Davey Sullivan ‘22 

News Editor

The Holy Cross Office of Admissions has been conducting online tours and information sessions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though access to campus is now allowed under Yellow Alert, admissions operations continue to happen remotely, with both tour guides and admissions counselors working remotely. Conducting business online has not stopped Holy Cross Admissions, however. 

Through all of this, Holy Cross Admissions is currently admitting students to the Class of 2025. As of now, Early Decision Decisions have been released. Early Decision I applications were due in November, and Early Decision II in January. As of writing, both of these groups of students have received decisions, with regular decisions coming soon. 

Before the pandemic, students were invited to campus for a tour, an interview, or an information session. Currently, the Office of Admissions has been using Zoom to conduct all interactions with prospective students. Campus tours are currently being given via the online software YouVisit. The software provides an interactive experience with panoramic views around campus, from Linden Lane to residence halls. The tours are guided by trained Holy Cross students eager to show off their school even in the most unusual of times. 

Michaela Faris ‘22, a junior tour guide for the Office of Admissions, spoke to The Spire about her experience of welcoming students even during the pandemic. She says, “I think the office of admissions has done a great job thus far dealing with COVID-19. It is unfortunate that students are not able to visit our beautiful campus but I think the YouVisit tour is a great alternative. Additionally, the office of admissions offers virtual tours every Tuesday and Thursday and online Information Sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday so students are always able to stay engaged with Holy Cross. They also still offer interviews via Zoom. While I am sure it has been challenging for these high school juniors and seniors, I feel Holy Cross has done a good job at keeping their prospective students involved and informed.” The Holy Cross Office of Admissions is also planning to begin in-person tours in the near future. While plans for this are not yet complete, Faris commented to The Spire, “At the moment the office of admissions are planning to give in-person tours. An individual admitted student for the Class of 2025 and their immediate family would be able to sign up for a tour led by a single tour guide. They hope to have these tours take place from March 22-31 and from April 12-30. They plan to space out the tours by 15 minutes so that there would not be overlap between tours. Additionally, the plan is to have a majority of the tour outside with the possibility of stopping inside a few buildings such as the Chapel, Dinand, and Science Complex. I am super excited and I hope I can give an in-person tour in the near future. I think it is really important for students to be able to visit the College before making their final decisions.”