If you attend Colgate University, chances are you took a tour as a prospective student. These tours may be one of the factors that determine whether or not a potential Raider decides to commit to our Colgate community. Sophomore Ellie Chung, who intends to major in international relations and minor in studio art, leads these tours as an admission ambassador.
Though South Korean, Chung grew up in Hong Kong before coming to Colgate. During her time there, Chung also worked in admissions for her old high school, the Hong Kong International School, an experience she thoroughly enjoyed.
“We did a lot of tour guiding, working with prospective parents and students and giving them an overview of what it would be like to transition into a high school,” Chung said. “Because I did that in high school and I really enjoyed it, I wanted to take that same role here at Colgate, because I think I often have a lot of pride for the schools that I go to.”
Chung decided to continue a similar job at Colgate as a first-year student.
“I remember [senior Kevin Han] emailing me about an opportunity to be a hometown ambassador, where you go to your past high school and talk about Colgate,” Chung said.
However, Chung was more set on becoming an admission ambassador, a position for which the application period had already passed. Thankfully, during her first semester as a sophomore, she got a follow-up email offering her the job opportunity, which she interviewed for and was then accepted.
Ironically enough, Chung herself never actually toured Colgate in real life, nor any other college in the United States due to the pandemic and travel restrictions.
“Because I was stuck in the thick of COVID-19, and Hong Kong at the time had really bad restrictions, I couldn’t really go see schools […]. It was mostly through Zoom meetings and the virtual tours that they have,” Chung said.
During tours, Chung often mentions the small class sizes that allow one-on-one time with professors. Equally important as this, however, is the social aspect on campus, and how easy it is to make friends.
“I feel like my first year when I first came to Colgate, in the second week I met my friend group immediately because we all lived on the same floor, and that was how we got to know each other,” Chung said. “I had the best time ever during my first year, so I think that’s something I really like to emphasize, and how open our Colgate community is, and how friendly they are.”
Becoming an admission ambassador is a great way to interact with prospective students and form a close-knit community with other Colgate students working in the office. For those concerned with balancing the job with classes and extracurriculars, Chung ensures that the office takes into account student schedules and time preferences.
“We have to send in a schedule at the beginning of the semester every year […]. The admission office organizes our group so that it doesn’t interfere with our classes or clubs. I think the people that work in the office cater toward every student’s needs, especially with timing and scheduling,” Chung explained.
Chung has nothing but high praise for being an admission ambassador here on campus and being the first representation and experience of Colgate that potential students have. The job not only benefits you, but also prospective Raiders, their families and the University.
