Two Perspectives, One Challenge: Counselor Meets Creative Parent
Lien’s Experience (Admissions Lens)
Lien Do, Paskill Account Manager
“When I was giving tours at Wilkes University, every detail mattered. From the campus signage to the tour itself, each element played a role in shaping a family’s first impression. I quickly learned that when families weren’t looking for directions, they were searching for belonging and a personal connection. Whether a student lived down the road or drove three hours to visit, that sense of personalization always made the difference.“
Frank’s Experience (Brand + Parent Lens)
Frank Delaney, Paskill Associate Creative Director
“I just dropped my daughter off at the University of Delaware. As a dad, I was looking for the unspoken cues: how current students interacted with her, how comfortable she seemed stepping into conversations. As a brand strategist, I noticed those authentic moments told the real story. They reassured me—and confirmed the brand promise Delaware had been making in its messaging.
Where Our Insights Meet
From different sides of the experience—one depending on the tour’s success, the other walking them as a parent—we can see the big takeaway:
Campus tours spark the emotional connection, but brand strategy ensures it lasts.
Our Combined Recommendations
1. Build Pre-Tour Buzz with Authentic Storytelling
- Lien: Families arrive more engaged if they’ve already seen student stories online. Authenticity lowers barriers and builds recognition before the first handshake. These stories added an extra spark of excitement for families traveling to campus. I always loved when students mentioned a post they had seen—it showed that the story stuck with them. That’s when you know your brand is not only reaching students and their families, but leaving a memorable impression.
- Frank: Ursinus College’s Start Your Journey campaign nails this—the student becomes the main character in unexpected vantage points. That’s how brands build trust before the visit begins.
2. Design Live Moments That Invite Sharing
- Lien: Prospective students connect more deeply when they hear peers voice the questions they’ve been holding back. Tours should encourage this peer-to-peer energy.
- Frank: Strategic design—murals, overlooks, gamified prompts—creates “Instagrammable” pauses that are authentic and aligned with brand storytelling.
3. Extend the Story After the Visit
- Lien: The memory families carry home is emotional, not informational. A smile, a story, a laugh. Follow-up should echo those moments.
- Frank: Social storytelling—carousels, Reels, DMs—needs to tie those emotions back to brand differentiators. That’s how memories turn into brand recognition.
4. Measure What Matters
- Lien: In admissions, the real question is: did that moment spark an inquiry, a question, or a return visit?
- Frank: Data closes the loop. Engagement is only valuable when it connects to tour registrations, applications, and ultimately enrollment.
5. From Tour to Journey: Sustain the Relationship
- Lien: A visit is just the first chapter. Thoughtful follow-up that references questions from the tour helps families feel seen. Students’ college investment doesn’t just start on the first day of classes, it starts when families invest in touring your campus.
- Frank: Social touchpoints should keep reinforcing the same story, proving the brand promise isn’t a one-day performance but a continuous lived experience.
The most powerful moments were unscripted — when a student asked a nervous question and another prospective chimed in. That peer-to-peer connection mattered more than my scripted talking points.
The Impact: Why This Works
- Emotional connection endures: Storytelling and social preserve the spark of belonging sparked on campus.
- Personalization builds trust: Students value unscripted, peer-to-peer exchanges as much as polished messaging.
- Brand consistency cements recognition: Every shared image, hashtag, and story reinforces institutional identity.
- Parents notice authenticity: Those unplanned moments of fit reassure families that the brand promise is real.
- Data strengthens outcomes: Tracking beyond vanity metrics connects tour-day impressions to inquiries, applications, and enrollment goals.
Closing Thought
From the admissions office to the family car ride home, the best tours aren’t performances. They’re conversations that live on in memory and in scrolls. When admissions and brand work together, you don’t just guide a tour—you begin a student’s story.
