There are many, many components to the college process. The tests. The essays. The resumes. Letters of recommendation…it might feel as though it’s never going to end. But we like to think of college visits as one of the really fun parts. While demonstrated interest isn’t such a factor in college admissions these days, tours are important. And they are all for you! College tours are essential for you to get to know what you’re looking for in a school. We recommend preparing for your college tour to better streamline the process.
Research the School
This might seem obvious, but we recommend doing a deep dive on the school (and the particular program of interest). Hopefully, you’ve done a good amount of this when building your list of schools to visit in the first place. Get to know the program you’re interested and look at the class list. It’s fine to reach out to the school and ask to meet with someone from that department so you can learn more specifically about a program you’re really interested in. (More on that below). So, when thinking about where you’d like to tour, keep the programs top of mind.
On that note, it’s important to keep in mind when applying overall that you should position yourself as an expert in a particular niche academic area throughout high school and apply to the program(s) at schools that most closely match that niche. Your classes and extracurriculars should align with that niche.
Planning Your Tours
You should also take a look at the calendar of every school while planning and make sure school is in session. This way, you can actually get a sense for what it’s like. Go online and schedule both a tour and information session. We also recommend sitting in on a class whenever possible. Ask the person coordinating your tour/information in advance if this is an option. You can also see if it’s possible to meet with someone from the specific program you’re interested in.
Prepare Questions
Visiting colleges is crucial for getting the vibe of a particular school and a sense, overall, for what you might want in a school. (Size, social life, academics, location, weather…it all matters! It is a big investment!) We recommend preparing a list of questions for your tour guide. A word of advice: ask things you really want to know! This might sound simple, but some students are naturally on their game all the time when it comes to admissions. The thing is, those tour guides really have nothing to do with you getting in. Most of the time they’re just students who get paid a little extra by giving a tour. So, don’t feel the need to ask smart questions. Ask genuine questions. Ask about the dorms, the classes, campus life, anything that’s important to you.
We also recommend interviewing random students. Tour guides work for the school. It’s their job to make the school look good. But average students will (hopefully) be real with you. Don’t be afraid to approach some lounging students on the quad after the tour and ask if you can bother them for a few minutes. Ask all the questions you really want to know, including about social life.
College tours are a really important part of the college process. This is a critical step in building your college list and ultimately developing a strategy for getting into your top choice schools. It’s important to start off with really understanding what you’re looking for in a school.
Need help building a college list? Call us. We’re experts at helping students match with their perfect schools.