For the first time since 2019, the Rice community will once again welcome hundreds of newly admitted students to campus for Owl Days 2022 on April 8 and 11.
Organized by the Office of Admission, Owl Days is an opportunity for students and their families to get an in-person taste of university life through a plethora of events, information sessions and guided tours through campus and beyond.
“We look forward to partnering with Owls everywhere to roll out the red carpet and show the Class of 2026 the very best of Rice University,” wrote Yvonne Romero da Silva, vice president for enrollment, in a message to the Rice community.
After the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled the planned 2020 Owl Days events and turned the tradition into a virtual program, the admission and financial aid teams are thrilled to once again personally host students and their families at the school’s oak-lined campus.
“We’re really excited that we have the opportunity to bring students back on campus,” said Neha Agrawal, Rice’s director of enrollment marketing and communication.
Instead of admitted students spending the night with current Rice host students in the residential colleges as was tradition in the past, this year’s Owl Days will consist of two separate, one-day events with no overnight component.
In addition to guided walking tours of campus and bus tours of Rice Village, the Museum District and the Texas Medical Center, Owl Days visitors can attend a variety of sessions highlighting academics, student organizations, cultural groups, career development and more. Admitted students — including those who aren’t able to attend Owl Days in person — will also be invited to attend a number of virtual events to learn more about undergraduate life at Rice.
Agrawal said her team expects about 1,000 potential Owls to visit the university over the two days.
“It’s really about getting to meet each other, getting to experience campus, see all the facilities that we have to offer and getting to meet current students,” Agrawal explained.
April 8 and 11 won’t be the only times groups of admitted students will visit campus this semester; ahead of Owl Days, the admissions office will host a select group of diverse students April 7 and 10 as part of the VISION program, and the office will host two smaller Owl Days Express events on April 16 and 23.