UNC's Admissions Ambassadors program sees applications increase

The competition to be one of the friendly faces giving prospective students and their parents tours of UNC is on the rise.

The Admissions Ambassadors program received 388 applications this year, about a 62 percent increase from the 240 it saw last year.

“This is a great way to give back to the University because it has given us so much,” said senior Patrick Spaugh, co-chairman of the program’s external relations committee, who attributed the increased interest to the group’s publicity efforts.

After a three-stage selection process including the application, an interview and a day with group activities and a mock tour, about 50 of the 388 applicants will be selected, resulting in a total of about 150 ambassadors.

The increase in applications occurred with a hike in incomplete ones. About 40 students struggled with glitches in the online application system, which the program unveiled for the first time this year. The system, which was introduced to make the application process paperless, also resulted in several cases of students submitting multiple applications.

Despite the difficulties this year, Emma Din, co-chairwoman of the program’s external relations committee, said she still believes that online applications are the best option, but that the program might need to invest in a remodeled website to prevent future issues.

In order to combat the effects of these glitches, several e-mail reminders were sent out the week leading up to the deadline to all students with incomplete applications.

“The incomplete applications were not a result of any students thinking they’d submitted a complete application but hadn’t,” Din said. “We did a thorough job of taking care of the online glitches.”

Beyond tour-giving, Admissions Ambassadors volunteer time to recruitment events, student and parent panels and phone-a-thons to encourage high school students to visit and attend UNC.

Once selected, students are retained for their remaining years at UNC, Din said.

Spaugh said an applicant’s biggest asset is a personal story.

“We give experience-based tours and we want people to be honest about what UNC has given them,” he said. “We want engaging students that can effectively communicate what UNC is to them personally and to others.”

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions Erin Breese said face-to-face interactions with current students are effective in recruiting.

“The most influential part of recruitment for students is their possible peers on the campus,” Breese said. “If we are able to have prospective students meet and spend time with current students it will greatly impact the quality of students that choose to enroll at UNC.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.