Outside of Murray-Herrick Campus Center. The admissions office, located on the second floor of Murray-Herrick, recently started giving virtual admissions tours to prospective students. (Maxwell Collier/TommieMedia)
After campus closed due to COVID-19, the St. Thomas admissions office have found innovative ways to recruit students and provide them with the St. Thomas admissions experience.
The university has come up with a way to help incoming first-years talk with admissions counselors so they don’t lose connection. On the admissions website, students can set up an appointment to talk with an academic counselor or take a virtual tour.
High school students throughout the country have been feeling the pressure of committing to a college during these hectic times. Rachel Hartman, a senior at Wausau West High School in Wausau, Wisconsin is one of those students.
“During a time when there’s so much being taken away from the senior class, it’s kind of hard to miss out on those closing things of high school,” Hartman said. “It’s nice to be able to still have somewhat of a connection with St. Thomas, where we can begin to look forward to what college will bring.”
Hartman met with Thomas Brice, a St. Thomas admissions counselor, and he helped guide Rachel and her family through the admissions process.
“I was a little bit apprehensive at first about how some of those meetings would go, but I think the students nowadays are so well adjusted to technology. So, after the first couple meetings, I think there’s a little more of a comfort level there,” Brice said.
While online calls may not be the same as sitting down with a student in person, Brice believes that the calls will still allow students to ask questions and encourage high school seniors to learn more about St. Thomas.
“It’s hard to replace the experience of when you’re on campus, but we do our best,” Brice said. “I still think it’s a really good way to connect with them and we can still somewhat get that emotional touch that you get when you meet with them face-to-face.”
The virtual tours, which are given by seniors Cameron Shuck and Kristina Pappas, give viewers an 11 minute tour of the St. Thomas campus. Director of Admissions Kristen Hatfield says that the virtual tours have been successful in showcasing the university.
“The numbers have been very strong in terms of people taking advantage and finding it on our website,” Hatfield said.
Hatfield also encourages admitted students to tune into the webinars that will be held the week of Monday, April 27. Families wanting to learn more or join a webinar can sign up on the St. Thomas admissions website.
Leila Weah can be reached at weah7721@stthomas.edu.