Sacred Heart University (SHU) offers many events to introduce prospective students to the SHU community, including tours, open houses, and information sessions. With the arrival of fall, the Undergraduate Admissions Office and its student ambassadors prepare for their busiest season.
“We have about 10,000 prospective students on campus between the spring and fall semesters, and a large portion of that is in the fall, due to open houses,” said Mia Coluccio, Senior Associate Director of Campus Experience.
With such high attendance, the Undergraduate Admissions staff prepare student ambassadors months in advance. The recruitment process for student ambassadors starts in February, followed by a five-day onboarding over the summer.
“We do tour practices, run through scripts, and get to know the other ambassadors,” said Sophia Leak, Senior Admissons Assistant.
About 50 new ambassadors are selected each year to be a welcoming guide to incoming students. Once chosen, ambassadors take on many important roles.
According to Senior Student Ambassador Victoria Grillo, ambassadors are assigned roles the night before open houses during a preperation dinner. Roles can range from specific resident hall tours to checking people in or providing information and guiding families to locations.
Jackson Tse, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, said his positive experience as a prospective student years ago has made him want to replicate that feeling for today’s students.
Coluccio explains the sense of pride she experiences when she sees previous students that she guided on a tour commit to Sacred Heart or return for an open house.
“It is such a rewarding position, and so much more than just a work study,” said Coluccio.
“I love open houses. It’s so great to see returners,” said Leak, when asked about her favorite part of the job.
Right now, amid the tour season, Coluccio and Tse oversee the recruitment calendar and work closely with various departments to ensure tour season runs smoothly.
To name just a few of their undertakings, office staff confirm availability of spaces like lecture halls and event venues, arrange registration systems and signage, and monitor inquiries.
Meanwhile, student ambassadors review and practice scripts, making sure they know all the proper information for inquiring families.
“We speak to every facility around the SHU campus to get up-to-date information,” said Leak.
Not only are the ambassadors preparing physically, but they are also preparing mentally by working on public speaking, time management, hospitality, and fact retention.
Even after the tours and open houses are concluded, the job still isn’t done. Feedback is gathered from students and families to make future events even better, and attendance is tracked to adjust schedules and meet demand.
Although there are many tasks and responsibilities to take on, student ambassadors and office staff report positive feedback. “
I don’t really see it as work. It’s just so rewarding, seeing how my tour could affect their college decision and possibly lead them to SHU,” said Grillo.
“You get to see students excited about their future,” said Leak.
“The ambassadors all become very bonded to one another,” said Coluccio.
Anyone interested in becoming a student ambassador can look out for applications coming out in the spring semester and check out the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on the Sacred Heart website.
