{"id":224860,"date":"2024-09-26T10:11:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T14:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=224860"},"modified":"2025-09-02T17:25:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T21:25:46","slug":"how-to-make-the-most-of-montclairs-open-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2024\/09\/26\/how-to-make-the-most-of-montclairs-open-house\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make the Most of Montclair\u2019s Open House"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Updated September 2, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Montclair State University\u2019s Open House offers a chance to explore the campus, meet with faculty, and discover more about academic programs, financial aid and student life. It\u2019s a great way to experience what life could be like as a Red Hawk. Whether you&#8217;re visiting Montclair\u2019s main campus or Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, here&#8217;s how to make the most of your visit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Register for an Open House<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make sure to register for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/visit-us\/open-houses\/\">Montclair Open House<\/a> on Sunday, October 12 or Sunday, November 9, and for the <a href=\"https:\/\/apply.montclair.edu\/register\/bcmsuoh25\">Bloomfield Open House<\/a> on Saturday, November 15 or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Monday, February 16, 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Plan Your Day at Montclair with Our Event App<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cOur Open House is designed to be as unique as the student&#8217;s individual interests and desires,\u201d says Senior Director of Undergraduate Admissions Jordanna Maziarz. With more than 6,000 prospective students and their families on campus for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/visit-us\/open-houses\/\">Open House<\/a>, staying organized is key. Montclair provides an event app, allowing you to create a personalized schedule, view maps and navigate the experience like a &#8220;choose-your-own adventure.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_225060\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/101324_1377_Open_House-LAROSA.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/101324_1377_Open_House-LAROSA.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"Brochure showing events happening for Montclair&apos;s open house.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prospective students read over the list of events happening during the fall 2024 Open House. (Photo by John J. LaRosa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Top Reasons to Attend an Open House<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Get a Feel for the Campus<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Walking around campus allows you to picture yourself as a student. Visit residence halls, academic buildings, the Student Center and explore opportunities for involvement in leadership and student activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Meet Faculty and Staff<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Attend a presentation or have one-on-one conversations with faculty and staff. This is the perfect time to ask questions about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/academics\/\">academic programs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/career-services\/\">internship and career opportunities<\/a>, and learn what sets Montclair apart academically, including:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Montclair\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/combined-programs\/\">80+ combined 4+1 programs<\/a>, which allows students to earn two degrees in just five years, the most combined programs of any university in New Jersey.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Career-preparation tracks in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/academics\/teacher-education-and-certification\/\">Teacher Education and Certification<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/pre-law-program\/\">Law<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/pre-medical-program\/\">Medical<\/a> fields.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What If I&#8217;m Unsure About My Major? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s okay to be undecided. Use the Open House as an opportunity to ask questions about the different programs and explore what interests you most. You\u2019ll learn about our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/university-college\/\">University College<\/a> \u2013 the first and still the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2024\/04\/03\/only-in-montclair-program-helps-students-choose-a-major\/\">only program in New Jersey for undecided students<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 that supports undergraduates with expert guidance as they explore majors aligned with their interests and career goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Learn About the Admissions Process<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get insights into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/apply-and-check-status\/\">application deadlines<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/red-hawk-central\/financial-aid\/scholarships\/\">scholarships<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/apply-and-check-status\/how-to-apply\/\">tips for submitting<\/a> a strong application. Knowing this ahead of time can give you an advantage when you apply.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Explore Financial Aid Options<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Learn about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/red-hawk-central\/financial-aid\/\">financial aid process and opportunities<\/a> that help make Montclair accessible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students on both our Bloomfield and Montclair campuses are eligible for our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/red-hawk-central\/financial-aid\/red-hawk-advantage-award-rhaa\/\">tuition-free program, the Red Hawk Advantage Award<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our redesigned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2025\/07\/10\/montclair-state-university-receives-5-million-gift-to-transform-honors-program\/\">Martinson Honors EDGE Program<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">encourages students to explore public service and creative leadership, two signature values of Montclair. Honors students are eligible for $5,000 <\/span>\u201cCreative Learning\u201d stipends to support internships, research and study abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Experience Red Hawk Pride<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meet our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/student-services\/student-communications\/rocky\/\">mascots Rocky and Roxy<\/a>, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/02\/27\/montclair-state-university-welcomes-pebbles-the-pupscot\/\">Pebbles, the official campus pupscot<\/a>! Get introduced to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/student-life\/athletics-and-recreation\/\">varsity sports teams <\/a><\/span>(including a new NCAA Women\u2019s Flag Football team), intramural sports, fitness classes and over 120 clubs, including artistic, spiritual, political, issues-oriented, cultural and community-service organizations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>See the Residence Halls<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Explore what it&#8217;s like to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/residence-life\/living-on-campus\/\">live on campus<\/a>. Tour first-year student living options at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/residence-life\/living-on-campus\/residence-halls\/bohn-hall\/\">Bohn Hall<\/a> and suite-style living at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/residence-life\/living-on-campus\/residence-halls\/blanton-hall\/\">Blanton Hall<\/a> and the incredible views from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/residence-life\/living-on-campus\/residence-halls\/the-heights\/\">Machuga Heights<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_224864\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/092024_14836_Students-on-Campus.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/092024_14836_Students-on-Campus.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"The Red Hawk statue at Montclair State University, set against the backdrop of Spanish Mission Revival architecture. Students often rub the statue&apos;s beak for good luck during finals and on game days.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Spanish Mission Revival architecture of Montclair State University frames the Red Hawk statue, whose beak is rubbed for good luck during finals and on game days. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>What Impresses Visitors Most About Montclair?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regan Neal &#8217;25, a Psychology major who served as one of Montclair&#8217;s Admissions Ambassadors, notes that the most common <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lqnaf0ckOz8\">&#8220;Wow&#8221; factor<\/a> for visitors is the impressive size of the University. Montclair is the second largest university in New Jersey with more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cI also get a lot of people who tell me the campus is beautiful and that they love the Mission Revival architecture. They\u2019ll say, \u2018It feels like California has been plopped into New Jersey.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>For a Sneak Peek of What You\u2019ll Find at Montclair:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@montclairstateu\">@montclairstateu TikTok<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/montclairstateu\/\">@montclairstateu Instagram\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">See short-form videos of campus life <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/montclair_reels\/\">@ Montclair_reels<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y932giBDUKU&amp;t=24s\">Hear three words that describe Montclair<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe title=\"Video: Montclair State University &amp;#039;Red Chair Stories&amp;#039;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y932giBDUKU?start=24&amp;feature=oembed\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen style=\"width: 500px; height: 281px; border: 0px solid #000;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>I\u2019m a ______, tell me more\u2026<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Prospective Student \/ Parent:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/visit-us\/\">Plan a visit to our campus<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/\">take the first step in applying to become a Red Hawk!<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Journalist:<\/strong> Contact the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/contact-media-relations\/\">Media Relations<\/a> team for assets or to schedule an interview about this topic.<\/p>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/\/ Output tags as a list for Google Analytics custom dimension\nwindow.MSU_TagList = [];\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ready to dive into Red Hawk life? Explore the academic programs and campus resources that matter most to you, all at your own pace, with personalized options to guide your experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":434,"featured_media":224863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,123,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-224860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-admissions","category-homepage-news","category-university"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/434"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224860"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224860\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":226596,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224860\/revisions\/226596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}