As the May 1 commitment deadline for UNC enrollment approaches, the University is offering two main campus tour experiences to showcase its history and student life to prospective students.
One of these options offered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is a two-hour program that includes a student-led campus tour. Elizabeth Cake, a senior at UNC and Carolina Admissions Ambassador, said she has been leading tours since the summer after her sophomore year.
Cake said that her favorite part of being a tour guide is having the opportunity to give students a sense of clarity about their decision, whether they have just applied or have already been accepted to UNC.
“I think just helping make them feel at home is really rewarding, and I’ve gotten to meet a lot of great people,” she said.
Cake said that tours vary in route, but are typically focused on giving visitors a glimpse of some of the most active areas on campus. Along with Polk Place, she said the experience also includes McCorkle Place,home to the Old Welland the three-centuries-old Davie Poplar.
But beyond the important sites, Cake also points out campus celebrities like the “whistling man” and shares her own stories during tours. She said one of her favorite anecdotes to tell is about rushing Franklin Street during her first year at UNC, where she met an alumnus who had graduated around 30 years earlier.
UNC Media Relations wrote in an email statement to The Daily Tar Heel that there are about 90 active Carolina Admissions Ambassadors during the academic year and about 35 during the summer. Ambassadors typically give between 25 to 50 tours annually, but those that work throughout the entire academic year and summer may give more.
“The UNC admissions office hosted nearly 500 information sessions or events in 2024, with more than 50,000 attendees, including students and their guests,” Media Relations wrote.
Along with giving tours about once a week, Cake said she also works at the admissions office’s front desk.
