Colleges and universities offer plenty of opportunities to help potential new students learn and love their respective campuses. Orientation sessions, department meet and greets, and high school open houses can give a good sense of the overall feeling and vibe of the school, but there are plenty of benefits of attending a group tour or shadowing a student for a day on campus. Here are 5 reasons to arrange a guide college tour this spring:
1. Better Sense of College Life
University officials and attending students likely have vastly different views, connections, and opinions on the lifestyle of the school. Having a guided tour by a student or friend can give you a much clearer perspective on what to expect going into your first year of classes.
2. Learn Beyond the Brochure
Universities have a lot to gain by putting their best foot forward, but you can actually learn a lot more about the quality of a school or how in-sync your goals are with the offerings of various departments by talking with someone who’s experiencing it every day. Maybe one school’s computer science department looks good on paper, but they’re using outdated equipment or curriculum. You never know until you dig deeper.
3. Discover the Campus Itself
If your heart is set on one school over another, it would be prudent to show up to your alternative choices to see the campus for yourself. How easy is it to get from the furthest dorm to the most distant classroom? What’s the public transit like? How do off-campus students get around? What’s parking availability like? These are all questions to ask students who are attending that school right now.
4. Explore Academic Options
Talk with the admissions department about the various potential majors you’re interested in and reach out to those departments to see if you can sit in on a class or two. Getting a sense of what the professors are like, the students’ relationships with them, and what the coursework entails on a first-hand basis can help you make your final decision.
5. Venture Off-Campus
If you decide to attend, you’ll be spending a lot of time in the surrounding area and city over the next 4-7 years. Take time to find out about the town’s relationship with the school, extra activities available to students, and potential for part-time employment in the surrounding area. Looking beyond your first year of school could save you a transfer later on.
If you’re still preparing for your first year of college and haven’t taken your ACT or SAT tests yet, there’s still time to get fully prepared. Sandweiss Test Prep can be your guide through the stressful months leading up to the exam dates. Find an available slot in one of our comprehensive test prep courses or contact us to learn more about our services.