It’s a sure sign of spring at Brown when the size of campus tour groups suddenly increases exponentially, and this year has been no exception. Between March 27 and April 6, the Office of College Admission welcomed more than 7,000 prospective students and their families to campus for information sessions and tours, a record number for this typically busy time of year. “Visiting college campuses is an annual rite of spring and this year has been no exception,” said James Miller, dean of admission. “Over the the past several weeks, a traditionally high-volume visiting period, Brown has hosted the largest number of prospective students and parents we have ever seen. We’re deeply grateful to the entire campus — students, faculty, staff — for being gracious and welcoming to this unprecedented number of visiting students, many of whom will choose to attend Brown because of their uniquely positive interactions with members of this community.”

With four tours and two information sessions offered daily Monday through Friday, and three additional tours on Saturdays, the average tour size was around 200 people. Tours are typically broken up into four to six smaller groups, depending on the number of undergraduate guides available. According to the Office of Admission, a peak in visitors is typical for this time of year, when many high schools are on spring break and students are making their decision about where to attend college in the fall.