Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) in Abilene, Texas, launched an immersive virtual tour with Circuit in June 2024, enhancing its ability to tell the story of what makes HSU unique—especially for international and out-of-state students. With interactive features and personalized tours, HSU has expanded its reach to 46 countries, 47 states, and over 500 U.S. cities in the first 6 months, surpassing Circuit’s engagement benchmarks by 30% and strengthening its global presence.

The Problem HSU set out to solve

Hardin-Simmons University, a leading private liberal arts university in Abilene, Texas, launched their Circuit virtual tour in June 2024. Before adopting Circuit, HSU’s previous virtual tour struggled to showcase key campus features, academics, and student life, failing to fully capture the campus experience and tell a compelling story about campus life.

A key objective for the new tour was to increase HSU’s visibility beyond Abilene, particularly to attract international students.

“Getting people to come to campus can be a challenge, so we wanted to have a product that can give prospective students the same feel of a virtual tour as if they were in person.” - Kacie Eurek, Director for University Marketing

How switching to Circuit gave HSU a new edge in storytelling

To address these challenges, HSU transitioned to Circuit, gaining the ability to create unlimited individual tours that would each craft the story that makes up the student experience at HSU: tours including academics, student life, campus residences, and off-campus life in Abilene. The Abilene Attractions tour, in particular, helps international students envision their home away from home as they consider studying at HSU.

“This has especially been beneficial for our international students, who are not able to tour the campus before enrolling in classes and moving to our campus.” - Courtney Spoon, Director of Community Relations & Prospective Student Experience, Enrolment Management

To give their tour an authentic feel, HSU captured students in real time as they were learning in classrooms. During production the Circuit team even had a chance to visit campus and see the action!

To increase engagement , HSU incorporated audio narration and more than 50 personalized labels, allowing visitors to craft their own tailored experience.

“Using Circuit's technology to host our virtual tour, is helping to solve the problem of showing how wonderful our campus is. In our 360 photos, we wanted to be intentional to have real classes going on so students could see just what it is like to be on campus.” - Kacie Eurek, Director for University Marketing

Outcome

Within six months of launching the new immersive tour, HSU reached a global audience across 46 countries, 47 U.S. states, and over 500 cities. Their views per session exceeded our benchmark by 30%, placing them among the top-performing institutions in user engagement. Additionally, audio guides were used in 40% of sessions, positioning HSU in the top tier of Circuit's audio-enabled tours.

With this dynamic virtual tour, Hardin-Simmons University is not only reaching a broader international audience but also offering a truly personalized and engaging glimpse into campus life, ensuring that every prospective student feels connected—no matter where they are in the world.

The future of HSU’s recruitment is here, and it’s just a click away.