It never ceases to amaze us how parents and students thirst for chances to personally interact with top Western universities, typically with admission officers directly but now also thru VR headsets complete with Chinese narration. Many parents would be grinning from ear to ear when they would take off the headsets, and hearing them talk about experiencing a high-tech cleanroom in Georgia Tech’s video, listening to an a cappella group singing a Chinese song on the Lawn at UVA, walking through Forest Park which adjoins WashU, or watching the basketball game courtside at Vanderbilt, was a delight.
It’s always a pleasure to hit the big cities, and I think it was the gratitude of the parents for this new medium that brought in the large crowds. But it was even more touching to see how parents in less-visited cities engaged with these universities on a deep level. They’re successful individuals in their area, but they often cannot speak English and may have never been to the US, but with the VR they were able to get a sense of the majesty and impressiveness of US universities. It’s hard to imagine a more impactful way to bridge a cultural gap and build an emotional connection with parents striving to offer the best to their children.
We're looking forward to the next one!
