Indiana Private College Week, July 23-27, Encourages the Campus Visit

Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579

June 26, 2012 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Summer is a favorite time for college prospects and their families to visit institutions they are interested in attending. Survey research conducted by Stamats, a higher education marketing consultant, indicates prospective students plan to visit an average of five institutions before November of their senior year in high school. And according to research conducted by Eduventures, 71 percent of high-school students identify the campus visit as the most trusted source of information about a college. Time and again, the campus visit is cited as a key factor in their final decision.

“At Saint Mary’s, over 90 percent of our students have visited our campus before enrolling,” said Mona Bowe, vice president for enrollment management. “That shows the power of the campus visit. Prospective students have to feel comfortable with their decision on where they will enroll. It is the backdrop of what will be their college experience. What sells them on Saint Mary’s College is not just the tree-lined Avenue they see when they pull on to campus or the manicured lawns or the new and historic buildings; it’s the faculty they meet here and the programs that fit their interests, and it’s the heritage of the Congregation of the Holy Cross to educate the minds and the hearts of the women here that makes Saint Mary’s stand out.”   

The week of Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27 is Indiana Private College Week, sponsored by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI). Saint Mary’s College will join the 30 other private, non-profit institutions across the state in welcoming prospects and their parents to campus. There are many benefits to Indiana’s independent colleges and universities. The schools offer more personal attention (11 students to one professor at Saint Mary’s) and more leadership opportunities than the state’s public institutions.

“We want every family to find out why earning a degree at an Indiana private, non-profit college is smart academically and smart financially,” said Richard L. Ludwick, ICI president & CEO. “Unlike at other types of Indiana colleges and universities, the majority of our students graduate in four years rather than six, which is two-thirds of the time it takes elsewhere.”

Indiana Private College Week is about more than just a campus visit. Saint Mary’s and other ICI institutions want prospects to learn about opportunities to finance their education. There are often pre-conceived notions about the cost of a private education based solely on the published tuition rates. More than 90 percent of Saint Mary's students receive some form of financial aid.

“The ‘sticker price’ of a college education today varies greatly and the actual price paid by individual students varies even more widely,” said Carol Ann Mooney, president of Saint Mary’s College. “When students and their parents compare college tuitions, they may not realize that private institutions devote a large percentage of their budgets to financial aid. The end result is that, for some students, the cost of attending a private college or university is actually lower than that of attending a public university. In addition, the benefits of personal attention and close faculty/student working relationships that are possible at a small school last a lifetime.”

Saint Mary’s College offers tours daily during the summer Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., including during Indiana Private College Week. The Office of Admission suggests calling ahead of time to make the most of your visit. The number is (800) 551-7621. In addition, Saint Mary’s regularly offers a variety of campus visit options including Fall Day on Campus, Spring Day on Campus and Senior Preview Days.

Visitors between the ages of 16 and 20 touring one or more ICI campuses during Indiana Private College Week will have the chance to enter a drawing for an Apple iPad.  Entry forms and rules will be available at each campus.

About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” for 2012 published by U.S.News and World Report. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.