As a soon-to-be second-semester senior, I am a seasoned college tour professional. Tours are a rather important test of whether you would attend a school. Not only do they provide factual insight into an institution, but they also teach you about the types of students at the schools and the general vibe of the admissions office that could be reading your application. Today, I will share with you a few of my college tour experiences and give a little advice to stressed juniors, intrigued sophomores, and eager freshmen ready to dip their toes in the collegiate pool.
Boston College
Much like many other Chatham students, I loved the idea of attending Boston College (BC). Just removed from the heart of Boston with a gorgeous Georgetown-esque campus, there’s a definite appeal to BC, and I see why so many of my peers applied there or considered it during their college process. Before my BC tour, I very much considered going there — they had great programs for my major, and I love Boston as a city. However, from the moment the information session started, I could tell it was not for me. BC starts their tours by explaining to everyone there how many people they denied relative to how many applied. This was rather offputting and uninviting to me. Needless to say, I did not like the energy of their opening act. Then, during the tour, the guide clearly was new (not always a bad thing, but in this instance, it was), and they did not seem particularly amicable to those with questions or comments. Overall, Boston College has great academics and a beautiful campus; however, the tour was a total dealbreaker for me when applying to schools.
3/10
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia (UGA) is a popular school, especially among Chatham students, and I get why. For starters, the campus is sprawling but never feels too big, and Athens, GA, is truly the perfect college town. Everything a UGA student may need is right there: Target across the street from the main quad, public transportation, and tons of restaurants and coffee shops, all within a very walkable few blocks. My touring experience at UGA was a highlight of my college search process. The tour is a mix of walking and riding one of the school’s buses, so you get a taste of the resources there while still maintaining that classic college tour feel. Moreover, this is one of my favorite parts: throughout the tour, the guide pulls aside each person (usually in a group of about ten prospective students) and allows them to ask questions and just discuss their thoughts on the school as a whole. This was a really unique and helpful experience because my guide (luckily) was involved with my major, and I got the chance to “pick his brain” about all that UGA has to offer for its students within a specific program.
10/10 *Shout out to Brock (my tour guide)*
University of Wisconsin – Madison
The University of Wisconsin Madison (UW) is a great school for those who want to live in a city suburb that always has something going on. I’m pretty partial to UW, given that my family is from there, but beyond that, I thought the campus had a great buzz to it even in the middle of July when I visited. The tour itself is pretty standard; however, because there are larger groups of students, many have two tour guides. As with any tour, you are walking for approximately 90 minutes, and it’s a long but generally worthwhile endeavor. The information session, however, was mediocre at best. I cannot tell if the student panel did not prepare enough or if the content was simply unimportant, but my sister and I kept giving each other looks in the middle of it. Overall, I enjoyed my tour, at UW, and I feel as though it served its purpose in my college search process.
7/10
Lastly, I want to leave any of you in the throws of the college process with some advice:
- ASK QUESTIONS. Whether you prepare them in advance or something comes up on the tour, always ask because the guide(s) can let you know, or they can direct you to someone who does.
- If you can, reach out to your regional representative for the school and just let them know that you are visiting campus, and perhaps see if they can speak with you for a few minutes while you’re there.
- If given the option to choose between guides, ALWAYS pick the guide with the most seniority because they have more insight than a first-semester freshman.
- Write thank-you notes or follow up with your guide after the tour because they will take notice, putting you in practice for when you need to act similarly with interviewers.
- Tour/visit as many schools as you can (I know it is annoying, but trust me) because even if you think you will like it, being on campus is a major factor in deciding to apply somewhere.