Planning a college tour is one of the most important steps to getting ready for college. It can be daunting and stressful, but there are many things you can do to make the process a lot easier on yourself. This article will teach you how to plan your college tour like a pro!
Whether you’re preparing for a school visit or want to check out colleges before choosing one, this article will show you how you can get started on your fabulous college tour today.
How a college tour is different from a school visit
College tours can be very rewarding and rewarding. In a way, a college tour can be more fulfilling than the actual decision to enroll. You’ll be taking a bunch of your family and friends to view the campus and talk to professors and students. It will be a lot of fun, but planning it can be a little stressful!
Preparing for your college tour can be as much fun as your tour itself. Here are the top five tips to keep in mind to make your college tour a smashing success.
College Tour Tips: Top 5 Tips
1. Stay on top of your college tour
It might seem like you have the summer to enjoy yourself, but keep in mind that your actual tour begins when you have your college tour documents, and that’s not long from now!
In a day and age where it’s common to get bombarded with emails, be prepared.
What to bring
Plan to bring one bag with you on your tour. Bring your laptop with you so you can spend some time searching for the perfect college.
When going to see a college, you want to be able to take everything you need. All of your information, like your GPA and test scores, along with any sports information you have, should fit in your bag. It’s best to have all of this information in your hand when you visit.
Bring an easy-to-carry water bottle so that you don’t have to go far in case you get thirsty.
Add a cash card to your bag so you can have cash available if you are asked to pay for something. Most places that you will be touring will have a cash machine in the back of the building, so it is important to have cash on hand.
Why it’s important to take notes
First off, what exactly is a college tour? A college tour is where a college decides whether or not it wants to meet with you. A lot of colleges simply schedule a time to call or meet, but sometimes, the schools need more time to make a decision. However, if you’re invited to tour, then you should have plenty of time to prep for it.
Since your school will likely be having an admissions meeting, it is best if you know the answer to these three questions:
Do you have the information you need? Do you have everything you need for college admission?
If you don’t know these answers, then you should definitely check with your guidance counselor. He or she can explain what will happen at the admissions meeting.
Tips for taking good pictures of the campus and the school itself
Before you even begin to plan your tour, one of the first steps is to take pictures of the school. These pictures can be used to design the perfect college tour profile.
Most colleges offer tour guides that you can download, print, and bring with you to your campus. These guides are helpful, but they’re more helpful if you have pictures to reference for various locations.
For example, if you’re looking at the North Quad, you can easily look at the pictures and decide what the area looks like without having to read the description on the guide.
You don’t want to over-plan your college tour. Remember that this is your time to have fun, and make the most of your time.
How to keep track of your time on your college tour
You’ll be spending a lot of time on your tour, so it’s important to take time to manage your time. Here are a few things you can do to help.
Plan your college tour based on the things you love and care about
Everyone has different passions and things that they are passionate about. These things will give you a lot of information to consider when you’re visiting schools. If you love sports, for example, look at schools that have great sports programs. If you like music, the places where you’ll be staying can give you more insight into how the school views the arts.
Allocate time for planning
One thing you’ll need to do in planning your tour is making a list of all the schools you want to visit. You can use this as a guide while on the tour.
Tips for getting around campus and connecting with other students
It’s a very common misconception that you have to see all the college’s many buildings and classrooms. Sure, it’s a beautiful campus, but you’re not on your way to any kind of testing or classes. You’re getting around so that you can meet with a bunch of students, administrators, and even some professors. When you arrive, you’ll want to make a quick stop at the student union to check out the food (check out the variety) and get some WiFi.
Once you have internet access and are ready to learn about your school, you can always find your way to some on-campus activities. The dance studio may be in the basement of one of the campus buildings, or maybe you’ll spot some students in their dorm rooms. You may even stumble upon the occasional athletic department around campus.
Finding out about the location of classes
A lot of people get their tour dates mixed up. If you schedule your college visit around a specific day, then you won’t find out about the schedule until you get there. Make sure you check the class schedules for the college you are visiting. They’ll tell you about what their classes are like and which ones will be offered to you.
A lot of schools have just a few options for classes each year. This can lead to people not taking the classes they would love to take because they didn’t know about them. If you have specific classes in mind that you want to take, make sure to check the class schedule at the college you’re visiting and confirm that you can do it.
Checking out student life on campus
One of the most important things to do before embarking on a college tour is to check out student life at the schools you’re interested in. Get to know the people you’ll be spending the next four years with. To do this, ask lots of questions and take lots of notes.
This will help you have an idea of what sort of lifestyle you’re going to be living, which is great information to have in the back of your mind when making your college choice.
Learn about the facilities and amenities
The next thing to consider is the facilities and amenities on campus. Most campuses will have a gym, campus store, theater, student activities center, and more. Do some research and see what sort of amenities are available at the colleges you’re considering.