Alfred University puts a new spin on college tours thanks to TargetX Campus Visit Consultants
Have fun with your campus tours, Jeff Kallay advises his clients. Make them distinctive, memorable and authentic to your school.
So when he saw the long straightaway knifing through Alfred University’s beautiful New York campus and the number of students biking to and from class, he knew immediately this was the place for the 7-headed bicycle he discovered a year ago.
Referred to by its manufacturer as the “Conference Bike,” Kallay saw the strange-looking vehicle as the perfect Tour Bike. And that’s what the TargetX Consulting VP suggested to his colleagues at Alfred: Offer visitors the option of a communal bike tour — 6 people and a student guide peddling their way through campus.
“The tour guides loved the idea,” says Kallay. “One of the things they mentioned was how authentic it was to the school — especially because it’s a little quirky.”
Alfred’s student guides, called “AlFriends,” plan to paint the bike in school colors of purple and gold and embellish it with streamers and bells. They’ll wear special t-shirts and will present prospective students and parents with their own commemorative shirts following the tour.
“It fits perfectly with what Alfred University is all about,” says Wendy Beckemeyer, VP for Enrollment Management. “Our students are very aware of environmental issues, and many of them enjoy outdoor sports that take advantage of our location in the Allegheny foothills.
“Plus, this is just different enough to be appealing to the type of students who are most attracted to Alfred, from the engineers who will appreciate the niceties of the steering by Porsche, to the artists who will like the design.”
Being different is what all campus tours should strive for, according to Kallay. “Be willing to think outside the box and come up with things that are authentic to you.”
To see the Tour Bike in action, visit:
www.alfred.edu/admissions