VALDOSTA – For many families, piling into a car and hitting the road to visit prospective colleges is almost a tradition.

So, what can be done when the campuses aren’t open?

The University System of Georgia has closed all of its campuses until fall semester at least.

For Ryan Hogan, director of Valdosta State University’s Office of Admission, closure has meant a lot of uncertainty in meeting and attracting prospective Blazers.

Postponing the school’s open house was difficult but set the wheels in motion for creative solutions.

“We had an open house scheduled for April 4 and typically we have about 1,400 show up for that,” Hogan said. “We made the decision to postpone but we thought ‘Well, we can’t stop showing the campus.’”

While many universities opt for a standard virtual tour video, VSU wanted to take it a step further.

A personalized experience was the top priority for them; a way to not just showcase the campus, but to show the “vibe” of VSU.

“Our prospective students are not as interested in residence halls; they’re more interested in catching the vibe of the campus,” Hogan said. “That’s where we started with our virtual vibe of VSU.”

VSU takes no more than 12 students on a “tour” using WebEx Monday through Friday. A professional admissions counselor leads a presentation and student assistants are present so prospective students can talk to current students and “truly catch the vibe.”

Virtual tour-goers can either be on video or opt to communicate via chat options. Having a smaller group for each “tour” allows guests to introduce themselves, go a bit more in detail about what they are hoping to get from the university and ask questions.

The staff slowly rolled out the new format and, after only three weeks, the university is receiving hundreds of tour requests.

After visiting, each guest is sent a handwritten note and T-shirt, further adding to the personal feel.

“One thing we are proud of is talking to new students as individuals, hence the handwritten note,” Hogan said. “The feedback we’ve gotten has been helpful. Guests like that there was time to let them talk and ask questions. Sometimes schools only have one-way communication. What we’ve tried to do is talk about who we are but try to talk to that student.”

Individualized experiences can also involve individual calls with the student’s department of choice.

Families are invited to sit in on these virtual visits, just as they would accompany their child if they were visiting in person. Hogan said families are “just as big a part of success.”

Orientation will also be held virtually, which Hogan said could be a benefit to students and staff.

“Orientation is usually just one day where you talk to everyone,” Hogan said. “Given this environment, we are able to look at students in phases. We are not limited to one day with the student. We can look at it as a summer-long thing so they can start classes in the fall.”

Tours will continue online for the foreseeable future and prospective students can find out more about signing up on VSU’s website, valdosta.edu. 

Desiree Carver is a reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229) 244-3400 ext. 1215.