The Phone-A-Thon: the annual week of phone calls, with emissaries rushing to contact all potential applicants or inquiries for the class of 2022. During just a few hours each night of the week leading up to Thanksgiving Break, emissaries must call all of the students on their list and take note of the responses–or lack thereof.

Reaching out personally has always been a part of the MSMS tradition, and Coordinator of Admissions LeighAlison Jones feels that the most effective way to bring this same personalized feel into the admissions process is through contact by current students.

“We like to have the emissaries contact students applying or inquiring about MSMS so that they can learn more from the people who know it best–the current students,” Jones said. “Applicants are less intimidated by a student closer to their age and are more likely to ask questions. The emissaries can be a mentor to the applicants and help guide them through the admissions process since they applied only a few years ago.”

As well as calling potential students over the phone, each emissary is tasked with sending personal emails to each student assigned to them to follow up after the calls. Jones says that this is an important part of the Phone-A-Thon, because the “simple personalized message to the student makes them feel wanted and welcome and that is a great recruitment tool.”

The follow-up emails are also important because some potential students don’t pick up the phone for whatever reason, whether it be because of moving or a changed number.

This was an issue with the process experienced by Emissary Aiden Leise. Despite this, he still managed to get in contact with most of his assigned students. However, some conversations didn’t take long because students had already gotten pretty far along in the application.

“Not many people I called picked up, but I had a nice conversation with everyone who did,” Leise said. “Most of them either already started the conversation or moved out of state.”

Considering the number of nerds at MSMS, it’s no surprise that just a few of the emissaries were nervous about calling strangers on the phone. While not all stereotypes are true, it’s safe to say that MSMSers are not the most extraverted when it comes to phone calls.

Emissary Xavier Lucas-Cooper was one of the ones who were just a bit nervous to call.

“As a person who only really calls their mom on the phone, actually having someone that I didn’t know pick up the phone was a little scary, [and] it probably goes the same for the person on the other line as well.”

Cameron Thomas, another emissary involved in the Phone-A-Thon, said that participating was like reliving his experience as a potential student.

“I remember how ecstatic I was after receiving a call from Hayden Stokley,” Thomas said, thinking back on his emissary predecessor who had reached out to him when he was still in the application stage. Now that his position is switched, he said the experience was strange. “I was sort of taken aback being on the other side of the phone call, trying to give a sophomore that same feeling of ecstasy.”

All in all, the Thanksgiving season was kicked off pretty well through the anticipation of warm welcomes from MSMS to potential new juniors; and good luck to all those who are completing their MSMS applications!