Article #2
Admissions: The Heart of Morningside College
The first impression of prospective students at Morningside College is based upon how their visit day goes. This responsibility is placed on those working in the Morningside admissions office.
There are about eight admissions counselors and around 35 students working, including student ambassadors and student assistants.
When you first walk into the office the front desk worker greets you with a big smile. Alex Howrey, a sophomore Nursing student said, “The attitude in admissions is always positive. It has to be, so that the positivity is relayed off to prospective students.” Garret Ehlers, a junior Religious Studies student also commented about the friendliness of the counselors. “I enjoy the full time staff that’s there and their attitudes and the fun jokes that go on to help pass time. You can tell that they care about you and your day.
As you venture into the back of the office, the students are hard at work writing postcards, handling mail flow, and preparing for their tours with prospective students. Morningside tries hard to make sure they keep the mail flow personal to each prospective student. Howrey said, that we spend a lot of time writing postcards. Each student receives a hand written one.
The responsibility of those working in admissions is ultimately, to get people to attend Morningside College. Just like how salesmen sell their product, counselors and ambassadors sell Morningside to future students.
Having student workers in admissions is a positive asset, because those visiting will get to see campus from a current student’s point of view. There are many different students that work in the office from all over campus. For examples there are nursing, mass communications, business, art, choir, and students in different athletics.
What makes a good student ambassador? Ehlers said, “It is the willingness to help out any way they can, while having a positive and loving attitude.”
When ambassadors take students out on tour, they have one hour to show the student campus and tell the student about their own Morningside College experience. Howrey said, “My campus tour is when I decided if I was coming to Morningside or not. The Ambassador has to keep the tour positive, promote the school, and share their own experiences. Also, every tour needs to be individualized. Each student is different with different interests, so make sure to talk about what the student is potentially interested in.”
With the efforts of bringing students to Morningside, the office of admissions has to keep a positive attitude daily. Their attitude is a reflection of the college as a whole. One bad experience could turn a potential student away.
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