Michelle Rhodes, our Senior Director of Enrollment Consulting, is constantly on campuses across the nation evaluating visits. She has an eye for esthetics, always finding new opportunities to enhance campus beauty and sense of place.
Now that it’s back-to-school season, funnels everywhere are resetting with prospective students and families heading for fall visits and open houses. It’s prime time to pause and revisit the basics of the campus visit.
Michelle recommends implementing these three best practices on your next visit to better accommodate the next generation of students coming your way. 👇
Designate and Protect Visitor Parking
Parking (or lack thereof) can make or break your school’s first impression. As a visitor, arriving on campus for the first time can be overwhelming—take some of the stress off students and families by providing clear directions, signage, and addresses for designated parking lots. And if you have the resources, add visiting students’ names and hometowns to specific parking spot signs. Many students take their name plaque home with them as unintentional memorabilia; they might even snap a photo, too! It’s an easy, impactful way to create meaningful moments on your campus.
Walk Forward, with Guests
Great tour guides walk and talk with—not at. Walking backwards slows down the tour, and can be distracting and stressful for guests that are constantly looking at the tour guide when they should be looking around at campus. When everyone walks and talks together, students get a better sense of what life on campus is really like.
Be Your Own Consultant and Walk Your Tour Route Frequently
Keep an eye on how your route is being maintained to avoid any unpleasant surprises along the way—like overflowing trash bins, out-of-order restrooms, or poor landscaping. All these factors influence your school’s esthetic and feel. Take pictures on your route and include other departments, like facilities and maintenance, to create the best visit experience possible.
When you need to refresh your campus visit, start by going back to the basics. It’s often the things we overlook that have the biggest impact on students and families—make sure you’re setting your admissions team up for success, every step of the way.
Explore our Enrollment Campus Visit Consulting capabilities to book The Essentials, a fast and furious audit of your campus visit conducted by Michelle.
