Two years ago, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions had about 150 student volunteers who helped spread the word about Marquette to prospective students. Today, that number has grown, with more than 560 students interested in volunteering as Shadow Hosts and Student Ambassadors.
Christina Wright, an admissions counselor and Student Alumni Ambassador Program coordinator, said the increased number of volunteers is due to the reorganization of the program. Admissions counselors began to restructure and publicize the programs last year.
The office is recruiting Student Ambassadors, who visit their high school alma maters to promote the university’s attributes and discuss their transition to college life. Last year, about 120 Student Ambassadors visited their high schools, which were spread throughout 30 states, Wright said.
“It’s fantastic. It also celebrates the diversity at Marquette when you have all these different Marquette students going out there,” Wright said. “It’s fun getting to know all the students and seeing them enjoy themselves so much that they want to go back to their high schools and tell about it.”
While Student Ambassadors travel to their former high schools to spark interest in Marquette, Shadow Hosts let students come to them. High school students attend classes, dine in the residence halls and some even stay in the dorms for a night. It’s a chance for prospective students to gain perspective on what the average day at Marquette is like.
Admissions counselors try to match prospective students with Shadow Hosts based on academic interests.
“There is more of a personal touch,” Wright said. “It shows that the future students are not just a number.”
William Theobold, a sophomore in the College of Education, volunteered as both a Shadow Host and a Student Ambassador last year.
“I wanted to share my Marquette experiences because I love Marquette and just think that there are so many great opportunities if you attend this school,” Theobold said. “My favorite part was that I was able to make an impact on these guys’ decisions to attend Marquette or not. It was also nice to show them around and make them feel comfortable with going to college.”
Rachel Morrison, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, plans to become a Student Ambassador and Shadow Host — a decision she said is influenced by the positive experience she had when shadowing at Marquette last year.
“Coming to visit (to) shadow a student just made me even more excited to come here,” Morrison said. “It confirmed my original gut feeling that Marquette was the school for me.”
Students interested in volunteering for the Office of Admissions must attend training meetings, the last of which are in Cramer Hall Thursday at 6 p.m. for Student Ambassadors and 7 p.m. for Shadow Hosts.
