Campus tours help decisions

Campus tours are a tool used by Norwich admissions to attract potential applicants to apply to Norwich.

"Tours are very influential, we try hard to get perspective students here on campus to visit," said Jack Zeilenga, senior associate director of admissions. "We found the rate of students who visit, follow through and attend here tends to be very high."

The Maroon Gold Key Club is a student club that is part of the admissions office and its members give the actual tours. There are no requirements to be a part of the club, other than training to be a tour guide.

According to Maroon and Gold Key statistics, "Of the 688 registered freshmen for the 2011 fall term, 77 percent previously took a tour."

The MGK stays plenty busy during the school year, as it gives more than 2,000 tours each year dating back to 2009.

Zeilenga keeps close tabs on statistics. "Fall is when tours really pick up; however, during February and April break is when we see the majority of our visitors," he said.

To become a tour guide, "Students go through three training sessions, the first two they study and go over basic university material and the third they go and lead a tour with a MGK officer in the group," said Patrick Debroisse, a 22-year-old senior mechanical engineer major from Kentville, Pa.

Guides must know all academic and campus housing buildings, as well as each building's purpose.

"When I took my tour April of 2010, my tour guide seemed to be very knowledgeable and passionate about the school itself," said Joey Ditommaso, a 20-year-old finance major from Youngstown, Ohio. "The tour was somewhat influential in my decisions, but at the time I pretty much already had made up my mind about coming here."

Tours cover the entire campus and often include access to every academic building on campus. Based on most students' answers, Andrews Hall was the favorite building on campus.

"Because of the uniqueness of Norwich, we really try to make them understand what they're getting into," said Zeilenga.