Webster University’s Old Post Office Campus waived their $50 application fee during their information week as an incentive for prospective students to visit the campus. The Webster Groves home campus only waives the fee for alumni or on a case-by-case basis.
The Old Post Office Campus, in downtown St. Louis, held their information week Oct. 31 through Nov. 4. The campus has held an information week once a term since January 2011.
“You have to be creative to let students know what’s available,” Alyce Herndon, Assistant Director and Academic Advisor for the downtown campus, said.
Usually during information week, the school receives five to eight applications. The Old Post Office Campus received two undergraduate and four graduate applications for spring 2012 during the most recent information week.
During the week, current or prospective students were invited to visit between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. When students visited, a staff member took them to a room withbrochures from different degree programs and information from career services spread out on tables.
Students could pick out brochures and flyers that interested them. Students had the opportunity to ask campus staff questions. The staff member also gave visitors a tour of the downtown campus, which takes up one level in the 127-year-old building.
The Webster Groves main campus has held one-day open houses, but not a designated information week.
Information week included two speakers, Tyann Cherry and Michelle Loyet from the Academic Advising Center at the home campus. Cherry and Loyet taught a room of more than 50 visitors about LinkedIn, resumes and professional portfolios.
The Old Post Office Campus advertised for the week by word of mouth, posters and the Internet. Herndon believes Facebook was a helpful advertising tool.
“Facebook has been phenomenal,” Herndon said. “(Facebook) creates a nice circle of networks. You don’t realize who you are connected with and who they’re connected with.”
They also put flyers on tables at two nearby restaurants – SanSai and Everest Café.
Herndon said the campus is located in a business district and many of their students work nearby. The Old Post Office campus has both undergraduate and graduate programs.
The Old Post Office campus has 15 professional classrooms, three computer labs and two student lounges. They offer classes for seven masters programs, four bachelors programs and one certificate program.
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