I wasn’t destined to be a tour guide. For both my independent high school and undergrad college communities, I lacked the prerequisite skill of walking backward while talking. I always envied those who could, as meeting new people and talking about my school were both activities I enjoyed. Perhaps that is why I started my career in the classroom – teachers walk around the classroom, but hardly ever backward, and sometimes we get to stand still!
Of course, the world of admissions has taken on an entirely new landscape – one in which the skill of building connections and introducing possibilities has become the new preferred method of traversing campus. We walk alongside our prospective families hearing their hopes and dreams for their student while sharing experiences, insights and vision of our learning communities. I expect that this was your own experience when you first visited CA, where a parent or student ambassador lead your tour of campus.
Along with tours, the decision-making process for families has evolved quite a bit as well. My high school was selected by my parents, as I was a third-generation legacy student. More and more, parents and students are truly comparative consumers – seeking the school that will match their unique combination of academic and extracurricular interests, wellbeing priorities, and future aspirations.
This shift in school selection philosophy has been the subject of research at the college and university level as well. It’s even been named: Prospective Student Decision Theory. In short, students determine the school they want to attend through four critical experiences: the interaction with the first person they meet on campus, their assessment of the variety of academic and extracurricular activities available; their ability to “see themselves” in the community; and how regularly they think about the school after visiting.
In other words, we’re definitely not walking backward anymore!
Seeking to offer prospective students and their families with an experience on our campus that offers this type of engagement, we’re launching our first immersive open house: Experience CA Day.
On Saturday, November 2, from nine to eleven in the morning, our campus will be open for visitors to classrooms, see student projects, and engage with teachers. There will be ongoing performances in Berger Hall, affinity group discussions in the dining hall, and practices in the maker spaces. Think robots shooting hoops, slideshows highlighting trips, and all the organic, deeply meaningful conversations that happen along the way.
There will also be food trucks and swag scavenger hunts – after all, this is a CA event!
It’s certain to be a phenomenal celebration, where guests can choose the areas they would like to focus on while CA students, staff and PTAA share all that learning community has to offer.
Our thanks goes out in advance to all community members who will be sharing their time and talents in support of this event. These are the forward-moving ambassadors who are taking CA into the future.
Where we need the most help is sharing the invitation! Please encourage family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, or any others you know who may be interested in CA to attend, and please like the FB event!
Information and registration is available on our Admissions Events page.
