Tragedy affects prospective students
Rosanna Brown, CT News Reporter
April 25 2007
Virginia Tech Ambassadors are responsible for hosting tours for prospective students on campus. President Adam Schmid, a senior civil engineering major and tour guide, said that tours resumed their normal schedules this past Monday. Those who were present on the tours were asked to hold all questions regarding April 16 until the end of the tour.
Two tour guides, rather than one, led the prospective students for the moral support of one another. The tours had to be slightly altered so as to avoid Norris Hall. Overall, the prospective students touring shared a positive attitude towards Virginia Tech and appreciated the community that came together so closely in lieu of the tragedy.
"People were most impressed with the way the Virginia Tech community responded · in the wake of the tragedy," Schmid said.
Schmid asserted that for some prospective students, the ambassadors are "their first taste of Virginia Tech and oftentimes their lasting impression." At times such as these, tour guides are committed to ensuring that that first impression is positive.
Several e-mails were sent to the Virginia Tech Ambassadors because of the Hokie Focus event, which was held the weekend previous to April 16.
Michael Simemauer, from Rockville, Md., and a student at Walter Johnson High School, plans to attend Virginia Tech after attending the Hokie Focus weekend. He said the tragedy really didn't affect his decision at all. Simemauer is a prospective business marketing major and feels that, if anything, this event will make the campus more spirited as the community comes together when he arrives in the fall.
Alvin Bryant, assistant director for the office of undergraduate admissions, helps orchestrate the Yates Project, which selects student from Tech to create presentations and network with prospective students from their hometowns and other communities. Bryant says there have been member of the Yates Project working this month to recruit members from their communities to Virginia Tech.
He says that the Yates Project is important because it enables prospective students to relate to current students.
"It helps to have other students see other students like themselves," Bryant said.
Bryant feels that most of the response from prospective students has been positive and knows that Tech will have a full campus next year.
Bryant also knows from seeing the reaction of students this past week that Virginia Tech students will continue to stand out from the crowd.
"Virginia Tech students are extraordinary and this just proves my point that they are extraordinary," Bryant said.
Norrine Bailey Spencer, associate provost and director for the office of undergraduate admissions at Virginia Tech, says the goal numbers for admitted undergraduate students will remain the same. They plan on receiving 5,000 new freshmen in the fall and 870 new transfer students. In recent plans, the number of admitted transfer students has actually increased in response to an agreement with members of community colleges.
Despite the tragedy, the office of undergraduate admissions has received dozens of e-mails saying "I want to be a part of Virginia Tech," Spencer said. The e-mails sent to the office are "very thoughtful. Reaffirmations of them (prospective students) wanting to be here," she said.
Last Monday, admissions was intending to send out an update for prospective students but re-formatted the e-mail to show how proud they were of current students handling the tragedy the way they did.
Spencer attended the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Administration Counseling this past Sunday and Monday. This event is where guidance counselors from surrounding areas come together to discuss college-bound seniors and potential universities. At the PCACAC, it was noted that several students from Virginia Tech returned to their former high schools to encourage those attending Tech after the tragedy.
Despite the loss from the shootings, the admissions office believes that much will be gained in the growth of our community through prospective students so eager to become a part of Virginia Tech.