Friendly faces, great information and their signature orange polos are what UM’s P100 tour guides are known for. Picked to help take families of prospective students around campus and show them what we’re all about, this group is not easy to get into. So if you’re wondering how these glorious guides get the job, we have the scoop.

From freshmen to seniors, many University of Miami students can recall their first tour of campus and being immediately captivated by the landscape, Lake Osceola, the Shalala Center and other iconic landmarks.

Thank a P100 — the skilled and eager student guides formally known as the President’s 100. Dressed in their vibrant orange polos, the “P’s” spew UTrivia while walking frontward or backward touting the virtues of UM’s “southern suns and sky-blue water.”

Under a P100’s guidance, the scenic excursion often is the cherry on top of the just say-yes admissions process that turns hopeful high school seniors and transfer students into veritable Canes. Whether sharing their personal UM stories, showing off their favorite part of campus, or simply being as passionate as possible about the university, “P’s” are tasked with making parents and prospective students feel at home the second they step on campus.

“Parents and prospective students depend on the authentic insight and friendly guidance that each ambassador shares with those deciding whether to make the University of Miami their next home,” the UM Office of Admission said in a prepared statement. “These leaders are fantastic.”

Fresh Faces

Gabriela Abramowitz, a sophomore musical theater major, is a new P100.

“I was super involved and had a lot of commitments, but they were all for musical theater and I wanted to be part of something for the school,” Abramowitz said.

Despite the name, P100 actually consists of more than 100 students, with a current crop of 118 members ranging from second-semester, first-year students to seniors in their final semester.

The application process, which is conducted during fall semester, is highly competitive and includes a written portion, interviews and a final presentation. While P100s are required to have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, 80 percent of the applicants holding above a 3.5 GPA, according to the P-100 Instagram, @Presidents100.

In the most recent application cycle, 271 students applied, 57 more than the previous year.  Only 15 percent were hired, and just 27 percent of the applicants were extended interviews, according to the P100 website.

Once accepted, new members will do two shadow tours with a more experienced member followed by a co-tour and finally a solo tour, Abramowitz said.

There’s not an official tour script, but “P’s” are expected to memorize certain points to touch on about campus and follow specific routes around campus that include Richter Library, the main academic end, the Shalala Center, the Frost School of Music, Mahoney Residential College and Lakeside Village.

En Route

“You just never know how much there is about campus or how much you know about campus,” said sophomore and biochemistry major Destiny Wiggins, a new member who had planned to join P100 during freshman year but missed the application process.

While she was still in training, Wiggins was co-touring with another P100 member who decided to spice up the tour by performing a popular dance from the Dominican Republic.

“He started dancing the bachata in front of Shalala because he took classes in the Wellness Center,” Wiggins said. “So, that was funny to me because I didn’t expect it. The families didn’t expect it, but everyone loved it.”

Despite only joining this past fall semester, she says she has already grown from the experience both in terms of her knowledge of campus and public speaking ability.

“Right in front of the lake, the Shalala area. That’s my favorite spot,” Wiggins said. “There’s so much to touch on because you can just see everything; and the lake they’re always mesmerized by, and sometimes they’ll take pictures,” she said.

P100 is a paid job. Each P100 earns an estimated $15 per 90-minute tour when clocked-in. There aren’t many other concrete perks, but members say the job comes with several other benefits including gaining valuable work experience, improving public speaking skills and a chance to bond with other like-minded students.

Only so much can be portrayed about campus life by describing parts of campus so “P’s” also answer any questions parents or prospective students have while on tour and often share their thoughts and experiences on being a student at the UM.

“I feel like the personal story is what makes the tour,” said Wiggins. “Even going back to my tour before I came here, I kind of remember those personal stories because they really shape and frame the college experience for the families.”

“So honestly, whenever possible, especially for admitted families, you really want to give them that authentic UMiami experience,” said Wiggins.

A CAMPUS TOUR AGENDA

STOP 1: University Center

• The center point of campus
• Fun fact: the Rock is named after our alumni Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson after he donated a large sum of money.
• Home to the admissions office, the LGBTQ+ center and the campus book store

STOP 2: UC Lobby

• The Launch Pad is open to any student with an idea to receive mentoring from advisers. Chill’N and The Salty Donut were created here.
• The only outdoor pool on campus that students can access for free
• Fun Fact: Drake came to campus in 2018 to film the music video for “God’s Plan” and gave a scholarship to a UM student.

STOP 3: Shalala Student Center

• Built five years ago as a hub for clubs and organizations
• Frist floor is for Late Night Programming, second floor houses over 300 student organizations, third floor is ballroom and event space

STOP 4: Frost School of Music

• Walk past the Rathskeller on the way because we are a wet campus
• All Frost students must audition as part of the admissions process
• Frost has its own recording label called “’Cane Records”

STOP 5: Richter Library

• The library remains open 24/7 during finals
• Has unique collections and archives such as Cuban Heritage Collection and rare scholarly resources
• Home of the Tech Help Desk, Writing Center, Math Lab, Science Lab and Digital Media Lab

STOP 6: College of Arts & Sciences

• Average class size is 15-26 students across all colleges
• There’s about $5 million worth of equipment in the engineering lab, including a microscope that can zoom to one million times normal magnification
• Pass by the Cosford Cinema, an on-campus screening room for student films and documentaries

STOP 7: School of Communication

• Professors are active professionals that are currently working in their areas of expertise
• You don’t need to be in the School of Communication to join student media organizations, like The Hurricane newspaper, Distraction magazine, Ibis yearbook and WVUM

STOP 8: Back End of Campus

• About 20 percent of students are involved in Greek life, including pre-med, business, music and film organizations
• For every class you take, you get two free hours of tutoring per week. Stop by ‘Canes Central for more information.

STOP 9: Dining Hall

• The campus registered dietician helps oversee dining hall options and works with students with any dietary needs
• Check out Rock Bot — you can DJ the songs that play in the cafeteria

STOP 10: Residential Colleges

• There are three ways to find roommates: get randomly assigned, find a match via Facebook or other media channels or used the multi-tiered roommate questionnaire provided by UM
• This year, UM redacted their statement, saying students who wish to continue living on campus are guaranteed housing all four years due to a housing shortage

Source: Quizlet from AlexDeLR

words_charles boyd, lang hanley & audrey hydorn. design_ jade hidalgo. photo_nina d’agostini.

This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2023 print issue.