Leeds Creates Virtual Visit Experience for Prospective Students in Record Time

Across the country, colleges and universities are racing to convert their spring admissions events from in-person to online in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. CU Boulder and Leeds pivoted their efforts in rapid response, creating a virtual visit webpage in just six days.

Admitted student days are some of the biggest recruiting events of the year across university campuses because they can have a huge impact on a student’s decision to attend a specific college. At CU Boulder and Leeds, not only do these events provide the opportunity to visit the school and envision their future here, but they also allow students to get a sense of what the programs are like and meet with faculty, staff and current students.

Those factors, according to Jessica McGregor, director of recruitment and scholarships at Leeds, are a very important consideration for students and their families making their college decisions.

After learning the university’s in-person admitted student events would be canceled, McGregor and the Leeds recruitment team engaged in a collaborative effort with Leeds marketing, and CU Boulder’s admissions and strategic relations teams, to create an engaging virtual experience webpage in a business week. CU Boulder also created a virtual visit webpage for prospective students that connects to each of the university’s schools and colleges’ now remote experiences for college-bound seniors.

The virtual visit hub offers recorded messages and information sessions from deans and program managers and a large offering of videos related to the student perspective. The site also features opportunities for prospective students to speak directly with Leeds staff and ambassadors, including live chat and one-on-one Zoom sessions that can be scheduled directly with recruitment staff.

“The goal is to give students an engaging online experience where they can explore CU, the city of Boulder, their college and connect with other incoming students,” explains McGregor.

In addition, between April 13th and 28th, a total of 20 live events will be held for prospective Leeds students. These include two main events for students to learn about CU Boulder and Leeds programs more broadly, including breakout Zoom panels with Leeds and CU Ambassadors. The first event drew 220 participants.

Leeds is also hosting several Leeds-specific virtual events on Leeds RAP, Pre-Business, Honors, Scholars, Women’s Empowerment Initiative, BE Tech Scholars and more, to provide detailed information about Leeds unique program offerings.

“Our biggest aim is to allow students to meet one another, meet program staff and current students, and engage as a community in the ways we had hoped to do on campus,” says McGregor. Furthermore, “This [experience] has only been possible with the collaboration and support of various Leeds programs and staff.”

CU Boulder’s Office of Admissions has also coordinated two virtual information fairs, in which all colleges and schools across CU Boulder will be available in digital “booths” to engage in real time with prospective students and families.

At the end of the day, the in-person admitted student days may have been lost to the coronavirus, but the opportunities to learn about Leeds and CU and connect with our community have expanded above and beyond to transcend this unprecedented challenge in creative, innovative ways. That kind of dedication and commitment of the university and the business school to providing a safe, informative and engaging experience to our students is more than words could ever say.