Earlier this week, the Husky Ambassadors held an information session for students interested in leading campus tours for prospective students and their families. Applications to become a Husky Ambassador are due Friday, May 18. For anyone who missed out on the meeting, we asked current Husky Ambassador Anthony Pan, a fourth-year chemistry major, to explain what makes a great guide and why tours are so important.

What type of student makes a great Husky Ambassador? How can a student become one?

Husky Ambassadors are reflections of Northeastern’s undergraduate student population. We seek students who are not only leaders in our community, but global ambassadors who are creative, innovative and passionate about our education. We exert leadership and enthusiasm in Northeastern’s experiential-learning program by participating in international co-op, research with faculty members, starting businesses and participating in service learning locally or abroad. Husky Ambassadors show pride for Northeastern by impacting prospective students and families and showing them what it truly means to have “the Northeastern experience.”

Upperclassmen can apply to become Husky Ambassadors at the beginning of each academic semester, including summer semesters. All interested applicants are directed to our OrgSync group to access our application. An interview with a current Husky Ambassador and our group advisor will be conducted and decisions will be made after a holistic review process.

Why is a campus tour such an integral part of the application and admissions process?

It’s not an easy decision for a student to select which college to attend. A campus tour allows prospective students to imagine themselves at the university, interact with current students and learn how students are integrating experiences into our rigorous academic coursework. On a campus tour a current Northeastern student will not only talk about the campus itself but also share his or her own experience in terms of experiential learning, classes, and campus life. Reading about the different opportunities online is completely different from hearing it from a current student who loves his or her experience.

It may be hard to believe, but something as simple as a campus tour can influence prospective students to choose Northeastern, where they will be making a difference, becoming leaders and representing the university.

Prospective students and their parents have a lot of questions. What are some of the most common questions you get asked and how do you handle unique questions?

We get a lot of questions about academics, campus culture and experiential learning. Aside from getting questions about the university, we often receive more personal questions such as, “Why did you choose Northeastern?” “What did you do for co-op?” and “Is the freshman 15 real?”

Husky Ambassadors attend meetings and training sessions to be briefed on current Northeastern facts and statistics, stories to share and how to handle difficult questions. Getting diverse, difficult and often times unusual questions is one of the many reasons why Husky Ambassadors love what they do. It is only through asking questions that a prospective student can learn more about Northeastern and that a Husky Ambassador can share what Northeastern has to offer.