Meet with your Facilities Manager—Know if any major maintenance projects will keep parts of your campus unavailable. Ensure that the bathrooms will still be cleaned on a regular basis. And if the Facilities Manager is not working his/her regular schedule, find out who your "go-to" person is when the Facilities Manager is off duty.
Identify all on-campus summer activities and where they are happening—Meet with your Summer Program director and get a picture of the entire program. You may discover offerings that relate directly to your academic program, such as language studies, arts, or athletics. Make sure you include those in your tour.
Create a "model classroom" in every division—Set up each classroom as it would typically look during the school year. Include all the desks, computers, and equipment the student will use when he or she enrolls. Display student work and samples of class activities. And make sure these rooms are cleaned weekly, and are the first to get spruced up at the end of the academic year.
Create bulletin boards—Rather than unattractive bare walls, bulletin boards feature student work and activities, which will pique the interest of your visitors.
Put together a PowerPoint, a video, a Web presentation, and/or photo album of life at your school—Your visitors can view them while they wait. These are not just summer items; they work well year round.
Add interest to the library—Make sure the librarian has the library prepared the same way it would be during the academic year. The periodical shelves should be filled; display books to show the breadth of the collection.
Signage is essential—Post signs both inside the building and outside that clearly direct your visitor to the Admission Office. It's summer, and there will be fewer people around to direct your visitors.
Mark close-by visitor parking spaces for the summer—Visitors are your summer VIPs, and parking spaces should clearly state "Reserved for Admission Office Visitors." Since it's summer, school-year parking rules may be relaxed, but you must be stringent about your visitor parking.
Arrange for teachers and students to be available during the summer to conduct tours—It's particularly fruitful to have teachers and students available during the summer, giving your potential families contact with someone intimately involved in the life of your school. Families can get information about the school above and beyond what the Admission Office supplies. Make sure your student ambassadors are well trained to address activities and things that are summer-only, such a construction project or a summer program.
Keep those who will be on campus during the summer "in the know"—Everyone needs to know that the Admission Office is open during the summer and visitors will be on campus. They should also know where prospective families could get information about your school and make an Admission appointment. Let them know if a prospective family should leave a phone message, or send an e-mail when the Admission Officer is not there, and how to handle inquires when the Admission Officer is on vacation.
