On April 4, 7, and 8, Choate hosted their first full-fledged revisiting program since spring 2019 – an experience neither the Class of 2024 nor 2025 were able to receive due to the Covid- 19 pandemic.
Current juniors and seniors at Choate can remember their first steps on campus for Revisit Day: the grand entrance down the cobblestone path to the Paul Mellon Arts Center (PMAC), flanked by lines of bright-colored flags representing the many nationalities of Choate students. They would remember the glorious boost of pride from being accepted, as well as the nerves, jitters, and butterflies from having to shake hands with seemingly-unapproachable adults and, of course, a photo with the Wild Boar mascot. It’s on a day such as this that prospective students ask themselves: is this where I want to be for the next four years?
The Admission Department began planning, discussing, and brainstorming for the return of Revisit Day in October 2021. By December 2021, the team was ready to flesh out the details surrounding the planning of events and scheduling of the special week. Due to the volatile nature of the pandemic, the Admission team developed two revisit day procedures: one that was fully in-person and one that was completely virtual.
Chief Enrollment Manager Mr. Jeff Beaton explained the decision to hold in-person programming. He said, “Everyone’s vaccinated, so it was a pretty easy decision. It was just a kind of ‘Okay, we are going to do it. What are the safety protocols now?’” He added that Choate’s safety protocols were far different from peer schools. “Our visitors have to mask and have proof of a vaccination or negative test, while other peer schools, they are not masking, they are not asking proof of vaccination.”
On March 11, the day on which information regarding Revisit Week was released, Assistant Director of Admission, Ms. Courtney Given, and Campus Visitor Coordinator, Ms. Sarah O’Connell, began the tedious, three-week process of pairing prospective students with their hosts. Mr. Beaton described the process as “the biggest matrix ever.” There were two factors that determined which host was paired with each newly admitted student: the host’s interests and their schedule on Revisit Day. Mr. Beaton explained, “When kids don’t get matched, they’re like, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ — it actually has nothing to do with you. It has so much to do with your schedule, and what [the prospective student] said they’re interested in.” The prospective student lists their interests, the facilities and classes they want to visit, and the type of person they want to connect with, whether it’s someone in the arts or someone with an aptitude for soccer. It is then the job of the admission team to pair the prospective student with a host who fits the boxes the newly admitted student has checked.
The Admission team’s plan came to fruition on March 4, marking the beginning of revisit week. The Jazz Combo, an advanced jazz music group, greeted visitors in Colony Hall as they signed in and took their seats. To open the event, six dancers performed an excerpt from “Artificial Nature” choreographed by Arts Department Director Mrs. Sandra Parks and were accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra then played “Berceuse and Finale” from the Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky which was followed by a hip-hop performance choreographed by Dance Faculty member Mr. Brandon Couloute for the Spring Dance Concert. Mrs. Parks explained that she wanted to showcase all that the Arts at Choate has to offer. “In the past on Revisit Day, they only showcase music. I really wanted to showcase the art varieties and range of our work. What I hope the students get out of it is to find a place for themselves.”
Following the performances, Mr. Beaton took to the podium for his welcome speech. Although he does it for his job, Mr. Beaton revealed that he still gets very nervous to speak in public. He opened his speech with this confession, hoping to convey the message that it is okay to be nervous. “It’s normal. It just means that you care.” He then walked through all the different areas of the school to help prospective students visualize the ways they can live their life at Choate. Mr. Beaton hoped students could “try and picture themselves as an actual Choate student for the next four years.” He concluded the speech by speaking directly to the parents, hoping to express that Choate will be the right choice for them despite how hard and scary it may seem to let your child go a little early.
After the welcome speech, prospective students found their hosts and followed them throughout their day. For many students, being chosen as a host is an honor that is both exciting yet scary. Zoe Dieringer ’25 hosted two students. In the days leading up to revisits, she commented, “I am feeling pretty excited but nervous. I’m afraid that I am accidentally going to say something that sounds bad, or something dumb in my classes, or annoy them.” Jasmine Khuu ’24 was also enthusiastic to show her revisit day student everything that she loves about Choate, “I’m really excited to just show the prospective student how amazing Choate is. And, she’s a vocal student, so I really want to show her the best of the Choate arts program.”
After hosting a student, Cassatt Boatwright ’24 said, “I loved hosting a visitor, especially seeing her pop out of her shell. She was pretty quiet at the beginning, however after an intense game of UNO, she warmed up to me. It was almost like a normal school day but with a younger sibling following you around.”
When classes ended, prospective students were taken on specialized tours. Director of Financial Aid and Senior Associate Director of Admission Ms. Helene Ramirez-Guerra was excited to see families relieved as the application process came full circle, but ultimately, she was most looking forward to the energy. “My favorite part of revisits, honestly, is the energy. You know, everybody’s happy, everybody has gotten in, and everybody’s curious to experience a day in the life.” Third Form Dean Ms. Nancy Miller echoed this sentiment. “The energy is spectacular. And I am proud of this school, and I am proud to show us off.” English teacher Mr. John Cobb, who has been teaching at Choate for 33 years, was also very excited to show off the School, particularly, the friendliness and diversity of the Choate campus. “I really think that our friendliness is something that distinguishes us. The students here, they’re kind to one another, and I think we have a much more diverse student population.”
Revisit Week is an opportunity for the admission department, faculty, and students to share their love for the Choate community, signifying a promise for a fresh start for prospective students and a peek of spring for us all.
