During my own college search a few years ago, I was very excited about going on campus visits and being able to speak with faculty in my field of interest. There was one institution in particular, I was very interested in attending and excited to visit. I had only heard good things about the institution and because of this, I assumed my visit there would be nothing but great, but I was SO wrong.

Once I arrived on campus, my high expectations quickly began to dwindle. Sure the faculty and students were nice to me for the most part, but I never really got the feeling that they really wanted me, or anyone in my tour group for that matter, to actually attend the institution. They talked about how great their programs were and the good reputation that the institution has, but never what I would personally be gaining by attending this particular institution.

Toward the end of the day, my parents and I had scheduled a one-on-one visit with one of the faculty members in my field of interest. As a senior in high school, I was very excited about what I was going to be studying and what my future was going to look like. In talking with this faculty member, I not only questioned what I wanted to study, but she actually tried to talk me out of studying in my field of interest. Maybe this woman was having the worst day of her life, but regardless, her attitude during my conversation with her was enough to make me question this institution and the kind of people they hire.

I left campus that day with the feeling that the institution thought they were better than everyone who wanted to attend and that their faculty doesn’t actually support their students and do what they can to help them reach their dreams. This institution may actually support their students and want to help them succeed, but those few people I encountered on campus that day made me never want to try to prove my theory wrong by attending the institution. To this day, I still get a sour taste in my mouth thinking about that day I spent on campus and I definitely think less of the institution than I did before my visit.

Recruitment lessons to be learned:

• Every single faculty member that interacts with prospective students is a recruiter, whether they like it or not
• One person can make or break a prospective student’s experience at your institution
• Let students know that your institution has resources available to help students reach their dreams
• Always be positive, no matter what
• Always encourage, never discourage

I hope you can take away some lessons from my experience to ensure that each one of your prospective students has a positive experience when visiting your campus.