As we continue to navigate the process of applying to college during the age of Covid-19, many colleges have started offering virtual tours. While it’s true that nothing will replace the experience of seeing a college in person, attending a virtual tour can still be a beneficial experience. This past week, we attended a few tours and have put together our five top tips for virtual touring below.
1) Do your own research about the school first.
Let’s envision a simpler time when we were younger and took our first trip to an amusement park. We’re willing to bet that you did a bit of research before you went, such as finding your favorite rides and glancing at the map to create a solid plan of attack. If you didn’t do those things in preparation, you probably walked around aimlessly for a while. Flash forward to today: you need to do some similar prep work before you take a virtual tour. If you don’t prepare, you’ll have little idea as to what you’re curious about. For example, research a few majors that you might want to study and a student group or two that you would be interested in joining should you attend X school. Look at the classes and the curriculum distribution too. Get curious (and excited) about a possible path ahead at X school, and you will more than likely stumble upon things you’d like to know more about.
2) Stop worrying about demonstrated interest:
Even back when we could tour schools on foot, we cautioned against the belief that attending a tour would boost your chances of acceptance. Now more than ever, it is crucially important that students view tours as a chance to learn more about schools. Many students will be applying to colleges that they did not have the chance to visit (in person) this year, which means that the main focus of a virtual tour should be decide whether or not you’d like to continue researching the school. So, no you’re not getting “credit” for laying in bed and watching a Zoom tour – but that doesn’t mean that you should be simultaneously scrolling through Instagram. Get out a pen and paper and get ready to jot down some notes.
3) Download materials so that you can following along:
Pretty self-explanatory. After signing up for the tour, most schools will send you a confirmation email with materials included. No need to print, but download the materials and see if any questions pop up. At the very least, you’ll have a hard copy of important dates, statistics, and contact information.
4) Actually watch the tour:
Strangely, this is an important reminder. We’ve found that when our clients over-prepare, meaning they spend time trying to think of questions they might want to ask, they spend most of the tour waiting to ask their question. That’s not great! Instead of staring at a list of questions, actually listen to the information being shared. Colleges are giving these tours weekly and sometimes daily, so there’s a good chance that your question will be answered.
Throughout the session, you’ll probably be pointed to new sources of knowledge. For example, resources about financial aid, specific programs and majors, or a student lead session to speaks to where students live, eat, and have fun. These sessions can be helpful to learn more about what it’s like to actually attend any given college. Be sure to sign up for any additional sessions that you think might be helpful for your search.
5) Write down any contact information that is provided so that you can get in touch afterward (if you still have questions)
This way, you can follow up if you think of any questions later on. Ideally, your tour guide will also be able to point you towards additional resources if they are unable to give you what you need.
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