On Nov. 8, nearly 30 students and three teachers from the Washington, D.C. area attended an admissions tour together at the Foggy Bottom Campus of George Washington University (GWU). Organized by college counselors David Mendler and Lisa Bell, this was the first regional meetup of the year.
Since GWUOHS is a fully online school, all regional meetups are opportunities for students to connect with their friends in person. However, at this meetup, students received the additional opportunity of visiting and experiencing the GWU campus. Often providing insight into a school’s culture, campus visits are an integral part of preparing for college. In a survey conducted by Niche, 69 percent of high school students said that a negative experience at a campus visit could turn them away from a college that they were otherwise interested in.
The teacher chaperones found it particularly memorable to be able to see their students in person.
“All the students in the group I was chaperoning were seniors, so I have all of them in Journeys 12,” Bell said. “It is always so nice to be able to associate a face with a name, this goes for all the students there.”
Science teacher Whitney Keaton, who was one of the chaperones, echoed this sentiment. She highlighted the unique role of in-person meetups in forging connections.
“I did get to meet some students who I’d never met before or were new this year, and I love that experience,” she said. “That’s why I sometimes organize trips like this, and whenever other people organize them, I always try to go, because meeting my students in person does give me a different type of connection.”
Junior Avalon B., a student who attended the meetup, had a similar experience meeting her teachers face-to-face.
“We also had the chance to see our teachers, which felt surreal after getting so used to interacting with them online,” she said. “Meeting them in person added a whole new dimension to the experience.”
For several years, the campus tour used to be an annual meetup at GWUOHS until it was discontinued due to the pandemic. However, following multiple requests from students and parents, the counseling team brought the meetup back this year. Keaton noted that the reinstitution was well-received.
“The turnout was amazing,” she said. “It was the best turnout we’ve ever had at an in-person meetup before.”
Bell emphasized the long-term value of these campus visits. She explained that they can provide a better understanding of the college’s social and academic atmosphere, something that can be hard to assess merely through online research.
“If a student can visit a campus they are interested in, it can make such a difference in their decision,” she said. “Seeing a campus live gives a sense of the vibe of the community, and the perspective can be very different than what you may see in photos.”
Avalon appreciated the information she learned during the tour. She found the event to be an opportunity to get to know not only her teachers and classmates but also new college.
“Touring campuses gives you a sense of whether you’d enjoy attending and if the layout suits you,” she said. “You also gain valuable insights into the application process, as tour guides often provide detailed information.
Following the tour, the meetup ended with lunch at District House, an on-campus dining center.
