Campus tour guide Owen Short speaks to a group during a tour at Sonoma State university.
Credit: Emily Uhrich / EdSource
“First impressions are everything,” according to Sonoma State University tour guide Jennifer Garcia. “For a while, I didn’t really think about how important my first impression impacts tour guests.”
As a first line of engagement for colleges, a campus tour can be a game-changer for a student who is deciding between schools. Everything a tour guide says can impact the school, and ultimately it makes a difference for a university trying to maintain or increase its enrollment. An enthusiastic tour guide can sway students and families to that institution, while a good tour can confirm an already positive impression.
Garcia said she realized her first impression really mattered “when a family recognized me at Seawolf Decision Day a year after they toured the school with me. The family was super friendly, and I [imagine] my good first impression made them feel comfortable even a year later.”
Added Sonoma State tour guide Olivia Kalogiannis, “I think the most important part when meeting prospective students for the first time is making a true connection. As a campus tour guide, I want to make the campus feel as personable as I can.”
Most college campus tour guides are current students themselves; their main goal while on tour is to convince prospective students to come to the school by presenting some of the same reasons that lured them.
To become a student campus tour guide at Sonoma State, applicants need to show they have a passion for the institution and a willingness to learn. The tour script, the route and the mannerisms are all predetermined and can be taught, as long as enthusiasm and effort are evident.
Besides giving one-hour tours, shifts for guides might include answering phones in the welcome center, greeting incoming visitors and making gift bags for tour guests. In the spring, when tour season is busiest, guides sometimes lead two or three tours during a shift.
Tours happen rain or shine, and guides have to be able to pivot at any point during their tour, such as when there’s an obstacle blocking the traditional tour path, or noise necessitates a new route.
“Nothing really changes for me when it comes to an obstruction with a tour. I just try to make the tour seem as normal as possible. For example, if I have to change the route because it’s too loud, I’ll just direct my group into a space that is quieter, but I make it seem like it’s just part of the tour,” said tour guide Daniel Beglin.
The guides see a variety of visitors. There are people who come in by themselves, some bring a parent, guardian or friend, and others bring their whole families. Connecting with everyone matters.
Kalogiannis understands that the decision on where to attend could be influenced by others on the tour. “I believe interacting with the whole family is just as important as interacting with the student. My favorite part about doing this is getting people excited about college, whether that is a younger sibling, cousin or even the grandparents.”
The most common tour-takers are those who are excited, have many questions and can’t wait to be a part of the campus community. These types of tour-takers are some of the easiest to spot for guides because they come very eager and excited to be on tour. But plenty of tour-goers are more reserved people who may have a lot of questions but don’t ask them, at least not in front of the whole group.
And occasionally, guests come in with negative attitudes about the school or are loaded with difficult questions. Guides still try to convince those tourists that Sonoma State is worth considering — answering tough questions truthfully — while trying to showcase the school in a positive light.
“When it comes to people with negative attitudes, it automatically makes it more difficult for me. No matter how hard I try, they still can just deny or put down everything I say. Nevertheless, I try not to let it affect me. My goal is to make the tour as enjoyable as I can for everyone,” Beglin said.
For people with difficult questions, Beglin said, “I try to answer them to the best of my ability, but I don’t want to give anyone the wrong information. So if I can’t answer it, I direct them to where they can get the correct information.”
Kalogiannis assesses the personality types on her tours quickly. “I try to talk to everyone; after that first interaction, I get an idea of what their vibes are for the tour.”
When tour guests aren’t as interactive as she would like, she pulls back a bit. “If people still aren’t engaging with me, I will kind of just let them be, [hoping] that the small interaction with me will lead to them being more receptive and asking questions later on the tour.”
Sonoma State tour guide Emily Uhrich sees her role as that of a mentor. “My favorite part about being a campus tour guide is meeting and helping (the visitors). I like being a mentor, especially for those who are first-generation, like I am. I want to help them navigate college because I know it can be very confusing if you are the first in your family to go to college.”
Former tour guide Sean Kenneally has parlayed his role, post-graduation, into a job as an outreach and recruitment counselor for Sonoma State.
“Growing up in Southern California, people tend to lean toward ‘big brand name’ schools like Harvard, USC and NYU,” Kenneally said. “I took this job because I truly enjoy talking to prospective students and showcasing the opportunities a state education can provide. I think it’s important to show that the CSU system is a viable and accessible option for higher education.”
Javier Hernandez graduated in May with a degree in communications and media studies from Sonoma State University. He is a member of EdSource’s California Student Journalism Corps and has worked as a campus tour guide since the fall 2021.