Have current students speak about their positive experiences with the school.
Well, I like to ask questions to my potential like, "Can you see yourself in this type of classroom environment?" I also like to say hi to students and faculty, so that the potential sees the type of friendly environment available on campus, as to not be intimidated.
Excellent observations, Keith! Incorporating elements on your tour that allow your students to see, hear, and feel what your school is all about gives you an amazing opportunity to connect with the students learning style. Good luck with your future tours!
I believe a more hands-on approach might improve the tour. As we are a video technical school having prospective students have the choice of holding or getting the feel of something might add value to their tour experience and open them up to ask more questions.
Offering memorabilia can be a great way to start building school pride for your students, Maricelly. I'm curious, what type of memorabilia do you give to your students and how do they typically respond?
I will give them memorabilia, once the tour and orientation is complete
Great idea, Emmanuel. It sounds like you'd like to give your prospective students more of an opportunity to interact with a variety of individuals on campus during their visit. How might you go about implementing this idea at your school?
Having interactions with each departments, Question and Answer Sessions would make the tour more interactive and would make the students comfortable.
Giving your students the opportunity to experience a class is one way to engage them. What might you for a student who is in a hurry to make your tour memorable?
Ask potential student to stay in class for few hours and enjoy presentation
We've tried to implement more of an "experience" than a tour for our prospects: sitting them at a desk in a classroom, allowing them to utilize the different programs in the library. We try to insert them as much as possible into a "day in the life", so they can experience what we've spent time talking about.
The thing I would change is to make sure that my propective student meets all of the staff and faculty that are available at that time of the tour. This way they will have a better idea of the type of who they will be involved with during their program of study.
These are all great practices, Kate! I think I'd like to go on tour with you, it sounds like fun! I'm sure your students will appreciate your attempts to make them feel welcome. Good luck and let me know how adding these components to your tour works out for you.
I plan to have several stops along the way, whether it be in the cafe to get a whiff of what's on the menu, stopping to chat with a current student, or pausing to make an introduction with staff or faculty. I want to make the students feel as "at home" as possible right off the bat.
Brian, that's a new one. That is certainly memorable and I like the follow up piece. I'm curious, how does this work on the tour? Do you find it successful?
Taking a picture of them touching or acting like they are using a piece of equipment they will be learning from. Then sending it to them saying, this could be you next semester!
Stacey, what a great idea. This will showcase your great faculty and allow your students to ask questions. Keep us posted how it goes.
I am going to implement more interaction. I do feel we just walk through the school and really don't interact with anyone. So I am going to implement that immediately and if faculty is available have them say hello!
The tour can be one of your most powerful tools if you understand what things are really important to your student. If you are just utilizing a scripted tour that includes where the restrooms are located....you may want to take a step back!
Absolutely! It's so important that we try to see things as our students might see them to make a positive and lasting first impression. It sounds like you believe it's important to consider the students perspective, which I'm sure your students appreciate completely. Keep it up!
