SC Connecticut News

Yale University recently hosted its annual Multicultural Open House (MOH) on October 5, welcoming over 900 visitors to its campus. This event, which has been held since 1992, aims to introduce prospective students to the university's academic opportunities and diverse campus communities, including its four cultural centers.

The day-long program featured various activities such as campus tours, student group performances, and panel discussions on topics like research experiences and student life. Participants also had the chance to visit open houses at several cultural centers on campus.

Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale, addressed the visiting high school students by stating that "Yale is looking for talented students with high aspirations from every background." He emphasized the university's commitment to diversity in terms of talent, background, religion, ethnicity, family income, and perspectives.

This year's expanded Multicultural Open House is part of Yale's efforts to increase outreach following a Supreme Court ruling in June 2023 regarding race consideration in admissions. As outlined in a September 2023 message from Quinlan and Pericles Lewis, dean of Yale College, new initiatives include hiring staff for partnership programming and student-focused outreach. Additionally, a new program was introduced to provide travel support for prospective students attending the MOH event.

Jorge Anaya ’19 and Samantha O’Brien have taken roles as senior assistant directors for student access programming and partnership programming respectively. They developed two programs aimed at broadening MOH's impact. "Counselor MOHvernight," led by O’Brien, supports counselors from community-based organizations who work with historically underrepresented students. Anaya managed "Yale in MOHtion," a fly-in program allowing prospective students from distant locations to attend the event.

"For many of the Yale in MOHtion attendees," said Anaya, "this weekend was their first time experiencing life on a college campus." The program allowed participants to engage with Yale’s community through various activities and workshops.

Dara Norwood commented on the significance of MOH: “The MOH is always a special opportunity for visitors to connect with the spaces and people that make Yale such a welcoming and supportive environment for students of all backgrounds.”

In addition to hosting this event, Yale’s admissions office organized visits for high school counselors from rural areas as part of a northeast college tour through the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) network. Throughout this year’s fall season alone, admissions officers have visited over 500 high schools across multiple states and countries.