Chip Timmons - At our summer planning sessions, our staff discussed changing the format for our fall visit days.  In the past, we hosted 2-3 larger visit days during the fall which provided students and their families an opportunity to tour campus, attend a class, and meet Wabash students, faculty, coaches, and staff.  This format worked well, but something was missing.  With 60 or more students plus family members, we had to play "zone".  Cover your area.  Spend a few minutes with one student, but make sure not to forget about the others you have on campus today.  

*Editors note: I want to make it clear that we don't view ourselves as playing defense when student visit or that prospective students are our opponents.  It's quite the contrary and you'll see where I'm going with this.

I played both football and basketball in my day.  Playing "zone" can be more passive and keeps everything in front of you.  "Zone" works, but it can be boring.

Knowing our counselors didn't get much time to sit down and get to know the students visiting campus, we needed to come up with a format that eliminated "zone" and provided opportunities for more "man-to-man".  

Friday's class visit day was the first visit program using this new format and it worked very well. This year's fall class visit days provide students an opportunity to create a personalized visit to campus. Students can decide which class they would like to attend, meet with a faculty member or coach, have lunch with current students, work through an early financial aid estimate with our Financial Aid staff, and spend time getting to know their admissions counselor.  

We're limiting registration to these visit days to 20 students to ensure our staff plays "man-to-man".  "Man-to-man" provides more big play opportunities and more focus on the individual student.  We want prospective students to share with us why they're interested in the liberal arts, what the see themselves doing in college, and what help they need from us in order to make an informed college choice.  

So, Friday we played "man" and won.  I like the new format and with five more fall class visit days, I see our team finishing 6-0 this season.