[civsa] Overnight Visitors -- communications prior to event

[Ray, Merideth E]

Hi Mary Alice, 
  
At Georgia Tech, we offer about 6 of these programs per year. We typically have around 100 students attend each program.  Our schedule is a Sunday- Monday one with students being hosted overnight on Sunday. We plan tours and social activities on Sunday for students and the overnight hosts. On Monday students attend classes, meet with faculty and hear from our campus departments. We only allow overnights during these specific programs. 
  
Our hosts typically are matched (by two of our student leader volunteers) with their high school student based on major and interests. They host gets the information typically one week prior to our program and must reach out to their student via phone and email by the Wednesday prior to the program. They must cc an Exec board member on the email to their hostee. Our Exec. student follow up with anyone who has not emailed by Thursday. W e do explain to our high school students via email that there could be a slight chance that they will be rematched when they arrive on Sunday. 
  
On Sunday's prior to our session, we have what we call our Host Meeting where we re-confirm who is hosting and reassign any students who walk-in or who's guest canceled. This meeting is sometimes hectic but typically allows us to make sure we have everyone covered. In a pinch in spring we will allow a current undergrad to host more than one high school student. This often received praise from the host and the hostee. 
  
Hope this helps, 
  
Merideth 
  


  
----- Original Message -----


From: "Mary Alice Berg" <mberg1 at luc.edu> 
To: listserv at civsa.org 
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 3:10:11 PM 
Subject: [civsa] Overnight Visitors -- communications prior to event 



Happy Friday everyone, 
  
I'm hoping that anyone who coordinates an overnight program can reply back to me to let me know how your communication process works between your hosts and prospective student guests.  Do you have your hosts email/call the students before the visit or are they meeting for the first time at check in?  
  
At Loyola we offer group overnights with between 50-100 prospective students visiting for each event.  An admission rep is on campus to check everyone in at a set location.  Currently we ask our hosts to email or call their guest a few days before the visit to introduce themselves and touch base.  This year we have had trouble with our hosts successfully connecting with their overnight even after they have called their cell phone, left messages and emailed.  It makes the days leading up to an overnight quite chaotic.  Not to mention when closer to the event a host becomes sick or cancels then we are scrambling to find a new host and have to call the family to explain what happened since they already heard from one hosts but now are being switched out with another.  I'm feeling like it might be easier to have the guests and hosts meet for the first time at check in instead of ahead of time over phone/email.  I know overnights can be a cumbersome and sort of imperfect process but after today's event I have this feeling like, "There must be someone out there who does this more effectively!" 
  
If you have time to let me know about your process for communication with your overnight guests (specifically communication between guests and hosts) I will be so grateful! 
  
Thanks in advance!  Have a wonderful weekend! 

Mary Alice 
  
Mary Alice Berg 
Assistant Director 
Undergraduate Admission 
Loyola University Chicago 
Sullivan Center 150 
1032 W Sheridan Road 
Chicago, IL 60657 
773.508.7441 
mberg1 at luc.edu 
  
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-- 

Merideth Ray, Ed.S. 

Senior Assistant Director of Admission 
Georgia Institute of Technology 
219 Uncle Heinie Way 
Atlanta, GA 30332-0320 
404-894-1939 
merideth.ray at admission.gatech.edu 

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