165 students have already discovered an alternative to spending their lunch blocks in the dishroom. They’re not working in the library, Brownell, or the SAC, and they’re not sitting in Sunday Detention for missing work crew, either. Instead, they’re sipping hot chocolate, walking around campus, and making new friends from around the world by giving Gold Key tours to prospective students.
Gold Key Society is the name of Choate’s student-guided tour program for prospective students. As a member of Gold Key, students give one weekly tour to either prospective students or their parents. Mrs. Elizabeth Mitchell, Gold Key Coordinator, emphasizes the immense responsibility of the tour guide: “When families come to visit, it’s our one opportunity to show them what’s out here. It’s not fair to them if we’re not prepared. The personality of Choate is very different from other schools, and the only way to show that is to have them come.” The full campus tour totals about 1.5 miles, according to Mrs. Mitchell, and around 2,400 tours are given annually.
The most important aspect of the tour is making the applicant feel welcomed and comfortable. For that, Mrs. Mitchell says, “sincerity and honesty go hand in hand.” On answering sensitive questions, she recommends, “Of course we want to be sincere, but you do have to be diplomatic about it too.” The tour should be a conversation between the tour guide and the applicant or parents, rather than a lecture from the student. Mrs. Mitchell often splits parents from children in order to address their specific questions.
A good Gold Key member personalizes their tour, showing the places that most interest the applicant. Michael Tsai ’10 said, “I find out what their interests are and decide what to focus on. If they really like music, I spend more time on the PMAC and perhaps take them to see Mr. Ventre. If they have less interest in music and more interest in sports, then I go to Athletic Center.” Mrs. Mitchell tries to pair the applicants with students who have similar interests so the applicant feels more comfortable.
Ian Chan ’10 likes Gold Key because it allows him to “revisit all the reasons why [he] like[s] Choate so much.” Sabrina Shin ’10 is inspired by the fact that “the people you’re touring want to be in your position [as a Choate student].” Then again, there’s usually a reprieve from dining hall duty, which Sarah Kirshbaum ’11 said is “a big bonus.”
Students who want to apply for the Gold Key Society can pick up an application from Mrs. Mitchell in Archbold at any time. Freshmen can begin tours in winter term, once they have learned enough about the school. New tour guides start by accompanying a more experienced one. This year, forty-one new students have expressed interest in becoming tour guides. Susan Chae ’10 applied because she wanted “to show [prospective students] what Choate is about… Choate offers good experiences to everyone. [When] I was getting my tour, I was intrigued by the friendliness of the tour guides and I wanted to be that same figure for prospective students.”
To Mrs. Mitchell, the application is more of a formality. She says, “Anybody who’s been admitted here has already gone through a lot, so everybody’s qualified. The next thing we look for is having the inclination and personality.” She adds, “Some schools force their students to do tours,” a practice Mrs. Mitchell does not agree with. “People visit from around the world…[we] don’t want to send students in before they understand the commitment. Kids who want to do tours live by certain standards.”
Gabrielle Siegel ’10 tours a prospective student and his family. PHOTO/marco walton ‘10
