The Value of Campus Tours and Correlation to Student Retention
I work at a culinary college and a campus tour is certainly a wake up call to those prospective students who are enthralled by the Food Network! You will not be leisurely working in a designer kitchen wearing whatever you have in your closet or desire to wear that particular day! This is a demanding profession and unfortunately many students are not physically or mentally fit to handle the rigors of this career. I know that I couldn't do it! A campus tour brings students back to the reality of this career - they see current students working at stoves/ovens in hot kitchens trying to meet deadlines to have their dishes completed on time. Welcome to the real world!
Sharon,
The tour also excites the student that has prior knowledge or experience.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I think that the campus tour is a great tool to both suss out prior knowledge and experience and give realistic expectations of what the student has to look forward too. The admissions process should be designed as such that when the student leaves they have all the tools and knowledge they need to know they made the right decision.
Cambria,
Yes, it should be an informed decision by the student.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
It is definitely important to have a campus tour. It is important for prospective students to see current students in many stages of learning working toward their goals.
Lisa,
Yes, seeing what it would be like is very helpful in setting expectations.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I agree the tour of the school is so important. When student see the way our labs are set up as real clinical settings with students performing there skills they get excited to start the program.
I think the campus tour, and perhaps brief conversations with program instructors, current students, and the like, is a real wake-up call. Now-a-days, admissions reps are required to tour holding iPads or recording devices to ensure "quality assurance." When there is uncertainty or a chance of subjectivity, then the process seems to become more standardized. Correlation can be a tricky conviction sometimes.
Robert,
I've heard about the iPad led tours. I like that very much. In a previous position we had a campus with a very structured tour including technology to support it. That helped with the quality assurance. I can see where an iPad led tour could be very dynamic.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I see how in your particular profession a campus tour would be beneficial to many students. However, that can not be the only tool used to disclose proper information to prospective students. Not all students would actually get to see what they will be doing just by touring the campus. For instance, I teach Certified Nursing Assistants. No classroom will ever be able to simulate what the student will actually be getting into. I still believe it is great to give a campus tour but it is not going to paint a complete picture for many students.
Heather,
How would you attempt to give as complete a picture as possible for your program?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I agree with both of your comments -- I think campus tours are a great way to understand the reality of college and allows the students to create an emotional connection with the college they are planning to attend.
When students can imagine themselves sitting in lecture halls or spending time in the common areas with their friends, they are more likely to establish positive feelings towards that college, which in turn provides the school with leverage for increasing their enrollment.
Campus tours are definitely beneficial for both the student and the colleges. : )
