Tag Archives: campus tours

college guidance, college prep, college visits

Questions to Ask on a College Tour

college tour

When your student is touring a college for the first time, they will have many opportunities to ask questions. They must not squander the opportunity and take advantage of the chance to get more acquainted with the college and campus life during the college tour.

Before you visit, your student should brainstorm and prepare. Don’t ask questions like “what’s the student/faculty ratio” or “how many people apply every year.”  The answers to basic questions like these are usually readily available in the school’s online and offline publications.

Continue reading Questions to Ask on a College Tour →
college planning, college prep, college visits

Exploring Colleges Near and Far

exploring colleges

Choosing the right college is a pivotal decision in a student’s life, and college visits play a crucial role in this process. A recent study found that 82% of students visit a college before attending.

Whether you’re exploring colleges close to home or considering options that are farther away, each experience contributes to shaping your academic journey.

Let’s explore the significance of college visits, sharing insights on both local and distant exploration.

Continue reading Exploring Colleges Near and Far →
college housing, college visits, dorm life

5 Tips for taking campus tours

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campus toursCampus visits are an important part of the college selection process for any student. Higher education is a significant investment of both time and money, and you and your teen should both be proactive about finding the perfect school. When you visit colleges for campus tours, don’t simply follow along silently. Remember these important tips for making the most out of every one of your campus tours.

  1. Give Yourselves Plenty of Time
    Rushing yourselves through a campus tour will defeat the entire purpose of visiting at all. You won’t be able to see everything, and you’ll be so frazzled by the stress of rushing about that you won’t remember anything either. Plan ahead to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy every campus tour at a leisurely pace. Set aside a whole day for excursions to local colleges, and consider planning an entire weekend around your trips out of town.
  2. Explore the Whole Town
    If you’re visiting a college campus in an unfamiliar area, take some time after the tour to explore the whole town outside of campus. Surrounding areas can play a major role in the college selection process. Some schools are tucked away in rural areas with little city life to speak of, while others are situated in the middle of dense, exciting metropolitan neighborhoods. Take your campus tour beyond the campus itself, and explore the surrounding areas to get a sense of where you are and where your teen will be living.
  3. Ask Lots of Questions
    The campus tour is your greatest opportunity to have your burning questions answered. Veteran students and faculty members typically conduct these tours, and they can give you the insider information that can’t be found in web pages and pamphlets. Ask lots of questions during campus tours, and encourage your teen to do so as well. Inquire about anything that springs to mind; computer centers, extra-curricular activities, academic advising or whatever piques your interest. You won’t get another opportunity like this, so let the questions fly.
  4. Request to See Dorm Rooms
    Your campus tour may or may not feature a tour of dormitories and student living spaces or it may be a “model room”. Some colleges encourage prospective students and parents to explore these spaces, while others do not. Whatever the situation may be at your campus tour, request to make a visit to the dorms. If your teen is going to be living on campus, rather than attending an online university, the dormitory accommodations will be a very important deciding factor in the college selection process. A college may have several different options for dorm living, so try to see as much as you can during your visit.
  5. Bring Home Lots of Literature
    Start a catalog of college literature from your campus visits, and bring home as much as you can from each school. Obtain pamphlets and brochures on everything from major programs to financial aid, from international study to career placement. School literature will help you and your teen to remember the details of every campus you visit, making each tour educational and worthwhile in the college selection process.

 

college planning, college visits

YourCampus360-College Visits in the 21st century

As your parent advocate (and source of all things related to the college admissions process), it’s my goal to pass along the BEST college-related information to parents. College visits are crucial in the selection process and for those of us with limited travel capabilities, virtual sites enable you and your family to get a bird’s-eye view of potential campuses.

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Greetings, Parents! There are new tools for your family’s college search and if you haven’t noticed them yet…you are excused! Here’s the lowdown: virtual campus tours are not yet available for every college university, but most colleges and universities have either discovered or are in the process of exploring this option.  The term “virtual” is no longer tethered to images of early nineties cyber nerds with giant goggles. Virtual tours are now an indispensable tool for many real estate and travel companies, and naturally, in the Higher Ed space, where getting familiar with campus life is a key component of a student’s and their parents’ decision.

The virtual college campus tour is ever-evolving. The tool, which evolved out of static videos and photos of campuses, used to be available only via a school’s .EDU website. Now companies like YourCampus360 have made the same tours, which simulate a campus walking tour and include 360-degree panoramas, available via colleges’ Facebook pages and also via mobile app (for iPhones/iPads and Android phones.) This enables busy students and parents to preview and review college campuses – pre and post-live visit – and to interact directly with the school throughout the admissions process.

Many colleges and universities in the U.S. have, or are in the process of developing virtual campus tours, and this trend has taken hold across the globe, as institutions worldwide compete for higher international student populations.

Be on the lookout for these virtual tours on your college search, and if you don’t see one on a school’s homepage, simply dig a little deeper – many times they can be found on a school’s Admissions and Visit pages.  Happy searching and good luck!

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YourCampus360 is a team of New York City-based higher education marketing technology experts. The company leads the industry in creating virtual experiences that connect schools with prospective students across all of the most popular platforms: EDU websites, mobile devices, Facebook, YouTube, and more.

 

 

college visits

The Most Important Questions to ask a Campus Tour Guide

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qiestopmsWhen you are touring a school for the first time, you will have many opportunities to ask questions.  Don’t throw them away by not speaking up; this is your chance to learn the real truth about the campus.  Nobody knows the ins-and-outs of a school better than a student tour guide.  While giving tours of Syracuse University, I’ve heard some interesting questions, and some that were downright strange.  But the worst is when people don’t ask questions at all.  Before you visit, brainstorm and prepare yourself.  Don’t waste your time asking questions like “what’s the student/faculty ratio” or “how many people apply every year.”  The answers to basic questions like these are usually readily available in the school’s online and offline publications.  If you are about to tour a potential school, here are the questions you should ask.

Questions for students to ask:

How is the food? If you have time, try to eat a meal in the dining hall.  You’ll be eating there a lot, so you might want to try it once before you commit to eating whatever they dish out on a daily basis.

Is the weather always like this? It snows a lot at my school (…understatement of the century.)  Most prospective students visit in the spring, though, so I feel the need to tell them that we don’t normally get to walk to class in shorts.  You’ll be there for at least a couple different seasons, so make sure you are prepared.

Where’s the party? Don’t lie, you want to know. It’s okay to ask.

What makes this school unique? Instead of asking the tour guide about his/her “favorite part of college,” be more specific.  All schools have quirks, and it’s important to be aware of them.

Questions for parents to ask:

What’s the best way to travel to/from campus? This question is especially important if you live far away.  Get the inside scoop about nearby airports, bus stops and train stations.  If your child isn’t bring a car to school, it’s also a good idea to start asking around about sharing the driving for holidays and breaks.

How’s the relationship between students and campus security officials? You won’t be around to watch your child’s every move, so be certain that the proper steps are being taken to keep them safe.

Do you like your professors? High school teachers are one thing, but college professors are a totally different breed.  Make sure your child has good ones.

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Today’s guest post was written by Adam Britten. Adam is a senior at Syracuse University majoring in Marketing Management.  Follow him on Twitter @AdamBritten.  Read his previous post on this blog, “Finding a New Home.”

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

10 Things we learned from Videotaping 1200 College Tours

collegiate-choice-dvd-240w

Today’s guest blog post is from Collegiate Choice,  a company that offers DVD’s of actual college tours filmed on location. Their DVD virtual college tours help in the narrowing down part of the selection process or when one parent cannot travel because of the additional cost or the need to stay home with the traveling teen’s siblings. These DVD’s will give you a feel for each college to help decide if the chemistry there will be right for you or your teen.

High school guidance counselors are forever urging their students to go out and visit prospective colleges. View books, short online videos, and guide books are all helpful, but actually walking the campus, listening to students while checking out the surrounding neighborhood is the best way to develop a feel for each school.

  1. Don’t visit during the summer
    Although summer might be the most convenient time to make such excursions, it is the worst time to experience a college; most smaller schools are not in session, so students and classes are absent. Dorm rooms are empty and devoid of all personal touches, making it difficult to envision oneself there. Bulletin boards, usually so revealing of the cultural and social opportunities of the college, are bare.
  2. When planning a visit, call ahead
    Schedule a student guided campus tour. Walking around unescorted permits only seeing a group of buildings. The tour fills in the details that give each school its humanity. Many smaller schools will record your name when you schedule a tour. The benefit is that they will often hold up a tour for a few minutes if you are running late.
  3. Schedule a meeting with an admissions officer and financial aid officer
    A number of colleges provide an information session by an admissions officer either before or after a tour. If you are seeking financial aid, meet with a financial aid officer as well. Inquire about this when you first contact the Admissions Office. Try to schedule it after the tour and information session, so you can speak knowledgeably about their school with relevant observations and questions.
  4. If you have a special request, ask before going
    The colleges are anxious to accommodate prospective students. If the student has a special request such as meeting a department chairperson, conferring with a coach, sitting in on classes, or staying overnight on campus, the Admissions Office will make the necessary arrangements provided they have sufficient advance notice.
  5. Give yourself plenty of time
    Assume it is going to take longer to find the campus and park than a map suggests. Make sure to drive around the outskirts of the campus before starting back. This could be the student’s home for the next four years; the surrounding neighborhood can make a difference. If the school is in a small town, is there a major city within a convenient drive? If not, does that really matter to the student?
  6. Dress appropriately
    The whole family should wear comfortable shoes. You will probably be doing a lot of walking both up hills and up stairs. Dress neatly. If the student is scheduled for an interview, he/she should dress for the interviewer, not for oneself. It is human nature to judge people by their appearance, so an opinion is forming about the applicant before a word is said.
  7. Be observant
    A college tour gives you a chance to see what is on the campus, what condition it is in, and what is missing. Is there an attractive and functional student center? Are there enough computer terminals scattered around campus? Is the campus wireless, so you can work online outside? How are the dorms kept up? Is the library adequate? Check out the physical education facilities. Are the playing fields a part of the campus or a distance away? Where are the dorms in relation to the main academic buildings?
  8. Ask questions
    The tour is also the best time to ask questions of someone who is both knowledgeable and candid. Guides will entreat families to do so, as they do not enjoy providing a one hour monologue. They are obviously pleased with the school (or they would not be giving the tour), but they are invariably honest about the drawbacks along with the positives. And remember that you are there to evaluate the school, not the tour guide. Make sure you ask relevant questions that apply to your experience: Greek life, study abroad, athletics, tutoring, faculty advising, campus life on the weekends, course recommendations, etc.
  9. Visit a diverse sampling
    Lastly, if you are beginning your search, try to visit a large state university, a smaller university, and some liberal arts colleges with 1,000 to 3,000 students. Applicants frequently alter their preferences after visiting a range of sizes.
  10. Don’t let distance inhibit your choices
    If the family finances allow it, don’t let distance from home inhibit your choices. The United States has an extraordinary diversity of schools, and the college experience can be the best four years of your life. After you have made new friends, you will be amazed how the desire to come home diminishes.

That’s why we began our video series. We’re college counselors from New Jersey, and we videotaped those student guided campus tours and put them on DVDs available at www.collegiatechoice.com. They average one hour per college.

Cliff Kramon
Collegiate Choice
collchoice@optonline.net
www.collegiatechoice.com

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

Top 3 things to do when planning a college visit

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Today’s guest blog post is from University Language Services (@CampusCommons) who specializes in helping students make the most of their college expericampus-commonsence with step-by-step guides on how to choose a school, apply to college, and succeed on campus. ULS also offers college scholarships and information for students who want to study abroad. In addition, ULS has provided the translation of academic transcripts, diplomas and personal documents in more than 150 languages since 1983.

Visiting a college campus allows you and your prospective student to get an insider’s perspective of what it’s like to attend that particular school. What are the students like? Do they like the dorms? Where’s the best coffee shop in town?

If the colleges your child is considering are far away, a college visit is even more important. You’ll likely only visit a college once before making the decision about whether to apply.

It’s important to plan for a college visit long before you first step foot on campus. That way you’ll both be able to make an informed decision about where to apply. University Language Services has compiled a list of three most important things to do:

1. Do Your Research

Before getting in that airplane or car, do plenty of research about the college you’re going to visit. You want to be as prepared as possible when arriving on campus so that you and your child can get the most of your experience there.

What academic departments is he or she interested in? Where are they located on campus? What are some places in the neighborhood that you want to check out? Are there walking tours on campus? If so, find out when they are and how to join.

Make a list of things you’d like to accomplish with your child. For example:

* Sit down to talk with an admissions officer.

* Get financial aid forms.

* Encourage your child to sit in on a class.

* Pick up a copy of the student newspaper.

* Eat in the cafeteria.

* Ask students what they love and hate about the college.

* Walk or drive around the area surrounding the college.

2. Plan in Advance

If there are several colleges you and your child would like to visit, it’s important to schedule your visits in advance. Set a date (or even a weekend!) in advance and rest assured knowing you’ve got plenty of time to decide.

If the college is in a major city, don’t limit yourself to the campus. Spend some time exploring! Are there Broadway shows you can go to? Landmarks you’d like to see? In addition to getting to know your child’s (possible!) future school, you’ll get to spend some quality time together.

3. Pack Smart

When visiting a college, make sure you come prepared!

Get a map of the campus and the surrounding area, pack a camera and bring a notebook. Although the experience might seem unforgettable right now, the details might get a little foggy after seeing a few more schools.

A college visit is essential for your child to decide whether or not he or she will be happy attending a particular school. And since you’re probably just as concerned about where your child will be sleeping, eating and studying for the next four years, you’ll want to be a part of that experience.

You can contact us any number of ways:

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