While Admissions will be running tours during the summer, there will be some restrictions and differences compared to the usual year.

Visit Programs and Services Manager Michelle Fisher said, “Like the tours we did in the spring, we will be observing strict COVID 19 safety protocols. Tour sizes will be kept at a ‘small group’ volume.”

This means that “prospective students are permitted to bring two guests with them, this guest limit did not exist in previous years. Every person visiting is required to complete a health screening questionnaire the day of their visit,” Fischer said.  

Admissions is compensating for the smaller tour numbers by providing digital alternatives to guided tours. Earlier this year the QR Code Tour was launched, which enables visitors to hear information about sites on campus by scanning codes with their phone. Virtual Tours and Information Sessions have been another way that admissions has adapted to reach out to prospective students during the pandemic. 

Fischer said that Admissions has “hired six guides to work May and June and 13 to work July and August. These guides will do in person and virtual tours and student panels during the session they are working.” 

Gracie Perine ’23 said she felt that in her experience working in admissions “there is certainly a difference between virtual and in person, and sometimes I feel as though the energy I give off during tours doesn’t translate well over zoom. I personally am really looking forward to giving more in person tours this Summer and just working with admissions in general.” 

Katherine Lurie ’23 agreed that “getting to physically be on campus is definitely more natural to navigate based on experience.”  She said that one she is looking forward to in-person tours because “there is something so special about getting to connect with prospective students and families in person, but it’s also cool that we can give tours to 18 families at a time online.” 

When asked about the volume of expected visitors, Fischer said that “it is hard to predict but we are feeling confident that we will be busy given the early interest shown by high school juniors. We did have a good volume of juniors visit this spring but expect more to visit, which is typical for the summer.”

She noted that more people were visiting due to the efforts to keep tours safe and the availability of vaccines.