· Get a good tour guide. We applaud the students who do the tours for taking the time out of their day to show us around. However, some tour guides are better than others. If there’s more than one guide (there usually is), they’ll often introduce themselves and say what they’re majoring in before splitting the visitors up. Always go with the guide that seems like the best fit for you, even if it’s not the group you’re assigned to. It’s usually not very hard to discreetly go join another tour group. Pick a guide who has a major similar to one you’re interested in, so you can ask them more specific questions and get more detailed answers. If you’re not sure want you’re going to major in or there isn’t a guide who shares your interests, pick the one that seems enthusiastic, confident, and friendly. Guides with these traits know the information well, are easy to talk to, and really love their school.
· Check beforehand about on-campus interview opportunities. Don’t make the same mistake I did. You don’t want to have to go back to a college because you didn’t know that on-campus interviews, while optional, were "highly recommended". Check on the school’s website for interview opportunities. If there’s nothing helpful there, call the admissions office. They may only offer interviews at certain times, like during the summer, so you may want to rearrange your whole trip around the interview.
· Know the questions you want to ask. Pick out a couple of things that are important to you, and ask the same questions at all the schools you visit. After you visit a dozen schools, you want to be able to easily differentiate between them all based on the stuff that matters to you. I always ask about the school’s relationship with the town or city, and about school spirit. My dad always asks if the dorms have air conditioning and if the entire campus has Wifi.
· Take notes. However, I recommend that the parents take the notes. You want your son or daughter to be able to soak in the atmosphere and the big picture instead of focusing on the statistics. After each visit, students should write down their feelings about the campus in a notebook, so that when it’s time to decide where to apply, you can return to the notebook to remind yourself about what you really thought of the school.
Peterson’s offers some good tips on what to do once the campus tour is over. Also, before you hit the road, you should consider checking out online virtual tours of some campuses before you shell out lots of bucks for college visits. Sites like ecampustours.com and campustours.com allow you to take a quick online visit at many schools before packing your bags for a trip.
If you’ve been on college tours lately, what did you do to make the most of your experience? Share your tips!
