Touring campus

Are you planning on visiting colleges over summer vacation? If you’re going to be visiting relatives or passing through areas you don’t usually get to, might as well make some college tour appointments along the way! But before you visit a campus, read these tips.

Call ahead
Most college tours include a group question/answer session with an admissions representative, a guided walk around campus, a peek into a dorm and a meal at the best dining hall.

To get the most out of your tour, call ahead to make sure you get the VIP treatment. Make sure they have room for you on the date you’re planning to visit. Ask to have a tour of the department you plan to major in. Contact the admissions department when making your tour requests, and while you’re at it, see if you can attend a class or even stay overnight on campus.

Ask questions
Your tour guide will likely be a student at the school trained to answer your questions. What does your guide think of the professors? Are they easily accessible? Where do alumni get jobs? What kinds of clubs are on campus? Can they put you in contact with other students in your major?

Don’t limit your information-gathering mission to your tour guide! Find some random people to talk to at the bookstore or cafeteria. After all, college students remember when they, too, were trying to decide on a school. “If they’re not friendly, that sends a signal, too,” says Robert Rummerfield, founder of College Visits, Inc., a company that organizes college tours for high school students. “That’s not a place I’d want to be.”

Don’t visit more than two in one day
You know how it is when you meet a bunch of people in one day? By the end, you can barely remember their faces, let alone their hometowns or names. The same kind of black hole will form if you try to cram more than two college visits in one day. The programs, professors and perks of each will seem like one big blob of information. Save yourself the stress of making multiple appointments, and keep your visits to just one or two each day.

Visit with an open mind
Definitely consider the campus activities you saw, the students you met and the overall feeling you got while on campus. But also remember that spending one day at a college is a totally different experience than spending four years there. The best advice when visiting college is clichéd but true: Keep an open mind. You might have a less-than-stellar tour guide, it may rain or snow on your visit, or maybe you caught a professor on a bad day. So while first impressions do matter, don’t be afraid to give a place a second chance.

Visit with an open mind
Definitely consider the campus activities you saw, the students you met and the overall feeling you got while on campus. But also remember that spending one day at a college is a totally different experience than spending four years there. The best advice when visiting college is clichéd but true: Keep an open mind. You might have a less-than-stellar tour guide, it may rain or snow on your visit, or maybe you caught a professor on a bad day. So while first impressions do matter, don’t be afraid to give a place a second chance.

More tips!
Here are some more campus-visiting tips from OneBigCampus.com!

Plan ahead. A well-thought-out campus trip can relieve a lot of anxiety, as well as help you learn more about the destination. It also allows you a chance to have a better idea of what on and off campus activities, events or attractions you may want to include in your trip.

Explore the region. It’s been said that 60 percent of a college education happens outside the classroom. You should investigate the city or town for a better understanding of the “complete education” available.

Spend time. A one-hour visit to campus simply isn’t going to reveal much information. You should plan on each campus visit taking at least half a day.

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