Nearly 70 high school seniors came to campus last week for the annual Multicultural Open House Program, a two-day outreach effort by the University to boost multicultural enrollment.

Kathryn Napper, executive dean for undergraduate admissions, said the University reaches out to students during fall visits to high schools and works with leadership organizations to attract high school seniors to the program.

“[The program gave] prospective students of color opportunities to learn more about the University and to see themselves as potential members of the GW community,” Napper said.

GW spent about $4,000 to sponsor student travel this year for 15 percent of the attendees, Napper said, which amounted to 10 students.

Last year, GW paid about $4,600 in travel expenses for 29 of the 60 students who attended, Robert Chernak, senior vice provost and senior vice president for Student and Academic Support Services, said.

Ninenty-seven percent of students who attended last year’s open house applied to GW, and 65 percent of the students ultimately enrolled in the University, according to statistics from the admissions office.

Chernak said the yield for the multicultural program is “very beneficial to the University in its attempt to attract a diverse population of students.”

Napper said the open house programs have been “successful in recruiting students who have the drive to make the most of a GW education and who are successful leaders and engaged contributors.”