Before the First Campus Visit: Taking Brewster on the Road

School fairs, living-room conversations, alumni reunions, and a few very full itineraries: behind the scenes with some of the people helping future Bobcats find their way to Brewster.

A school fair table can hold only so many viewbooks. This fall, Alice Mann has been finding that out, having just returned from an intense, two-week recruitment trip in Japan and China.

“At most every fair I’ve been to this year, I’ve had a line of families waiting to talk to me,” said Brewster’s Director of Admissions.

The questions are as individual as the students asking them. Could I keep playing the sport I love? What happens if I need help in math? How do you make friends when everyone is new? What would it actually feel like to live at Brewster?

Answering those questions is one of the most enjoyable parts of admissions travel. Getting to that conversation takes considerable work, and a community whose reach extends well beyond Wolfeboro.

As Brewster celebrates a strong enrollment year and a student body representing 27 countries and 26 states, the admissions team is already on the road helping the next group of students imagine their possibilities here. Their itineraries offer a glimpse into how a school community comes together, one introduction at a time.

A Very Full Day, Far From the Office

If you stop by Brewster’s admissions office during the fall, there is a good chance someone’s desk will be empty.

Someone may be visiting a school in New England, meeting a family in Colorado, or preparing for an evening fair across the world. The team’s travel plans extend from nearby communities to destinations across the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Behind each trip are school appointments, conversations with educational consultants and placement directors, outreach to prospective families, and connections with current parents and alumni. A day can include four or five meetings before an evening fair even begins.

For Mann, who joined Brewster nine years ago and is in her first year as Director of Admissions, that pace brings both challenges and rewards.

“I feel energized from travel in addition to being exhausted,” she said. “It’s a balance.”

Being away from family and moving between appointments can be demanding. But then a student asks a thoughtful question, a parent shares what they hope will be different at a new school, or someone encounters Brewster for the first time, and the purpose of the trip becomes clear.

Sometimes, the Best Place to Start Is a Living Room

Mann grew up on a boarding-school campus, where her father worked for more than 30 years. She understands the rhythms of this life from the perspective of a child, an educator, and an admissions professional.

That experience helps her appreciate how personal the boarding-school decision can be.

Meeting a family where they are comfortable can change the conversation. On the road, that might mean sitting in their home and hearing more openly about a student’s interests, challenges, and hopes.

“Meeting them in a space where they’re really comfortable,” Mann explained, gives families room to talk about what they actually need in a school.

Those conversations help the admissions team understand the person behind an inquiry or application. They also give families a chance to begin building a relationship before making a trip to New Hampshire.

For Mann, that is one of travel’s greatest benefits: the opportunity for a real connection.

Many Miles, Many Brewster Hats

For Bryce Richmond, Assistant Director of Admissions, a travel itinerary often reflects several parts of his life at Brewster.

Now in his fifth year, Richmond has served as an admissions officer, lacrosse coach, dorm parent, and strength and conditioning coach. When families ask about student life, he can draw on relationships formed in the office, on the field, and in the dorm.

His recent Colorado trip took him through Denver, Boulder, Aspen, and Vail, meeting prospective families, current families, and alumni while attending boarding-school fairs. In Seattle, he combined a school fair and a current-parent visit with a lacrosse showcase.

The work begins before he arrives.

Richmond reaches out to families already exploring Brewster, contacts parents and alumni in the area, and looks for opportunities to make introductions. A meeting might happen over coffee, lunch, dinner, or in a family’s home.

“I’m always happy to meet with anyone,” he said.

His coaching role also makes travel a year-round undertaking. Tournaments, showcases, and camps create opportunities to meet students who may first discover Brewster through athletics, then become interested in everything else the school offers.

Back on campus, Richmond helps connect families with coaches and works with athletics colleagues to understand their programs’ roster goals. That coordination helps families explore how a student’s athletic interests could fit within a broader Brewster education.

The Community Travels With Us

Ask Richmond about alumni, and his enthusiasm is immediate.

“Our alumni are amazing.”

On the road, he meets people whose Brewster experiences have led them toward different careers, interests, and lives. Those conversations give him stories to bring back to prospective families and reminders of how long a school’s influence can last.

A recent visit with an alumnus in Boulder, whose path included entrepreneurship and a growing passion for art, offered one such example. Hearing how graduates continue to discover their interests gives fresh meaning to Brewster’s mission to prepare diverse thinkers for lives of purpose.

Current parents contribute another essential perspective. They know what it feels like to consider boarding school, help a child prepare, and watch that child begin to find their place.

Their introductions and honest conversations can help another family take the next step.

“Our parents are phenomenal about that word of mouth and talking with prospective families,” Richmond said.

Faculty and staff make those connections meaningful when families arrive on campus. Teachers explain what learning looks like. Coaches discuss opportunities to participate and grow. Student tour guides share their own experiences and answer the questions students most want to ask.

The admissions team may make the trip, but the story they share belongs to the whole community.

Bringing the Conversation Home

The enthusiasm Mann is seeing at fairs has been one of the pleasures of this fall. Families are arriving with questions, waiting to learn more, and following up to explore what Brewster could mean for their child.

For the team, that interest is encouraging. It also brings a responsibility to listen carefully and help each family understand the school beyond its photographs and programs.

Mann remembers her own first visit: turning toward campus, taking in the lake, and arriving at an admissions office that felt welcoming and relaxed.

Today, she and her colleagues work to offer that same sense of welcome, whether the first meeting happens in Wolfeboro or thousands of miles away.

And when families do come to campus, she has one additional recommendation: leave time to explore the town.

“Really feel our community for yourself,” she said.

That is the invitation behind every carefully planned trip, busy fair, and living-room conversation. Come meet the people. Ask your questions. Imagine what you might try here.

We look forward to getting to know you.

Plan a campus visit or meet our admissions team to begin your Brewster conversation.