BYU tour guides are given large packets of information; however, they are also encouraged to make the tour personal.
The Brigham Young University campus is filled with golf carts carrying groups of touring visitors throughout the year.
The tours are run through two different offices on campus: High School Relations, which deals with prospective students, and University Relations, which gives tours to alumni and special visiting groups.
Lindsay Combs, a junior studying communications, worked as a tour guide for the University Relations office from April 2014 to June 2015. She said although the tour guides are given a large packet of information about all the campus buildings (and are tested on that information), the guides are encouraged to make the tours personal; they should share personal experiences with the school, their love of BYU and the gospel.
'We get to share personal expertise and stories from our time on campus,' Combs said.
Combs also said she thoroughly enjoyed her experience as a tour guide. 'BYU is an incredible place, and as a tour guide, I get to show people this beautiful campus and tell them why it's so special. I tell people every single day that I have the best job on campus.'
Clark Pew, public affairs manager for the office of University Relations, said they look for students who can adapt to the tour guide job. 'We want people who are mature and who can learn the tour script well.'
Pew said his office typically sends out tours every hour during the spring and summer terms. 'We probably give on average 10–12 tours a day,' he said. 'The hope is that we give people the experience to feel the spirit of campus.'
Jessica Richmond gives a campus tour. The famous golf carts travel all around campus to provide a thorough tour.
Pew added that for alumni, the tours are nostalgic. 'It helps them relate back to what they experienced while they were on campus,' he said.
Pew also said the office doesn't need advance notice for people to take tours; they can set them up the same day someone calls.
Texas resident Rachel McClelland recently toured BYU with her daughter, Brelee, a prospective student. McClelland said the experience provided a lot of information and insight into the university as a whole. 'The biggest takeaway was that BYU tries to offer students a plethora of opportunities, both spiritual and temporal,' McClelland said. 'You can picture your child being there.'
She added that it was helpful for her to experience the atmosphere of the campus during the tour.
McClelland mentioned that she felt the tour showed how BYU helps contribute to making more well-rounded individuals out of its students.
To learn more about tours for prospective students, visit the admissions website.