Aggie Day feels like one big, joyful celebration for admitted students and their families — confetti flies, students cheer and Gunrock dances. Behind every moment is a carefully choreographed campus-wide effort that says, “Welcome, home.”

Each spring, UC Davis hosts two Aggie Days — one for first-years in April and another for transfer students in May. Thousands of admitted students and their guests explore campus, connect directly with the UC Davis community and imagine their future as Aggies.

Campus-wide hello 

Aggie Day brings the entire campus together to offer admits and their families a hands-on look at the complete UC Davis experience. There are resource fairs for students to meet representatives from support programs and organizations, research spaces to explore, performances to watch, college and school open houses, tours for campus housing and dining and so much more. 

It’s a massive, collaborative effort powered by the dedication of campus partners across departments.

“Undergraduate Education looks forward to Aggie Day every year!” said Meghan McMahon Johnson, executive director for academic programs in Undergraduate Education. “The opportunity to introduce prospective students to the wide range of resources and programs we offer to set them up for future success is a highlight for our whole team.”

Aggie Day, by the numbers  

This year, more than 3,800 admitted students registered for First-Year Aggie Day, April 5, with the total attendance estimated at over 10,000 people. The event featured 43 sessions and 16 open houses, made possible by more than 160 staff members who worked that day. UC Davis also welcomed more than 9,000 guests on 143 campus tours. Tours ran every 30 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and drew some of the day’s largest crowds.

And this all happened in the wake of a second record-breaking application season. UC Davis received more than 120,000 undergraduate applications for fall 2025 — the most in campus history and more than all but seven other universities in the nation.

It’s easy to assume enrollment happens automatically, with numbers like that — students apply, get admitted and show up in the fall. However, those in admissions know the truth. It takes years of relationship building, personalized support and creative outreach to enroll a class — and Aggie Day is one of the most important touch points.

“Spring is our favorite season in admissions,” said Robert Penman, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions. “It’s the culmination of all the hard work that students and their families put into their education and young life. We get the opportunity to see the students we supported along the way take the next step and celebrate everything they achieved so far. It’s an honor to be part of this journey.”