Orange and Blue Key (OBK), the organization of admission office volunteers for Milton, is more than a century old. Today’s OBK heads set up all the tours—every period, every school day—that introduce new families to the School. Each of the senior girls and boys who are OBK heads manage the tours on one full class day, bi-weekly, for five months of the school year. They start with the schedule of visits for that day, and a list of available tour guides, and then set up and confirm all the tours. Roughly 200 Milton students devote some of their free periods to introduce families to Milton “on the ground.” Each OBK head works hard to match a visitor’s interests—academic, athletic, artistic and extracurricular—with guides who are best able to describe Milton’s programs and culture to a prospective family. Milton’s admission blog is a popular and important website feature for prospective families, and each OBK head writes at least two blog posts during the year. They serve as general go-to ambassadors, as well—serving on student panels, hosting at revisit days, touring special guests or groups, and recruiting new tour guides. Many OBK heads have helped Milton meet and welcome new families from all over the country and the world for a number of years. Think of the conversations they’ve had! It’s interesting to think about what OBK heads might call a favorite question, one they welcome and enjoy answering. Here are a few, in their words:
- I love when people ask about the climate and the culture of the School, rather than concrete facts such as “Do you have a soccer team?” When prospective families ask me why I chose Milton, or “How does Milton help me and my student?” I get to share my personal experiences and relate to them on a more personal level. This question opens up the floor to learn about Milton’s character, the opportunities at School, and the welcoming atmosphere. I get to expand on how great Milton is, and they get to see a more complete picture of our School.
- My favorite question is, “Why did you choose Milton?” More often than not, I get carried away with the “busyness” of Milton. This question reminds me about why I chose to give tours—so that I could share with others a School that has given me so much. There is so much to do, you can feel overwhelmed; however I look forward to my classes. I look forward to engaging in debates. My experiences at Milton have shaped me into an intellectually curious person, while introducing me to a plethora of ideas and possibilities.
- My favorite question is what the best part of Milton is. There are a lot of different aspects to the School that I can touch upon, both academically and socially. I also am able to talk more about the dorm and my experience of making the transition coming from the Bahamas to the United States.
- My favorite question is whether the boarder and day student communities are divided, because I get to express how unique Milton is in that it does a great job of integrating the two communities.
- For a prospective day student, I can see how the 50/50 boarder-day student ratio may spark questions. However, every time I am asked this question, I am beyond confident in my response. The day students and boarders mix in the classroom, on the field, and on the stage each school day. And this integration continues into the weekends: Milton provides us with weekend social activities, open to both day students and boarders. Each weekend, my friends and I hang out on campus with our boarding friends. We go to Improv Night, the home basketball game, or the s’mores bonfire on the quad together!
- My favorite question is “Is the workload overwhelming?” A lot of prospective students and parents come to their visit at Milton with the perception that Milton is all academics all the time. I really enjoy explaining to them all of the other things that make Milton so great. I love to tell them that although the workload is significant, there are so many people to help you get it done, like advisors and peer tutors. Also, there are so many resources that help students, like the library and the academic skills center.
- My favorite question is about activities on campus. I love talking about SAA and the fun activities that they plan, because that was something so foreign to me when I came to Milton. Before Milton, school was always a place where I learned, and at the end of the day, I went home. The fact that I can stay on a weekend night and watch a movie on the quad and eat gourmet popcorn or go see a hypnotist in King is something I’m really grateful for.