Virtual Explore SDSU Connects Prospective Students to Campus

“The event would not have happened nor would it have been a success without the collaboration and participation of colleagues from across the divisions, colleges and departments.”

Explore SDSU 2020 — an annual event that draws thousands of prospective students, parents, and community members to campus — was canceled due to health concerns associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Given the value of the event, which is an important time to engage prospective and admitted students, the San Diego State University Explore SDSU Committee and Enrollment Services quickly coordinated an immersive virtual event – in about one week. 

Virtual Explore SDSU, the online event drew nearly 4,300 prospective students and parents, which included more than 3,000 admitted students. Registrants tuned in worldwide, including those from Germany, Kuwait and India.

Participants heard from faculty and staff representing different colleges, learned about SDSU’s admissions and financial aid processes, and learned about campus offerings and academic majors through online sessions from departments across campus. 

“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” said Matthew Hebert, director of Student Recruitment and School Relations for Enrollment Services. “We had a great response and a lot of comments regarding how we are really leading the way in offering something like this, as other universities have canceled their event without providing the experience in a different format.”

Students and parents listened to presentations from deans and other senior college administrators and attended several breakout sessions led by individual department heads.

“It was a very active interactive session,” College of Engineering Dean Eugene Olevsky said. “There were a lot of questions. The success of pulling off such a big event online has shown us we can do this with other events too. Now we’re looking at putting together Design Day, a major event for our college and our graduating seniors, also online.”

Hebert said the event could not have happened without the collaboration and participation of colleagues from across the university. 

“The annual physical open house event is always a great example of how we work together across campus to showcase SDSU for all our new and prospective students and families,” he said, “and seeing colleagues step up and put in the extra effort at the last minute to make this happen really makes me proud to be an Aztec for Life.”

Moving forward, departments across campus are encouraged to conduct live Zoom sessions, which will be added to the Explore SDSU website. SDSU Admissions will also continue to promote Virtual Explore as a resource for prospective and admitted students.

You can view recorded information sessions on the Explore SDSU website as well as take a virtual tour of campus.

Submit your Intent to Enroll

Admitted students, are you ready to officially become an SDSU student? Submit your Intent to Enroll through your SDSU
WebPortal account. The deadline to submit is May 1, 2020.

Please note that submitting your Intent to Enroll requires a $400 nonrefundable deposit payable by check, e-Check, American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard, or Visa. The $400 deposit will apply toward your basic tuition and fees for the fall semester.