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College and Program Tour Tips
May 8th, 2023
Whether it’s spring and campuses are sprouting with flowers, trees budding, and you’re hopefully dodging frisbees, or it’s fall and the academic life is blooming and you’re still hopefully dodging frisbees, college campuses are fun to walk around. There is no true substitute for walking around a campus to feel it out, take in the vibe, and try it on. So, go on tours.
As a prospective student, here are some things to consider as you go on tours. First, do some research and know the basics before setting foot on campus.
BEFORE Visiting a Program
Doing some research before setting foot on campus will make the visit worthwhile. Here are some things to consider before you go on a tour:
Population
Learn about the undergraduate student population. Is it small, medium, or large? Compare this to the size of your current high school.
Retention
What is the freshman retention rate?
How many students return after their freshman year? This shows how effectively the admission team accepts quality students and how well the school supports its students.
Graduation
What is the graduation rate?
This number tells the percentage of students who graduate within four years. This is generally a good sign of academic follow-through.
Majors
Do they have the major/areas of interest you want to study? What questions can you ask about your major?
Location
What is the surrounding area like? How close is the campus to a town/city area and conveniences like airports, bus, and train stations?
Support Services
What are the support services to ensure your success there? Are there separate offices for Student Support, Disability/Accommodation, Tutoring? Is there a comprehensive (fee-based) program for support? How do I qualify / do I need to qualify? Many schools are offering more support for the general population, not just disability based. Pay attention to this!
All the research questions above are available in a downloadable template with space to take notes, as well as rate the importance of each item, and rank your schools/programs after you've toured.
Questions to Ask DURING a Visit
After you’ve found out the basics and still want to tour the school, here’s some guidance while you’re on the tour or chatting with the admission counselor. Most of these answers will be distinguished by the person you are asking these questions to–a freshman tour guide may give different answers than a senior student guide, and certainly may give different answers than an admissions staffer.
This is not an exhaustive list of questions to ask, but answers to these questions will provide some structure for your visit and will help you compare programs to each other.
What kind of student thrives best at this school/program?
If this is answered by a paid representative from the institution (an admissions office staffer), they’ll tell you what they’re looking for, and you’ll need to figure out if that’s you or not. A student may provide a slightly different answer. Ask both!
What do students do on the weekends? Are there campus activities?
Try to get the company word as well as the real deal. Most students will tell you both!
What are the most popular majors on campus? What’s the percentage? What are the most interesting or ‘sleeper’ majors?
If it’s a campus of 50% engineering majors, you’ll get 50% of ‘engineering-minded’ students. Insert Art, Business, Psychology etc… not picking on engineers! Are those your people? Can you envision yourself on the campus? Are these 'your people'?
What are the largest classes you could have as a freshman or sophomore? How many large classes can you expect?
Ask yourself what the ideal class size is for you to learn best. Will you need support if the classes are too large?
Who teaches the freshman classes? Teaching assistants? Graduate assistants? Full professors? Will you get enough contact with and/or attention from them?
Professors and/or full-time faculty would be the preferable answer.
What are some of the most popular extracurricular activities? What student organizations are the most active on campus?
This gives a good indication of the campus culture and what type of students are there.
What resources do you have for students if they are struggling with a class?
The answer to this can reveal how able the school is to support students or if they expect them to be more independent. You’ll probably need to ask thoughtful follow-up questions about what types of tutoring they offer and who these tutors are. Are there academic and psychological counseling services? Are there other layers of support services? Do they mention disability services?
What additional structure do you have for incoming freshmen?
How proactive are they with onboarding you properly for success? Some schools have freshman cohort classes, some have special advisors, social programs, and/or residential supports which can all be really helpful in making a smooth transition.
What initiatives are planned for the growth of the school?
Are there new dorms and/or academic buildings, new academic departments, or majors being added. Are athletic facilities growing? Admissions staff will likely be better equipped to answer this than students. Are these substantive changes or is this refreshing/polishing what they already do? In what way would these projects change/enhance the quality of student life?
What’s the food like and how are meal plans structured?
Food and dining services are very important! Make sure to take time to have a meal on campus and test it out for yourself.
Additional Questions to Ask Student Guides
When you are touring with a student guide, get specific:
- What made you choose this school? What other schools did you consider?
- What is one piece of advice that you would give to an incoming freshman?
- What did you do for fun last weekend?
- What’s the hardest thing you’ve found about transitioning from high school?
- What would you do differently if you could do it all over again?
- What’s your favorite tradition at this school?
These are a lot of questions to keep track of. We have provided a downloadable template with all the Tour Questions and space to take notes, rate the importance of each item, and rank each school/program.
Download Template of Tour Questions
Have Fun
Overall, have fun and don’t be shy. Student tour guides love being asked questions about student life. Admissions reps will remember you more if you make an impression and ask thoughtful questions. Lastly, if you need help preparing for visits, schedule some time with your guidance counselor. They would be happy to help you prepare.
Good luck and enjoy the process!
About the Author
Kevin Roberts has been a Landmark faculty member since 2005. He served as a long-time houseparent, LA and Lit teacher, a XC coach, and now a guidance counselor. He’s coached hundreds of youth in various areas of life, and enjoys continuing to do so. When not at Landmark you’ll find him on the sidelines of soccer fields across New England with his own four kids, or else hiding in the woods with his easiest dependent, Ace.
Posted in the category College Prep.
