Most conversations you'll have as an ambassador are easy, friendly, and genuinely rewarding - sharing what your course is like, what the campus feels like, what you wish you'd known before you applied.
Every now and then, though, someone might push a bit harder than usual: asking you to speed up their application, pressing for your Instagram, or sending five messages in ten minutes asking why you haven't replied yet.
This isn't about people being rude - that's a different situation, and one you should always report (more on that below). This is about ordinary pressure and anxiety showing up in someone's messages. Here's how to recognise it, and how to handle it without feeling awkward.
📽️ Watch the video below, and scroll down to read our guide to handling these complex cases.
🪜 Remember to scroll to the bottom of the page for your optional exercise on this module - and, if you're ready to progress to the next level - the link to Tier 3: Leadership!
What you're there for - and what you're not
You're there to share your honest experience and point people to the right place for official answers. You're not there to write personal statements, influence admissions decisions, speed anything up, act as a therapist, or hand out personal contact details.
The framework: Acknowledge, Redirect, Close
When a message feels pushy, this three-step method keeps you helpful and protected:
Acknowledge: show you understand what's behind the message. "I get that waiting can be really stressful, especially this close to a deadline."
Redirect: point them to whoever or whatever can actually help. "The admissions team are the best people to speak to about that."
Close: be clear about what you can't do, while staying warm. "I don't have access to applications myself, but I'm always happy to share what the process was like for me."
A couple more ready-to-adapt examples:
Asking for your Instagram/WhatsApp: "I can't share my personal accounts, but I can send you the university's official page - they post loads of student content there too."
Asking for your phone number: "I can't give out my number, but here's the admissions team's contact if you'd like to speak to someone directly."
Feel free to save your own versions of these as Saved Answers in the app - that way they're one tap away next time.
Setting a boundary isn't rude
It can feel awkward to say no, especially if you're someone who's used to being the helpful one. But being clear and honest is kinder than agreeing to something you can't actually deliver. Saying "I can't help with that, but here's someone who can" is a complete, professional answer - you don't owe anyone more than that.
Protecting yourself
A few habits that make this easier:
Keep conversations on Unibuddy. It keeps things safe, private, and on record.
Use Transfer if a question would genuinely be better answered by an admin or another ambassador - this isn't just for persistent messages, it's for anything outside your experience.
You don't have to match anyone's urgency. Taking your time doesn't make you less helpful.
Report and block anything that goes beyond pushy - abusive, threatening, or inappropriate messages should always be reported straightaway. If in doubt, report it.
Three phrases worth keeping in your back pocket
"I don't have access to that information - the admissions team will be able to help."
"I'm happy to share my experience as a student."
"I can't help with that, but here's someone who can."
If you're ever unsure how to handle a conversation, your university admin is your first port of call.
✏️ Put it into practice
This exercise has been developed to help you put the above learnings: Acknowledge → Redirect → Close - into practice. Remember to reach out to your university supervisor with any questions or concerns. Dive in by clicking the button below:
(The above button opens a personal copy in your own Google Drive - nothing you do here affects anyone else's copy.)