Don't Just Walk Around, Do a College Tour Right

Don't Just Walk Around, Do a College Tour Right

College tours are great way to find out if a college is best suited for you and almost every college bound student and their family have gone on a tour or plan on taking tours. A college will roll out the ‘red carpet' for your tour to welcome you to campus. You will probably watch a video about the college and go on a walking tour of the campus.

Don't let the tour end there, however.

There are some simple tips and planning techniques to make your tour and visit to the campus a success and allow you to come away with more than just a college brochure.

Schedule your visit when classes are in session. This is a great way to see how students, faculty, and staff interact on the campus and give you an eye-opening view of campus.

Schedule a tour of campus and schedule specific appointments with the following:

* Admissions Office
* Financial Aid Office
* Current student in your desired field
* Professor in your desired field

Set these appointments a couple of weeks before your visit to better manage your time during the visit. Either call or write a letter to each department to ask for the appointment. Be sure to taken notes at each appointment for future reference.

The Admissions office will answer any questions you have and it is a great way for you to really market your skills, talents, and accomplishments in person. Prepare questions ahead of time so you feel comfortable.

The Financial Aid Office can answer questions you have about financial aid paperwork, costs, and anything else pertaining to college costs and financial aid packages.

We really recommend you meet with a current student to talk about their experience coming to the campus and discuss how and why they decided on that college. Speaking to someone close to your age will give you a completely different perspective than any other segment of your visit.

If you have a particular interest in a major or course of study, by all means contact a professor in that department and set up informational interview. Learn more about access to the department's professors once you are in school and find out about internships or projects that can enhance your learning.

After your tour and interviews, send a thank you card to all of the professionals who took time to meet with you.

When you have completed your tours compare notes, ask more questions if need be, and prepare to begin the application process.

Good luck!

Brad Asbury
The Access College Foundation