Last semester was a wild ride from start to finish, and I wasn’t able to blog as much as I wanted to. Now that I’m back at Tufts with a new batch of classes, I figured it would be a good time to write the second part of my “Category Is…Me” blog. This post is dedicated to Tufts Admissions.
In high school, I worked with my school’s admissions office to run visiting student days and campus tours for students moving from middle school to high school. I didn’t really think much about working for an admissions office in college. I wasn’t sure what there was to do beyond being one of the robotic tour guides I had seen on college visits. Then I got to Tufts and everything changed. My first interaction with admissions wasn’t through Jumbo Days or an open house; it was through tour guiding. My Tufts tour was one of my favorite tours, and it was a big part of my applying early decision to Tufts. My tour guide was incredible, and she was very open in sharing her Tufts stories. This was really refreshing since it wasn’t something I encountered at other schools.
Fast forward to my first semester at tufts. I had tried out a few clubs, but nothing was sticking. I wasn’t a fan of weekly meetings where I just sat and listened to other people talk. Then, I got an email about being a so-called “Greeter” for admissions. So once a week, I would stand in the lobby of our admissions building and greet families who were waiting to go on their tours. It was a fun way to share a few of my stories about Tufts with prospective students and to meet other people from Tufts. Toward the end of my first semester, I decided to apply to be a tour guide. I gave a mock tour for two admissions officers and, coincidentally, the person who gave my tour when I visited Tufts. Despite my nerves, it went well, and I became a tour guide the next spring.
I learned how to give tours during one of the snowiest winters in Boston. Every surface was covered with ice and snow for the majority of February and March. On top of that, it was bitter cold. Needless to say, giving a tour on a 60 degree day in October is a cake-walk. Even when it’s raining for 15 degrees out, I love being able to share my stories with prospective families. You can get facts and figures from the internet, but I don’t think you can really get to know the character of a school through Google searches. The best way is by talking to people who go there. This includes, but isn’t limited to, taking a tour or coming to an open house. A lot of colleges, Tufts included, have lists of students who are interested in talking to prospective students. At Tufts, you can email an admissions officer (I promise they’re not as scary as they might seem), and they can put you in contact with a student who has similar interests. If you have really specific questions or just want to chat with a current student, I would definitely recommend reaching out.
Even after being a tour guide for two years, it’s still fun and exciting. I’ve met a lot of cool people, and I’ve helped people get to know Tufts a little better. I’ve even met a few people who have gone on my tours and are at Tufts now. It’s great to know that I helped some people choose to come to Tufts.