You wonder just how many bricks there are on campus. You wonder why the Breezeway has a ramp that only goes halfway up. You wonder why so many students here look so stressed. Most of all, you wonder about whether you could get in here. All of this is true when you're a prospective student on a Homewood campus tour. But not when you're a current student who's experiencing it just for kicks.
Traveling on a Hopkins admissions tour the second time around was an interesting experience. I didn't care what I was wearing nor did I worry about impressing the tour guide. This tour would in no way affect my admission into Hopkins.
Looking back on that day as an experienced Hopkins student, I realize that the tour actually had nothing to do with admissions. I was simply a paranoid high school senior. While laughing out my own silliness, I realized that I wasn't the only one to think the tour was a crucial factor to my gaining admission into Hopkins.
My tour group contained six boys and two girls. Everyone on the tour remained silent. They shyly looked on as the tour guide pointed out "essential" facts about campus. These included how many books the library had and how the Mattin Center got its name. Any student the guide made direct eye contact with would do the "all important nod" stating "yes I am listening and Hopkins will definitely be a top choice for me." If the tour guide stated a corny joke, kids and parents would laugh a little too long to be believable. It was amazing how nervous people seemed.
As I was walking with the tour it was funny to see how kids surrounding us on campus reacted. Everyone smiled and stared at us as if we were the preceding entourage for a band or political figure.
I must admit, as a campus, we are intimidating. It was interesting to watch as girls passed by with clanking heels or the preppiness of the males. I even overheard two of the boys on the tour talking about one of the women on campus and said, "Damn, she's hot." Needless to say, as a campus we disproved the stereotyped notion that Hopkins has a hideous student body or that people are buried in their books. As an outsider looking in I saw more attractive people out socializing than other campuses I remember visiting.
The only part of the tour that played up to the Hopkins stereotype was the focus on the sciences. I was disappointed that the tour guide mentioned the writing and English departments for about twelve seconds as we approached Gilman. Most of the time was spent talking about the engineering and biology departments.
The tour overall was very similar to the original one I took. I listened to facts about how the library got its name from the former president's brother, who at the time was president at Hopkins, and I also learned that the old library used to be located in the hut and when they transferred all the books to the new location it caused the building to collapse.
But other than memorizing strange facts about JHU's history and learning to walk backwards, there's a lot more going on in the tour guide's mind than meets the eye.
Members of the Blue Key Club (the tour guides) feel extremely pressured during the tour. Senior tour guide Neil Bardhan explains that this pressure is both good and bad.
"I still remember my tour guide's name from four and a half years ago," said Bardhan.
He recalled the enthusiasm of his guide and remembered what a positive effect he had on his decision to come to Hopkins.
"It's nice to know that you are representing Hopkins and it is fun to share with others my enthusiasm for the school," explains sophomore tour guide Emily Ethridge.
Junior Lauren Petlick agreed with both guides and stated that she too enjoyed being a tour guide because of its impact on prospective students.
"It's nice because in many cases you are the first student the kids meet," Petlick said. "It is always good when you know you have given a successful tour, but when I am having a bad day and feel like I gave a bad tour, I worry that it may drive someone not to come."
These tour guides face several challenges, including questions from the group, especially ones from parents.
"I remember one person asked if it was true that Hopkins students commit suicide," said Petlick.
"I hate when parents ask what my SAT scores are or my GPA," said Ethridge. "I usually tell them that admissions has the facts and figures and admission depends on several factors."
"I once had a father pull me aside after the tour and ask, "so what is the real deal? I know half of that tour was bullshit,'" explains Bardham.
For all of these tour guides it is hard to remain calm when caught off guard by overzealous parents and nervous students. Most of the time, however, they are prepared with an answer or frequently pull the "ask admissions" card.
Overall most of the tour guides agreed the worst question involves some form of "What is the most negative thing about Hopkins?"
Ethridge answers with "I work too much" because she feels it is a lighthearted way to sidestep the question.
"Every school has their advantages and disadvantages, but I don't like to dwell on disadvantages," said Petlick. "The focus should be more on why Hopkins is a good place."
The most popular questions include those on Greek life, professor accessibility, competitiveness issues, and of course academic workload.
"The one question that surprises me most ... is the one about how big the school is," Bardhan says. "When people need to know that it makes me wonder why they didn't come prepared knowing statistics on the school."
All of the tour guides have a basic routine in which they mention the major buildings and what goes on in each.
"I forgot to mention where the bookstore was for like a month," claims Bardhan.
"The first time I have a tour it was in front of fifty people. I was so nervous I know I left stuff out," remembers Petlick.
Many guides find that they get distracted with questions from the audience and forget certain things. Things like the study abroad program, Peabody and SAIS are often left out when guides are juggling campus information with questions.
The tour guides found humor in how the parents tend to "make an in" with a tour guide.
"Many push the kid up to the front of the tour group and ask a lot of questions, and afterwards will pull me aside to try to personalize the experience and make sure to reintroduce themselves," Ethridge said. "I don't even remember their names after a tour."
All in all, members of the Blue Key Society really enjoy their jobs. They agree that it's fun to show off the school and leave an impression among the Hopkins hopefuls.
