Students who applied to New College of Florida may want to get a broom when they receive letters detailing their admission status.
Most colleges just send letters starting with “Congratulations!” or email a link that shows whether the student was accepted.
But New College sends sunglasses and confetti along with its acceptance letters. Weeks or sometimes months later, they follow up with knick-knacks such as ready-for-coloring drawings of the campus, some origami and handmade tie-dyed t-shirts.
They’re called “Admitted Celebratory Packages,” or ACPs.
It’s part of the college admissions office’s individualized outreach aimed at getting as many students to enroll at the college as possible.
New College President Don O’Shea has planned to grow the college from its current population of nearly 900 students to about 1,200 students over the next several years.
Because each entering class is typically 250 students or less, it’s easier to give prospective students more attention, said Sharon Alcock, assistant director of admissions.
“We send out a whole box,” Alcock said. “It has confetti in there, a t-shirt, and sunglasses, and a folder that says ‘Congratulations, you’re in!’ on the cover. When we speak to the students, they say, ‘That was the most amazing thing I got!’”
Alcock said admitted students frequently post pictures of the box — or themselves wearing the sunglasses — on social media.
This year, the college used the adult coloring book trend and had second-year student James vonHollen draw campus scenes. They’re being sent to students with the tagline “Color Your Potential New Home.”
Last year, the college sent original sea-themed origami pieces, made by members of the school’s origami club.
Admissions counselors also sometimes send special gifts. Lizbeth Hampton — a New College alumnus herself — met a student from Maryland who seemed like a perfect match for the college.
Hampton tie-dyed a New College t-shirt for the prospective student.
“When it was time to send her admissions package, I wanted to do something special for her,” Hampton said. “She was a great person to work with and she would do fantastic here.”
All of the different approaches, Alcock says, are to show students that New College will treat them as individuals.
“We want to have that proverbial small college feeling. That’s who we are and how we do things here,” she said.