MU hosts its first accepted students day of 2026
MANHATTAN.EDU/ COURTESY
Leyla J. Mercado Features Editor and Ass. Social Media Editor
On March 28, Manhattan University’s (MU) Admissions office held its first Accepted Students Day (ASD) event of the year. The day consisted of a collection of different campus experiences in order to engage accepted students to make their enrollments if they hadn’t yet.
The general schedule started at 8:30 a.m, consisting of check-in at Smith Auditorium and Squieri Hall, which was followed by the Jasper Welcome, an official greeting to prospect students, at the Chapel of de La Salle and His Brothers from 9:30 a.m to 10:15 a.m.
Admissions and financial aid meetings were held from 10 a.m to 3 p.m., while simultaneously from 11:30 a.m to 3 p.m., admissions ambassadors held campus tours departing from the lower forecourt.
Noon to 3 p.m. further consisted of the golf simulator experience at the Jerome C. Wood ‘75 Golf Simulation Center in Jasper Hall, and was followed by lunch: “a taste of New York” in the lower forecourt with a variety of food trucks to choose from.
Anissa Latif, assistant director of communication, events and technology, spoke to The Quadrangle further expanding on the initiative MU’s Admissions office took in introducing food trucks as a new element to this year’s ASD event.
“The food trucks this year were a new addition to ASD. They are the perfect example of, [what] we’re always talking about, we have everything on campus, but we are also a school in New York City,” Latif said. “It’s a taste of the campus but also a taste of the city.”
Evelyn Orellana, director of admission strategy and communication, further discussed what goes into organizing an event of this scale.
“For this event, there’s a lot of coordination and connecting with different areas of our campus community,” Orellana said. “The biggest challenge was the weather. And yes, although it was windy and cold, I feel like we were able to bring the warmth.”
Orellana shared with The Quadrangle what her main goal was when it came to planning this year’s ASD event.
“I feel like ASD is important because students are coming to campus to meet our community,” Orellana said. “They’re also coming to campus to reaffirm that MU is the place for them.”
Orellana then discussed what she hopes students and families take away from their experience on campus.
“I think our community is extremely family oriented, because while the day is about students, we’re also celebrating parents because it’s their kid,” Orellana said. “They’re stepping into a different era. They’re even entering a time where their life is about to change. I think it’s really nice that we can also honor them in that way.”
Latif further spoke to why ASD is such an important event for MU and how it fits into the school’s broader admissions strategy.
“This is an extremely important event, because it’s bringing our students who have already been admitted to campus,” Latif said. “This is their opportunity to meet with the Jasper community that we’re always raving about. It’s really important that they meet with various members of the community and get that feel for campus.”
Latif, who also shared that they have an “open door policy” in the admissions office to let students know they’re always there, made it clear that their goal in planning – for students to have the time to come back and visit MU before their commitment to the institution.
Leah Romanowski, admissions counselor, experienced her first ASD event. Reflecting on her experience, she spoke to The Quadrangle about what was most memorable.
“My first ASD as an admissions counselor at MU was wonderful,” Romanowski said. “It was really nice to see how the students all showed up and we’re ready to go from start to finish… Even though it was a chillier day, we had a great showing of prospective students and the faculty and staff too. Just being so willing to show up was also really surprising, but great to see.”
Romanowski continued to share her definition of the “true college experience” while providing further insight in sharing what she thinks makes a student feel welcomed and comfortable on campus.
“The professors, staff, and students all showed up ready to engage and share what it’s like to be a MU student,” Romanowski shared. “That energy and enthusiasm really sticks with prospective students and gives them a real sense of campus life.”
Together, their perspectives point to a shared goal, ensuring that ASD offers not just a glimpse into campus life, but a meaningful sense of belonging for both prospective students and their families.
“Every parent wants to know that their kid is going to be okay, that they’re going to be welcomed, that they’re going to make friends, that they’re going to be people out there that really that care about them… [this event] is the perfect time for us to make sure that even the parent goes up there and gets to celebrate,” Latif said.