Virtual events bring UB experience to prospective students

In a new initiative, UB’s Office of Admissions, together with Interdivisional Marketing and Communications, have launched UB@Home, a series of virtual events for prospective students and their families designed to bring the UB experience to them.

Prospective undergraduate students could normally be seen touring the campus with family members during March and April. Because personal visits are not possible at this time, UB is offering various virtual programming: presentations, virtual campus and residence hall tours, one-on-one online chat sessions with admissions counselors and financial aid advisers, and on-demand offerings from a variety of units.

“As we reconcile our new normal, I saw the UB Spirit shine its brightest,” says Troy A. Miller, associate vice provost and director of admissions in the Office of Enrollment Management.

“In the competitive environment of student recruitment, it is often thought being first gives you the best competitive advantage,” Miller says.

“However, it was more important for us to create a robust and engaging virtual experience for students and families, and with the collaborative efforts of our campus partners I think we have accomplished our goal.”

The UB Admissions website now features an updated “Visit” page that transitions a traditional on-campus visit for prospective students into a fully realized virtual experience.

“Interested students register via our CRM platform and receive a confirmation email containing a link to the presentation, which is designed to mirror what they would have experienced coming to campus,” says Dawn Reed, director of interdivisional marketing and communications. “The UB360 Accepted Student Experience is for students admitted for the fall 2020 semester.

“This UB experience offers virtual tours of the campus and residence halls,” Reed explains. “The event also includes links to make a deposit, schedule one-on-one virtual appointments with admissions counselors and financial aid advisers, and view presentations from the university campus community.

“In addition, prospective students visiting the website will find Bulls On-Demand, which offers additional programming by campus partners,” she says.

More than 30 videos were developed for the UB360 Accepted Student Experience. The UB Production Group created the Choose UB introduction video, the on-campus tour video and a video welcome to prospective students from Provost A. Scott Weber, as well as individual welcome videos from UB’s deans.

Reed says prospective students can view academic presentations created by UB’s individual schools. “Students will hear from academic leaders to learn more about the school or college of their chosen major, but they are also encouraged to view as many of the presentations as they would like,” she says.

Accepted students will receive additional presentations from Campus Living and Orientation, Transition and Parent Programs, which help new and transferring undergraduate students get started and strive for academic and personal success.

Reed adds that her office is also working with International Admissions to offer the UB360 Accepted Student Experience to newly admitted international students.

Miller says the Office of Admissions is holding virtual appointments with students by phone or video chat Monday through Saturday.

“We are also working on special group visits and information sessions for students in the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), as well as community- based organizations and UB Live,” he says.

Miller says other future planned virtual recruitment events include a collaborative information session hosted by SUNY, scheduled for May, and a joint presentation with the four university centers, also planned for May, as well as guidance counselor information sessions.

“All of what has been accomplished would not have been possible without the teamwork in Admissions and IMC, the amazing support from the UB Production Group, and the many academic units and campus partners who provided presentations,” Reed says. “There were lots of moving parts, and everyone worked together.

“The entire university benefits from the success of enrollment, so it is always a fulfilling experience when everyone comes together for a common goal: providing our prospective students with an inside look at what it would be like to be a UB student,” she says.

“Ultimately, we want the students to feel that UB is the right fit for them and they ‘Choose UB!’”