Holden Hindes | Student Life

The model dorm room, housed at Ursa’s Nite Life, is based on a modern double in Lien House

Students accepted into Washington University’s class of 2025 recently began visiting campus for the first time since the University suspended tours last spring.

After the University admitted Regular Decision students, March 24, the Office of Admissions began offering campus tours through the “Wash. U. Walk-through” program April 1. Through this program, an admitted student and an adult guest can register for a two-hour block of time to have a self-guided tour of campus. Approximately 45 admitted students and their guests visit campus through this program each day according to Assistant Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid Susan Kapp.

The admitted students and guests are expected to remain outdoors for the entirety of the tour, with the exception of a few minutes spent checking in at the Sumers Welcome Center and an optional tour of a model dorm room housed at Ursa’s Nite Life.

“We are balancing priorities here, but [are] prioritizing the safety of all involved: both the visitors and our staff,” Director of the Visit Experience Tiara Wair said. “So there’s no indoor group meetings… [visitors] are required to do screenings, they have to be registered, so we’re checking those logistics, we’re updating contact information in case we need to text or communicate with them. It’s meant to be very expedited to get them out on campus.”

Kapp added that the Office of Admissions had been working with the University’s COVID-19 monitoring team to ensure that tours could be conducted safely before making the decision to start the program.

“When we came up with our plans, we went before the committee [of the COVID-19 monitoring team] and we shared our plans with them, and they gave us feedback on how to make it as safe as it possibly could be,” she said. “They were very comfortable with the density of people we were trying to have and how we were doing check-in and check-out.”

Still, the COVID-19 safety protocols have not always been followed. Freshman Mary Falstin reported occasionally seeing admitted students and their families walking through the Danforth University Center, an indoor space that they are not permitted to enter.

“I’m assuming that maybe they were just following someone in,” Falstin said. “I’m personally not too concerned, but I can definitely see how others are… especially when [visitors] are in the buildings and not just observing from outside.”

Wair acknowledged that the current system is imperfect but argued that since some admitted students are going to visit campus with or without permission, it makes sense for the University to provide a structure where those visits can occur in a more regulated way.

“Our messaging has been very strong, and we have asked everyone across campus to [follow guidelines],” Wair said. “We also know that folks have been on campus, so when we assess the assumption that folks are going to come, if they’re going to be there, we should then try to make it safe.”

Although Falstin recognized the difficulty of enforcing COVID-19 guidelines for every single visitor, she added that more communication from the University about the resumption of tours on campus would have gone a long way towards easing the concerns of students.

“In terms of keeping us aware, I feel like [the University] didn’t do a good job, especially during COVID-19, where a lot of people could be… really scared for that, because a lot of people are traveling by planes or public transport, so there’s a lot of opportunity for exposure to COVID-19,” she said.

Brian Cui | Student Life

A sign at the Summers Welcome Center reminds visitors of the socially distanced check-in protocol

During the pandemic, the Office of Admissions has innovated to make the touring experience safer and more accessible such as virtual dorm tours, Zoom information sessions, a new app to direct students on their self-guided tours and the model dorm room in Ursa’s, which is based on a modern double in Lien House.

“I think people really appreciate the opportunity to see what the modern double looks like,” Kapp said. “I think that’s one of the hardest things for students, they want to be able to picture a little bit of what their college experience is going to be like, and not being able to be in a residence hall is disappointing to them so they’re really excited that we put this up for them so they can at least get a sense of what it’s going to be like.”

Wair added that the Office of Admissions had been so eager to resume campus tours because of all of the intangible elements that cannot be conveyed through a virtual tour.

“The campus sells itself,” she said. “Families have been extremely appreciative for an opportunity to come see it, and we’ve been hearing a lot [that] students and families feel very interested in Wash. U., but they just need to put their foot on the soil to make that first really serious adult decision for a lot of incoming students.”