students reach UCLA,” Pimentel said.
Additionally, many departments will host open houses to showcase some of the 108 areas of study UCLA has to offer. Some will open their offices for one-on-one advising, while others will give out information at the Student Activities and Resource Fair.
Along with academics, more than 100 student groups will be represented, a smaller version of the activities fair that happens during zero week fall quarter. Random Voices, the Nigerian Students Association and other student groups will provide entertainment at the fair throughout the day.
Kenn Heller said he hopes the fair will connect admitted students to current Bruins.
“A major part of student life is organizations,” said Kenn Heller, associate director of the Center for Student Programming. “(But) it’s not just about exposure to the groups; it’s about exposure to the people.”
That’s just what Jack Craigmile, a high school senior from Danville, hopes to get out of his stay at UCLA. He drove down Thursday so he could stay a few extra nights in the dorms.
“I want to find out more about the school and meet the people,” Craigmile said. “I’ll be living here for four years, so the social aspect is a huge part of it.”
Craigmile is staying with a friend, but some student groups, including MEChA and the Afrikan Student Union, are offering special overnight programs for qualified students. Christine Coons, assistant director for the Office of Residential Life, said these programs allow underrepresented groups of students to meet Bruins with the same interests and experiences, which could make them more likely to attend UCLA.
The schools of Theater, Film and Television, Arts and Architecture, and the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science will host separate information sessions for their admitted students today and Sunday. Students accepted to these schools are still invited to attend Bruin Day.
“We really want families to make a weekend out of it,” Heller said.
Glick said she does not believe the extra people will affect current students, but dining halls are expected to be crowded. Bruins should expect long lines between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Bruin Cafe will open at 11 a.m., four hours earlier than its normal time, to help accommodate the influx of people.