Episode 80: Making the Most of a Visit

Episode 80

• Episode 80 Transcript

  [EPISODE]

  [0:00:07] BHA: There's only so much you can learn about a school from Google. One of the best ways to get to know a college is to experience it for yourself.

  [0:00:14] BT: An in-person visit can push a college into dream school territory, or send it falling off your list entirely. I'm Brooke Thames from Bucknell University

  [0:00:21] BHA: And I'm Becca Haupt Aldredge, also from Bucknell. In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we're exploring how you make the most of a college visit from the options available to setting it up and beyond.

  [0:00:31] BT: Our guest is Chris Rowe, admissions specialist for daily campus visitation programs at Bucknell. Welcome to the podcast.

  [0:00:37] CR: Thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to be here.

  [0:00:39] BHA: Let's start with an overview of your work at Bucknell, Chris. Can you tell us what it is that you do?

  [0:00:43] CR: Sure. I manage all aspects of campus visits, including our ambassadors, who are the people who greet and take our visitors out on tours. I also individually plan special visits like class visits, high school counselor visits, group visits from high schools or community-based organizations — things like that.

  [0:01:02] BT: Can you take us through a rundown of what kinds of things a student might see on a website when going to plan their visit?

  [0:01:09] CR: Yes, sure. Totally. Here at Bucknell, when you go to our website to plan a visit, you'll see a handful of options already for you. There are combo sessions that include an information session with a counselor, as well as a tour following that information session. You can just get the campus tour and skip the information session. Then we also offer tours of our athletics facilities, our engineering tours, and class visits for students as well.

  [0:01:35] BHA: When a student is carving out time to visit a college, how much time should they be putting on their calendar? Is this an all-day event, or can a student potentially visit multiple schools in one day?

  [0:01:45] CR: It depends on what they want to do. I mean, if they're very passionate about a school, by all means, they can plan multiple things within their visit and kind of make the most of their experience on campus. But with that in mind, our combination sessions — the information session and tour — takes about 90 minutes of their day. Just the campus tour takes about an hour, an hour and 15 minutes. Then those specialized tours — the athletics' tour and the engineering tour — take about 45 minutes of time. Class visits can depend on the class that you're seeing. Some of those classes are two hours and 50 minutes, some of those classes are 50 minutes. It just depends on what your interests are.

  [0:02:21] BHA: That's super helpful. Can I ask another technical question? 

  [0:02:24] CR: Sure.

  [0:02:25] BHA: Are visits available all year round or are there best times of year for visiting college campuses?

  [0:02:30] CR: Our visits are absolutely available year-round. I would say, your best time to visit is up to you. If you're a high school junior who's listening, a lot of times, spring is a great time for you to visit just because you're getting prepared for those college applications in the fall. In the fall, early fall, especially seniors are some of our most frequent visitors, and that is because they're deciding where they're applying, and making one of the biggest decisions they're going to make in their lives. So we see that a lot. 

  In the summertime, I'll be honest, those visits are for me, because it's lonely on campus. It's great to get people from the community, or people from visiting from outside areas, so they can get in and get to see Bucknell without any sort of interruption. I think it's a nice campus to see in that sense, because you can really take in all of the other aspects of it. 

  But I do think it's beneficial too, to see how students interact with each other on campus, and to see when it is filled.

  [0:03:30] BT: It sounds like that you're seeing a lot of juniors in the spring, maybe before their senior year, and then seniors in the fall right before they apply. But sophomores, and even freshmen are also welcome to take advantage of any of these opportunities, yes?

  [0:03:42] CR: Yes, absolutely. A lot of times, we will see them just kind of sprinkled throughout the year. And keep in mind, the seniors coming in the fall who are looking for where they're applying. But we also do see in the early spring semester, a lot of seniors visiting because now, they've applied to colleges, they've gotten their decisions, and they're trying to make the decision of where they're going to go.

  [0:04:03] BHA: It sounds so exciting. So, imagine that some of our listeners may not have visited a college campus yet, they're just starting the process. Where should they begin with requesting a visit? Is there certain information that the admissions office needs from a student and their families in order for someone like you to be able to coordinate their visit experience for them?

  [0:04:20] CR: Thankfully, here at Bucknell, we have a very seamless process when it comes to scheduling the visits. If you go to bucknell.edu/admissions-aid, you will be taken to a page that will give you not only your visit options, but also give you the opportunity to plan a visit. URLs are difficult to type in, I very rarely do it myself. If you just Google, "visit Bucknell University," you'll be taken to that page. From there, you'll have to fill out some information about yourself — your name, where you're from, fields of interest, all those sorts of things. Then you'll be able to check off what you would like as part of your visit to campus. That will automatically register you for that campus visit, you'll get a confirmation email. Then you'll be pretty much ready to visit campus.

  If you do select a class visit, that's where I come in individually to start planning your visit, because I actually go into your profile. I look at your interests, your field of study, any extracurriculars, things like that to schedule you a class visit. I reach out to professors, I reach out to the department and I secure that visit for you that fits within your schedule for the day. And I always check in with the student as well. It's never a situation where it's just like, "Hey, this is your visit," and that's that. I let the student know the day, the time, the subject matter. And if they're interested, and if they're not, I start looking for another class for them. But most of the time, I will say, a point of pride as I nail it first try.

  [0:05:47] BT: I want to hear a little bit more about the class visits, that seems like a really awesome way to get a taste of what college is like. What's the benefit of that option from your perspective? Are there any considerations outside of the ones you've already listed that come along with requesting that specific experience?

  [0:06:01] CR: I truly wish that more students took advantage of the class visit option. We get a fair amount that come through for sure, but I do think it is a very enriching part of visiting our campus, the fact that we offer it. Because you can sit through an information session, you can read on the Bucknell website, about our faculty to student ratio, and about the classes that we offer here, and about the subjects, the course catalog, all those sorts of things. But until you're in a classroom and experiencing what a Bucknell class looks like, it's really something that you can't, in my opinion, you can't fully comprehend. 

  You might have an idea of what a university class looks like, but I think, here, it's very unique because of that close and intimate number of students that are in class. Your professor at Bucknell will know your name, they'll recognize your face, and you're going to be having an opportunity to meet with them individually, very often. I think taking part in that class visit is a way to experience that early on, and to see how much that can change the way you feel about a place, or the subject, or anything like that. But also, to know that they are a resource, your professor is somebody you can reach out to for help and you can go to. 

  One thing that's great is, a lot of the professors that we work with are open to the students participating in the class. They don't want just a silent observer, they want someone who's going to come in, who's going to share their opinion, who's going to really be in the class. Because you're going to be noticed, there's no hiding the fact that you're visiting that class because of the size. So, I encourage, definitely, come to the class, experience it fully, be a part of it, participate, be a Bucknellian for the day.

  [0:07:40] BHA: That sounds like an awesome opportunity for a student either on their first visit to campus or for a repeat visit. Maybe that student already visited as a sophomore or junior, they took a tour of campus and they're ready for the next step. Coming back onto campus for a class visit might really help them decide whether they're going to apply to Bucknell, whether they're going to apply Regular Decision or Early Decision, or once they've been admitted, if Bucknell is going to be the place that they choose to enroll. Chris, I know that those class visits are a lot of fun to coordinate, but I also know that they take some incredible collaboration from you and from our campus partners. So I think our prospective students are really fortunate that they have somebody like you to get to really create that customized visit experience for them.

  Maybe going in the other direction. These class visits are these one-to-one kind of intimate experiences. but I know we also have groups come to visit Bucknell. Maybe they board a bus from their high school like a high school field trip of sorts. What does that look like and how can a student take advantage of an opportunity like that?

  [0:08:37] CR: At the very minimum, a group visit to Bucknell University consists of our information session and a campus tour, the same way it would be if a student attended independently one of those combination visits. I will say, I enjoy and try my best to make a group visit as a la carte and bespoke as possible. Realistically, at its bare bones' minimum, it is you're coming in, you're getting a preview session as part of your group, and then you're going to get a campus tour. But we also will work with campus partners, like Multicultural Student Services, or the Center for Career Advancement, or Access and Success in order to get the students to have a more enriching sort of experience that is geared towards them specifically as an audience. 

  I like when I have the opportunity to do that, but a lot of times, kind of like with a class visit or with campus visits as well. It is possible to schedule more than one in a day if you have other universities in the area, or other places you plan to visit. But really, committing the day here allows us to make the most of your time, if that's an option.

  [0:09:48] BT: A technical question that I have: whether a student is visiting in a large group, or with just themselves in their family. What happens when a student gets hungry? Are there opportunities to eat on campus? Is that baked into the schedule?

  [0:10:01] CR: There are options for sure for them to eat on campus. They're more than welcome to join our students in Bostwick Marketplace, which is our cafeteria. We have The Bison in the ELC as well on the ground floor, which is more of like a made to order food option. Then, there are other restaurants around campus. There's 7th Street Cafe, if they're looking for something to drink. There's a cafe here within the library, and some of the other options are… McDonald Commons has a restaurant there as well. So definitely plenty of options on campus for them to take part in lunch or dinner if they're here that long.

  [0:10:35] BT: That can even be an opportunity to get to see what the actual day-to-day living is on a campus just by trying the food, seeing what it's like in the dining hall, things like that.

  [0:10:44] CR: Yes, absolutely. I mean, I think any teenager would admit that food is a huge deciding factor in whether or not they're going to go to university. So on your visit, getting to actually see if you enjoy their offerings, or the environment, and all that stuff is really, really a solid opportunity.

  [0:11:02] BHA: Sort of related to that, sort of taking in the entire environment, you get in the car, or on a train, or on a plane with your family to go visit a college. Are there things beyond or outside of the college campus itself that students should check out while they're visiting?

  [0:11:16] CR: Bucknell University has this phenomenal symbiotic relationship with the town of Lewisburg itself. So there's a lot to do in downtown that is not just campus affiliated but just part of the town as well. Our bookstore is located in the Barnes & Noble store in Downtown Lewisburg. So if you want to leave here with some Bucknell swag, you're going to have to go to downtown anyway. And your food options expand even further. I mean, if you know a college cafeteria doesn't feel right for you and your family, then you're more than welcome to enjoy dining at one of the incredible restaurants that are in Downtown Lewisburg. Many of which will offer discounts and things like that to campus visitors. When you visit campus, you get a little index card as part of your package that shows businesses that participate in campus visitor discounts. So it's really incentivized. I mean, to make the most of your visit, come to campus and checkout downtown as part of your time here.

  [0:12:09] BT: We covered so many great visit options from campus tour, to class visit, to group visit. Regardless of what a student chooses, are there things they should be on the lookout throughout their experience that may help them decide whether the school that they're at may be a good fit?

  [0:12:23] CR: One thing I think is, do not hesitate or be afraid to ask to see specifics. I think a lot of times when students are visiting campus, no matter what the campus is, they're viewing it as more so them taking part in an existing offering. But, I know at least for here, I'm happy to take special requests. If a student reaches out. and wants to meet with a faculty member that's part of the department they're looking to study in. Or, wants to see…maybe they're an art student, and they want to see what the Art Barn is like, and see some studio space — things like that. We really do try to customize a visit whenever someone asks for it, and we're happy to do that. That's one way to make the most of your visit.

  Another thing for sure is, I think this gets missed a lot. Pay attention to your tour guide, listen to the things they have to say. But as you're walking around campus, look at how the students interact with each other. Look at them interacting, walking to class, hanging out on the quad or in the cafeteria. Pay attention to those things, because I think that will really show you more than anything else. We can walk you around campus, we can show you every building, we can tell you every statistic. But the thing that's really sticking,and the thing that will stay with you is, how happy do students look here, and how do they develop their relationships? All of that is through observation. That's one thing I would give no matter what campus you're visiting. Pay attention to the students that you're walking past, and the things that you're seeing in the spaces that are being occupied.

  [0:13:54] BHA: We've talked a lot about these tours that are offered year-round or visit options that are offered year-round. But I'm sure that sometimes during the year, colleges and universities have specific large-scale events for students to come check out and learn more about a college or university. What's the benefit of attending a large-scale event or an open house? Is that something that Bucknell offers?

  [0:14:14] CR: Yes. In the fall, we have three different large-scale events that happen. And in the spring. we have four. The three large scale events in the fall are all open houses, so they are geared towards any student at any level. They can come to campus, there's an information session that happens in the morning with guest speakers. Usually, the colleges here on campus will offer some information sessions. They can meet with financial aid, or they can come take a campus tour. Then in the spring, we have an open house. 

  Then the other three events, two of them are geared towards admitted students for them to come get a feel of campus and to decide is Bucknell the school for them. Then  the other one is to celebrate the students who have enrolled at Bucknell. They've committed, they've deposited or accepted their invitation to become a Bucknellian, and they come to campus.

  I'll say the biggest benefit of that is you get to meet your future classmates. You can come to campus and visit independently, and that's a rewarding experience. But for me, personally, watching people develop friendships before they've even started their freshman year is one of the most rewarding things to see when they're here on campus. Just developing those relationships early on I think it's a very strong thing that makes Bucknell special. It's part of the charm. 

  [0:15:29] BHA: Thanks. Chris, you started to touch upon this, but as we begin to close the episode, we know that a campus visit is so much more than just the buildings and what's in them. How would you encourage students who are listening to be engaged and involved as they tour their campuses? 

  [0:15:45] CR: One thing is that, our ambassadors are going to give such important information and from a student perspective. They're going to tell you about what it's like on campus, what their experiences are on campus. I think a lot of our ambassadors do a really great job of having an independent story. I think a point of pride is, you can come take a tour of Bucknell more than once, and it will never be the same exact tour. Even if you get the same guide, it's not going to be the same tour. There are some bullet points that will be carried over and will be similar, but other than that, you're getting that person's individual tour. There's a lot of customization there from that. 

  As stated earlier, pay attention to how students are interacting with each other. That will give you the best idea of what it's like to be here on campus. You can walk through a building, you can see the students using the library or in a classroom. But seeing the way that they work together — whether you're seeing students working on a group project or just hanging out on the quad together — that shows you the kind of community that is here on campus and the kind of students that we have.

  [0:16:52] BT: love that we were able to have you here, Chris to talk about not just kind of the technical aspects of taking a tour and doing a campus visit, but the experience of it and all the things that a student can get out of it. So, thank you for joining us.

  [0:17:03] CR: Yes, absolutely. I'm happy to have been here. Thank you for having me. Last piece of advice is, when you're visiting campus, ask questions. Teenagers, for sure. I'm coming from a public-school teacher role. I understand teenagers are too cool to ask questions. Please ask questions, no matter how silly you might feel it is, or how unnecessary, or uncomfortable you might be, we love answering them. It's the best way to find out what it is you need to know about campus.

  [0:17:30] BHA: Awesome. Thanks so much, Chris.

  [0:17:31] CR: Thank you for having me.

  [0:17:33] BHA: Thanks to everyone out there listening. If you're a fan of the podcast, please take a moment to rate, subscribe, and share the episode with the students, and families in your life.

  [0:17:40] BT: We'll be back with another episode in a few weeks. In the meantime, send your questions, comments, and episode ideas to podcast@bucknell.edu. We read every note you send.

  [0:17:50] BHA: Finally, you're invited to follow Bucknell on your favorite social media apps just look for @BucknellU on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. You can also follow our student-run Instagram account which is @iamraybucknell.

  [0:18:04] BT: Yes, you can meet some of our student ambassadors on there. Until next time, keep on reaching for your dreams and your dream school.

  [END]