It was school vacation so we dove head first into the next journey for our oldest – booking our first college tours. We live in New England and decided to stay local since there are so many great schools in the area. We attended tours and information sessions at the University of Rhode Island and Providence College. After just a couple of tours, we learned a lot about what to do — and not do — to make the process as informative and stress free as possible. If college tours are coming up in your future, check out our tips below!
Seven Tips to Master The College Tour Process
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If It’s Raining or Cold – Reschedule!
Several wise mothers shared this tip with me. I heeded their advice and rescheduled our tours that were scheduled on a day that the weather was cold and rainy. The school could be a great choice for your teen. But, terrible weather could kill any positive attributes the college might have and immediately take it out of the running.
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Wear Comfy Shoes (make sure your teen does too)!
Be prepared to walk. And walk, and walk. This is not a fashion show, this is an opportunity to see the campus – that means up, down, around, inside and outside. You may be walking on cobble stones, muddy fields, wet grass, cement floors…be prepared for anything when it comes to terrain.
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Stick to One Campus Visit Per Day.
We booked two in one day and it was a lot of ground to cover — literally. Yes, it was doable in the time we had, but it was exhausting. We were all suffering from information overload by the end of the day. The two schools we visited and the information we gathered began to run together.
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Is it Necessary to Attend Tours & Information Sessions?
In my humble opinion, it’s not. The material covered in the information session was a bit repetitive with what our student guide shared on the campus tour. And, a lot of the information could be found on the school’s website. The upside was we got to hear directly from some student presenters. URI had three students share real-world examples of their campus experiences. One was a recent grad, and two were undergrad students. So, if you are looking for that type of valuable insight it might be worth it. Or, call ahead to see what the agenda is for the information session.
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College Shopping Works Up an Appetite — Bring Snacks!
Even though the tour might say it will only take 45 minutes, you may find yourself with a talkative/inquisitive group or student guide that doubles that timeframe. It doesn’t hurt to pack a couple snack bars or waters in your bag.
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Diversify.
If your teen is like mine and doesn’t really know what she wants to do … or what type of school (public/private/small/large) … or what location she wants (city/suburb), plan your first couple visits to cover varying options. We selected a large state school, a small Catholic college, a city-like location and a suburban campus for our first four school visits, just so she could see what each option had to offer. You, and she, can narrow it down as the time gets closer to make a decision.
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Remember It’s NOT Your Choice.
Believe me, you may long for capturing your campus days once you start walking around, but your role as a parent is entirely different. You can suggest and offer your opinions when they are solicited from your teen, but it’s best to let her build her own impressions. Unfortunately, our college days are over.
The things that will influence your teen’s decisions about a school may not be as important to you, and that’s okay. I can’t say that I thought any differently during my college search. After all, I still remember reading in my college guide book, “Most juniors and seniors live off campus in beach houses,” and that pretty much solidified my top choice! 🙂
If you missed STEP ONE: Standardized Tests in our blog series, click here for all the info.
If you’ve had your own tours and want to add any tips, please feel free to contribute in the comment section below.
Happy Touring!!!
You are so right about sticking close to the tour guide! We missed a lot when we were lagging behind in the group. Thanks for sharing your insight. 🙂
This is a great list of suggestions. I just completed the college tour process with my oldest daughter and strongly suggest not touring during inclement weather. We had 3 tours in the rain and it was not fun! I think first impressions of a college are important. It is hard to enjoy a tour if you are wet and cold!
I would also suggest walking close to the student tour guides between stops. This is a great opportunity to ask them questions and get their perspectives about their experiences at school, study abroad and internships. It also allows you to hear questions others may ask. I found this quite helpful.