The Do’s and Don’ts of College Tours
Recently, I took a campus tour of another Boston school with a friend and instantly, memories of my own college tours came flooding back. It was a few years ago, but I remember them well. As the youngest sibling often taken on several visits, I’ve probably been on dozens and dozens of tours, along with touring 15 or 16 schools myself. Additionally, as a tour guide on campus nearing my 100th tour mark, I think I’m pretty experienced and well-versed in college tours, so do enjoy these do’s and don’ts.
Do: Ask tons of questions Even if you’re shy. I can’t stress enough how helpful it can be to pick your tour guide’s brain- they have so much to share and it’s literally impossible to share it all with everyone on every tour. If there’s something you want to know, they want to share it with you. Don’t know what to ask? Some of the best go-to questions are: why did you pick this school? What is your favorite and least favorite part? What surprised you about this school when you came here?
Don’t: Come in with a pre-conceived judgement of the school If you go in thinking you’ll hate the school, there’s a much better chance that you will. Give each school a fair shot; it’s much more enjoyable and worthwhile for everyone that way.
Do: Look around. This seems obvious, but really pay close attention and observe what’s going on around you on your tour. Do the students look happy? Are they acknowledging each other or is everyone on their phone? Have you seen any dogs? All very important questions.
Don’t: Let other people sway your opinion Mom and Dad and best friend’s opinions are all very important, but at the end of the day, you will be the person attending this school. If you really love it, submit the application. If you really hate it, maybe think twice. You do you man, I can’t stress that enough.
Do: Take notes I’m not saying you should write every single thing down, and you really don’t need to write down anything that can be found on the school’s website, but it is helpful to write down things you can’t look up or may not remember later. I kept a binder that I brought along on all my tours; I’d write my opinions down of the school, make pro/con lists, and hole punch important papers into as well. I’m not saying this works for everyone, but again, being able to recall your first opinions and impressions later can be helpful for times you can’t get back on campus easily.
Don’t: Overbook yourself It can be tempting to try to hit as many neighboring schools as possible at once to limit the trips you take, but I think there is a lot to be said for quality over quantity. Generally I’d say 2 tours in one day is the max; 3 is really pushing it and if you can even schedule 4 you might be Superman. Stick to 2 so you have time to explore, which brings me to my next do.
Do: Spend time at the school/in the area after the tour Most campus tours are pretty thorough, but there’s a lot to be said for taking time to wander around on your own afterwards. Go back to the student center and look around more, grab a bite to eat, even walk around alone without your parent/guardian/travel buddy to really get a chance to see if you can picture yourself here.
Don’t: Focus on the application while on campus This is obviously important, but there is simply no point in stressing about if your SAT score is 80 points below the average while you’re visiting. It will distract you from the visit and you’ll leave getting less out of it than you could otherwise.
Do: Let your parents ask questions Don’t be embarrassed; tour guides love it when parents ask questions. They usually have some good ones, and for what it’s worth, sending a child off to college is a big deal for them too. If you’re the first or only child, they probably have so many questions, and if you have an older sibling, they really know what to ask by now.
Don’t: Be afraid to ask questions I know I’ve already mentioned this but I can’t stress this enough: ask questions. You will be thankful later, and so will other people on your tour for that matter.
Hopefully you enjoyed these tips and tidbits. I know the college application process is stressful, but it always works out. My one last piece of advice is this: if it feels right, it probably is right.
Got any questions about college visits, that tour guide life, Northeastern or anything else? Leave me a message!
Mer🐾
