Creating a Better College Tour

When students visit a college, they typically sit through an information session provided by an admissions counselor (a good resource), and then they tour the campus with a student tour guide.  Not a bad place to start, but it may not provide an in-depth look at the college and what it offers.  I don't blame the college; there's only so much they can say or do in a short period of time.  But there is more that a student can do, and if thoughtfully planned, students can get an experience that is more like what I get when I go on a college tour.

By all means start with the info session and tour.  More important however, are the types of questions you ask.  You can probably find the basics on their website, so before you go, think about what you really want to know about a school.  Counselors typically ask questions like "What are the characterisitics of a successful student here," or "What are the trends you see in your applicant pool?"  We don't necessarily ask about admissions requirements, because we can find those on line in or in books.  We don't ask what their best departments are (how are they supposed to answer that?). Be more specific. Ask what type of courses you will have to take. Do they sound interesting to you? Ask what their graduates go on to do or ask what types of research/internship possibilities are available in that discipline.

When counselors talk to students, we want to know what their favorite courses were and why? Was it the professor? The content? The opportunity to explore new ideas?  Did it push a student out of his/her comfort zone? Did it require them to think outside-the-box?  From a student perspective, what  are the hot button issues on campus? What do students are about at this school?  Do they care about anything?  Why did they choose this school over all the others?  Are they still happy they made this choice, or what if anything has disappointed them a little? It's okay to get personal (okay, not that personal); you know what I mean.

I get to attend classes sometimes when I visit a campus; you can ask to visit one too.  Perhaps you want to experience a big class, or maybe you'd rather see what life will be like once you hit the classes in your major.  Ask! All they can say is no.  If you know you're leaning toward theater or engineering or English, call the department and make an appointment to talk to someone.