Why I’m an NYU Admissions Ambassador (And Why You Should Be One Too!)

 When you first become an Admissions Ambassador, you are tasked with creating and memorizing a personalized script for your tour. You’ll get a lot of help along the way in the forms of shadowing other ambassadors’ tours, giving “buddy” tours with other tour guides, and participating in weekly training sessions. In the meantime, you’ll be answering phone calls and greeting guests at the Bonomi Family Admissions Center.

Since being hired, I’ve developed an ability to think quickly on my feet, whether I’m responding to a prospective student’s request over the phone or answering a question from a guest on tour. You’ll learn to handle tricky situations and work under pressure. When I first came to NYU, I was scared to raise my hand in a seminar class of 25 people. Now, I’m comfortable getting up in front of 130 tour guests and introducing them to NYU.

I’m a rising senior now, and this program has definitely prepared me for life after college; I’ve learned how to manage my time, conduct myself in a professional workplace around all of our admissions counselors, and even give better interviews with my newfound improvisational and public speaking skills. Our network is surprisingly huge, and I’ve been connected to new opportunities and internships just through my fellow ambassadors. I know an ambassador who got a job offer from someone on her tour!

The tour training process also encouraged me to reflect on my own NYU experience. When you’re giving a tour to prospective students and their families, you’re sharing a part of your life with them: the clubs you’re in, the classes you’ve taken, the communities you’re a part of, and even the mistakes you’ve made along the way! In turn, they can see themselves in your stories and begin to picture what life at NYU might look like for them. It’s a really special experience, on both sides!

I’ve had students tell me that my tour inspired them to apply or even commit to NYU. Seeing prospective students get excited about NYU during a tour (or even when they walk into the admissions center!) is a great feeling, and always makes me feel grateful for the time I’ve spent at this school.

The Admissions Ambassador community really is a family. Every semester brings new events: ice cream socials, trips to the High Line, and pumpkin painting in the park. We’ve bonded over free food at community events, early mornings giving tours over at Tandon’s Brooklyn campus, and community-wide talent shows or scavenger hunts. But the real sense of connection comes from the little conversations or debates in between phone calls and the jokes made right before we get up to give a tour.

NYU can feel really big, so having a consistent community to call my own has felt like having a second home.

Logistically, I would say this is the most flexible job on campus. You can set your own availability around classes, clubs, internships, or anything else you have on your schedule. Plus you can pick up a shift with just a quick Slack message or email. All of our ambassadors are constantly out in the city doing cool things: interning at political offices, leading clubs, running NYU’s student government, and experiencing the city to its fullest.