Whether it’s third formers excitedly checking their mailboxes to see if they’ve been assigned a revisiting student, the huge crowd gathering on the Forum steps at conference, or people waiting in a lunch line reaching the Webb-Marshall Room, Revisit Day sweeps the community into a whirlwind of activity. This year, 97 prospective students visited the Circle during Groton’s two Revisit Days in order to get a glimpse of life at Groton. They attended evening activities in the Campbell Performing Arts Center (CPAC), Parlor, and then shadowed their student hosts for a day – attending Chapel, Roll Call, classes, Conference, and an activity fair – before finally reuniting with their parents.

Groton’s Revisit Day is ever-changing – the community continually strives to improve on Revisit Day because it plays a significant role in helping prospective students decide on what school they want to attend. Director of Enrollment Management Cort Pomeroy says that, with such a selective admissions process (this year, Groton admitted 145 students at a record-low admit rate of 12%), each of Groton’s prospective students is highly qualified and thus has many great school options. Therefore, he says, Revisit Day ought to Groton in its best light and help students get a sense of what it’s really like on campus. Mr. Pomeroy says that Groton’s Revisit Days are very authentic –– while the Groton community puts its best foot forward, it remains honest about life on the Circle, which helps accepted students make fitting choices. Mr. Pomeroy says, “revisiting students are most struck by two things: our intimate community and our ability to combine it with abundant resources and opportunities.”

This year, a major change was made to the Revisit Day evening presentation in a push to make it more student-focused. Instead of being moderated by Admission officers, the presentation in the CPAC was led by Groton’s two senior prefects. In previous years, student presenters were given some pre-written lines to rehearse, but this year, they had more flexibility to talk about the things they were passionate about. Each of the student presenters picked a photo from the Groton viewbook and told a story related to it. For example, Senior Prefect Elechi Egwuekwe ’18 selected a photo of the girls varsity soccer team and used it a springboard from which to discuss her experience on the varsity tennis team.

“I liked this panel way more than the one I sat on last year, and the interview-based ones from previous years,” says Elechi. “last year’s was very much scripted. We were told what to say and when to say it, and even some of the laughs had been written in there. None of the students really wanted to be part of it after doing the first run through.”

Not only were changes made to pre-existing Revisit Day events, but new activities were added as well. “Boarding School 101,” a new session for parents, was a new type of panel consisting of faculty members, parents of current students, and students. Designed for parents for whom either boarding school or independent school was a new concept, the panel discussed the different aspects of adjusting to boarding school and answered any questions that prospective parents had.

Lorenzo Sanford, father of Karla Sanford ’19, says that he enjoyed speaking on the panel. He reflected, “I genuinely love the comprehensive values of Groton and sharing it with potential new Groton family members.” He acknowledges that improvements to Revisit Day are made each year, but added, “in some respects, each Revisit panel is the same, because there is a core concern that most parents share: will my child be safe here?  The simple answer to that question is a resounding yes!” Mr. Sanford believes that the satisfaction of serving on a panel comes afterwards: “it’s when you can feel the collective exhale, the release of tension that comes to parents when you have effectively communicated that Groton is a great and safe school!”

Other smaller alterations made Revisit Day a smoother process this year. For example, Parlor was limited to just second and third formers. Streamlining the number of students at the Headmaster’s House ensured that each prospective student had a chance to talk to different students and faculty members. Furthermore, the activity fair during lunch was staffed by members of more clubs and groups around campus.

Current students who show their “revisits” around campus play a large role in attracting new students. The Admission Office takes care to pair prospective students with current ones who best fit them. Mr. Pomeroy said, “We start by looking at interests, whether academic or extracurricular, then move on to geography…We like to pair those who come from far away with international students here. Then we check if class schedules make sense.” The Admission Office also hopes to involve as many students as possible in Revisit Day, often assigning a prospective student to two hosts, so that all current students have the chance of showing the school to a fresh pair of eyes.

Groton’s average yield rate for all students has been 62 percent over the past five years. The Admission Office uses this number not only to calibrate the success of Revisit Days, but also to decide how many applicants the school should admit in following years. For example, the Admission Office admitted 145 students this year, in hopes of receiving 90 students on campus next fall. While the Admission Office hopes to enroll many strong students, it must also find an equilibrium and ensure that the school is not overenrolled.