SUBMITTED BY: Tyler Payne
The largest hurdle we face as UCLA Campus Tour guides is convincing prospective students and their families that UCLA can provide a personal, unique experience despite its size.
Many students and parents have preconceived notions about life on this campus.
They have heard it is a university built with red tape, that it is difficult to make friends and that students rip pages out of textbooks to gain a competitive edge.
Part of our job as ambassadors for this campus is to dispel these notions in a manner that is both memorable and truthful.
We do that by telling our stories. When students and parents have the opportunity to hear firsthand about the quality of teaching, the breadth of extracurricular activities, and the range of social outlets from a current student, their fears are laid to rest.
It is one thing to say that it is easy to make friends here, but what leaves an impression is seeing your guide get stopped by friends saying hello.
Similarly, we can discuss the merits of the counseling at UCLA all we want, but what convinces students they won’t get lost in the cracks is hearing a personal story about a counselor who helped their guide navigate a difficult situation.
When our visitors return home, most of the facts they learned on tour will be forgotten. The part of the tour that is lasting, the part that aids students in their decision, is whether or not they left with a positive impression. They remember their guide, whether she was enthusiastic, whether he was informed, and whether she was the type of person they want to spend four years with.
Many of you took a campus tour before you decided to attend UCLA. We are searching for feedback about what parts of the tour left an impression on you.
We want to know what you liked, as well as what you could have done without.
Please help us improve by sending us memories from your tour.
Thank you for your time, and go Bruins!
Payne is a fifth-year neuroscience student and coordinator for UCLA Campus Tours.