A sea of admitted students clad in red lanyards and drawstring bags visited Brown on Friday for the Class of 2026’s first in-person admitted students’ day, also known as A Day on College Hill.
A total of 280 admitted students and 889 total attendees — including parents and family — visited College Hill for ADOCH on Friday, according to Dean of Admission Logan Powell. 317 students and 1,007 overall guests are registered for the second day on April 13, while 430 admitted students and 1,349 total guests are registered for April 22.
The University is also offering admitted students virtual programming online through the Bruniverse, an online platform that lets prospective students connect with the campus community remotely, The Herald previously reported.
Check-in for the event began at 8:15 a.m. and programming ended at 5:30 p.m. Event organizers provided tours of campus, financial aid open office hours and opportunities to ask questions to Brown students.
Attendees were asked to sign a COVID-19 vaccination attestation form during registration prior to visiting and followed all University COVID-19 guidelines while on campus, The Herald previously reported.
The event opened with an orientation speech given by Powell in Sayles Hall, congratulating attendees on their achievements and discussing the University’s values. Powell remarked that it was “much better” to greet the admitted students in person this year. This was the first time since 2019 that ADOCH featured in person activities.
“It’s highly confidential,” he said to small cheers, “you’re actually the best class we’ve ever had.”
Provost Richard Locke P’18 proceeded to discuss academics and life at Brown, highlighting the Open Curriculum, academic experimentation and student research.
Attendees were then able to ask Locke questions before attending a panel where current students discussed campus life.
Christina Barbell, an admitted student, said she chose to visit the University because she wanted “to experience what it’s like (on campus)” and meet her future classmates.
“I would say that everyone I’ve met has been super nice,” she said.
Events throughout the day gave attendees the opportunity to ask current Brown students about life on campus, learn about different areas of study and research, engage with various student organizations and meet other admitted students through events like “speed-friending.” Visitors also sampled various local food trucks at a festival hosted by the University on Brown Street.
Student volunteers and various faculty could be found around campus to guide admitted students and their guests, as well as answer questions or reflect on their time at Brown.
Stella Ng ’23 said she decided to volunteer at ADOCH because she remembered her positive experiences as an admitted student on campus and wanted “to pay it forward” by sharing her experiences on campus.
Gaayatri Godbole ’25, also a student volunteer, added that “a lot of the upperclassmen were super excited to welcome (the Class of 2025) to Brown” and that she thought it would “be fun to do the same” for the Class of 2026.
Rebecca Blumenthal ’25 said she was “glad” she volunteered. “I thought I’d just be standing around,” she said. “But I had four … twenty-minute conversation(s) with parents who are so proud of their kids.”
Katherine Butts ’26, who was accepted early decision, said that ADOCH exceeded her expectations.
“I did think it was gonna be a lot of awkward small talk,” she explained, but “conversations have been so much more natural.”
Salina-Mari Mentor said that her experience “definitely solidified” her confidence in committing to Brown and that “it was good to get the natural vibe.”
Jaysily Martinez-Rivera said she “really wanted to see the campus in person” as well as the local restaurants and historic properties.
She added that asking students questions helped her get an idea of “what the vibe is” before she decides which institution to attend. “The vibe,” she added, “is here.”
Sedi Idris, another admitted student, noted that she “was nervous at the beginning” of the day but that “it was really fun” because “it was super lowkey.”
Four admitted students interviewed by The Herald said that the speed-friending event was their favorite part of the day. Idris and Martinez-Rivera also noted that they had never seen campus in-person before, and that visiting helped them get a better sense of the University. Mentor added that she enjoyed being able to walk around campus outside of the panels to see what an average day is like.
“It just seems like everybody’s day is different and busy in its own way,” Mentor noted.
But Milo Kron, an admitted student, said that while he enjoyed the day, he had hoped to experience campus more organically: “I would have liked to be able to walk around a little bit more,” he said.
Kron noted that he would have also liked to see inside some of the dorms, while Idris had hoped to engage with more general, candid Q&A student panels.
Asked what they would tell the next round of attendees about ADOCH, multiple admitted students emphasized that attendees should not feel nervous.
“Don’t be worried about it,” Idris noted, “everyone’s in the same boat.”
Jack Tajmajer is a Metro editor who oversees the Beyond Brown beat. He is a Senior from Bethany, Connecticut and Bethlehem, New Hampshire studying Political Science and Economics. His mother operates an alpaca farm and he tried a blueberry for the first time at age 17.
