An open house is a time to host a coordinated event, an opportunity to showcase a school, provide information on the application process, and share general information about the environment as a whole. So, how effective are open houses at Benilde-St. Margaret’s in bringing future families to the school?

At BSM, there are typically 6 open houses over the course of the school year, including evening and daytime open houses. The evening open houses occur in October and January, while daytime open houses are in November, February, and April. The evening and daytime open houses both have distinct advantages “An evening open house is a lot more accessible for families, especially working families, to come to an event like that. We can also get more people involved, faculty, staff, and community members, at an evening event. With a daytime open house, you get to see the school day in action, right there, kids in the building. So again, it depends on what you’re looking for in the experience. But I think both are just great ways to just initially get on campus here at BSM,” Director of Admissions Betsy Van Cleve said.

As you initially walk into a BSM open house, you can expect a welcoming committee and teachers and staff to greet you upon arrival. This will be followed by a presentation by President Danielle Hermanny, who will talk about the next steps in the admissions process. To follow, Rikki Mortal, the junior high principal, and Mathew Weingartz, the senior high principal, each give speeches. Then, a member of the Admissions team speaks about the school and goes into detail about focuses, values, and community. A mini schedule is also provided to guide the families during the open house. There are 12-minute sessions where families will hear about BSM’s foundation from panels of students and faculty members. After speeches and presentations conclude, the Admissions interns take families on a more personalized tour around the school. Tours during school hours provide insight into student life at BSM, giving families a feel for how the school works firsthand.

On the contrary, the evening open house shows the families the campus, without the same insight into student life. Evening open houses are much more accessible to families with working parents. Junior Harper Stevenson-Shimek is one of eight Admissions interns who attend the open houses. “I think especially during the daytime, families are able to get a real feel of what the day feels like as school is in session. Especially for me, when I was looking at the school, the open house was actually the only thing I went to before I was applying, so I think it’s huge,” Stevenson-Shimek said.

Overall, Open houses are meant to serve as a first impression for families interested in joining the BSM community. These events are structured to welcome families prior to their application process by ensuring they have all the information needed before making a final decision. “I would say the most important part of Open House is for future families to hear from the people like teachers and staff members that they’re going to see on a daily basis if and when they decide to join our Redknight family. Just hearing from community members is important in my opinion,” Van Cleve said.