What are some questions I should ask on a college tour?

Hey Olivia,

Great question!

Some things to maybe consider:

• Is the major I'm applying to impacted? Will I be able to get classes and graduate in a timely manner (within 4 years)?
• What are the different activities I can get involved in? Is there an Office of Student Involvement (or equivalent) that can give me more info on clubs, organizations, greek life, etc.
• What are the scholarships and programs I can get involved in? Based upon my socio-economic background, are there resources available to me?
• Study abroad? Opportunities to travel and see the world
• Campus jobs, campus involvement? Is there a student government, residence hall programs, etc.

For me personally, I wanted to attend a college that was diverse, had lots of programs and history, and that was different than what I was used to growing up.

Good luck!

Hi, Olivia! I would suggest that you take advantage of the college tour to ask questions that you are unable to find answers to on your own. College websites are very extensive and contain a lot of great information on majors, student activities, costs, etc. You will also find that most student tours are two-parters—an informational presentation followed by a student-led tour—and a lot of great data about the school will be relayed in the presentation. Pretty much any question with an objective answer can be answered easily either by looking online or asking questions that have not already been answered at the end of the information session. (Tip: Out of consideration for others, keep questions asked in the large information sessions to broad topics that affect most people in the room; information specific to you or your course of study are best addressed one-on-one by an advisor.)

It’s the subjective questions that you’ll want to have at the ready for your campus tour, and having access to the student tour guide for those is key. Student ambassadors want to portray their institutions positively, but they are also usually very candid about their own experiences, and there is time during the walking portions of the tour between the formal talking points to chat with the guide and get an insider’s perspective. How is the food? What res hall would you recommend for freshmen? If you could improve something about campus services, what would it be? Where do students hang out over the weekends?...or anything else that is important to you that you haven't been able to track down elsewhere. One of my favorite questions is If you had a friend visiting, what would you be sure they saw on campus that isn't on the tour? Keep in mind, though, that this is just one student’s opinion, so just use those answers as a jumping-off point, not the final word. At the very least, you might be able to get a good recommendation on where to have lunch!

Take advantage of your time on campus outside of the tour as well. Pay attention to what's on the bulletin boards and the video monitors that announce what's going on on campus. Pick up a copy of the school paper (which you can probably find online, too). Make a point of having lunch or dinner in a residence hall or in the student center to get a feel for what it is like to be there, and make note of how the students around you are interacting. If school pride is important to you, look for whether a lot of students you see are wearing school gear. Part of whether you feel comfortable at a school is pure "chemistry" that isn't going to be the same for everyone, so decide what your priorities are and hone in on those.

college-tours

Let's get practical and address the reason you're actually in college. First, ask what resources are available if you're having trouble in a course. Second, ask what health resources are available if you have an accident or get sick or have an emergency. Third, ask where there are places on campus you can go to get a solid, uninterrupted period of study. Not just "go to the library", but other places as well.

College is a place for you to get knowledge for life, possibly a career. But it can be wasted if not used constructively. It's pretty easy to spend a lot of time and money in college and accomplish nothing much. Once you've decided what your goals are, bring up each facet you can think of of those particular goals during the tour. Not good places to eat or where the parties are or how to get into the city first, but leave those at the bottom of the priority list. Focus on what's there to help you "get the job done" with the least amount of anxiety.