By GEOFFREY SCOTT

"I wanted to go to a place where the students shared my passion for the arts," said Nigel Campbell, a current dance student sharing his perspective on a student panel that was part of Juilliard's first-ever Revisit program. A total of 44 newly admitted students and their parents came to Juilliard last April, a few months after their successful auditions, to participate in a day of events arranged by the Admissions Office that would help them get to know the School a little better through an unhurried, firsthand experience of its atmosphere. Dean Stephen Clapp was on hand to speak to a combined audience of about 30 parents and family members, who had come to get the inside scoop on the 100-year-old conservatory. What they were delighted to discover from the student panel was the sense of community and camaraderie among students who share a love for their art.

This new event, informally referred to here as the Revisit program, was the brainchild of President Joseph W. Polisi, who got the idea from visiting a similar program at one the country's most prestigious Ivy League institutions. While the concept was clear, coordinating something of this magnitude at such a specialized place as Juilliard was not going to be easy.

"In addition to being dedicated to excellence in the broadest sense of the word, Juilliard has a real heart and soul."

The name Revisit is not entirely accurate because, while musicians audition on campus, many of the students applying for Juilliard's Dance and Drama Divisions audition regionally—a little more than 700 in 2005—and had never actually stepped foot on the Juilliard campus. But the intention was to offer all newly admitted students, some of whom had not quite decided on their post-secondary education destination, a chance to experience the Juilliard community for themselves. Students who had gone through the rigorous audition process (which for some divisions involved several callbacks) now had the opportunity to see what students in their respective divisions actually go through in a day, while their parents and family members got a chance to meet and talk with faculty and administrators. Our hope was to convey all the things that make this conservatory the best in the country.

Coordinating an event of this type required many meetings and consultations with faculty and administrators. So much had to be decided: how and when to notify students, when the program would take place, how we would squeeze everything into the allotted time (and what would happen when there was a gap in the day), and who would cater the event. (I began to feel a bit like a wedding planner!) Because each division is so specialized, and large groups can create a disruption in instruction, it became clear that having students move through the day together would be difficult. We enlisted the help of Kathy Hood, administrative director of the Drama Division, and Sarah Adriance, associate director for dance admissions, to assist us in our vision. Also, the guidance of Tricia Ross, director of executive projects, and Melissa Matesic, manager of special events, in shaping the event's finer details was crucial.

We decided to offer students a choice of attending on one of two dates (April 18 or 22) in order to accommodate as many as possible, and then proceeded to enlist the participation of the senior administration, faculty, and current students—all of whom responded with great enthusiasm. Trumpet faculty member and brass department chair Ray Mase said, "I think this a great idea and I'm anxious to be involved." Mase made time to chat with horn student Molly Norcross and her mom before the American Brass Quintet Seminar, which they visited.

I relied heavily on Kathy and Sarah for their knowledge of the Drama and Dance schedules, and what students would and wouldn't be able to observe. Creating a schedule for music students revolving around appropriate class times was something of a challenge, but once again, faculty and staff proved invaluable.

Read more about how the Revisit program went digital.

The day began with a welcome breakfast, at which President Polisi greeted our visitors. Then students and their families were divided and sent on their day of activities, which included class and rehearsal observation, panel discussions with staff members from various offices, and a special session where everyone was able to ask questions of current students from all three divisions. The day concluded with dinner in the president's board room, after which the visitors attended their choice of student performances and recitals.

Some of the newly admitted students actually walked away from the event having chosen their roommates for the upcoming year, and parents left with a better sense of Juilliard as an institution. The most glowing compliment came from one of the visiting parents, who said, "As parents, we came away with a much better understanding of Juilliard and that, in addition to being dedicated to excellence in the broadest sense of the word, it has a real heart and soul."

Geoffrey Scott is assistant director for recruitment in the Admissions Office.