Letter-filled mailboxes pile up with messages from colleges around the country encouraging a look into their facilities. The smell of the dining hall with every food imaginable is just around the corner from the full gym provided for students. With peers doing independent work in the library, and professors conducting a class, it is hard to make a decision about which school is the best fit. 

Colleges give year-round tours to provide sneak peeks into housing, libraries, classrooms, and the dining hall. Scheduling these visits is a great opportunity to visualize oneself at the university and learn what it would be like to live there for the next four years. Seeing a college first-hand can help narrow the options for a life-critical decision. Contacting the admissions office of any college for more information regarding the different aspects of the trip is a way one can learn about the campuses. 

“I loved going on an in-person college tour because I feel it gave me a much better experience. I felt like I got to learn a lot about the campus and see all the ins and outs,” Neal O’Connor, sophomore, said. 

If in-person touring is not an option, many colleges offer a virtual choice. These can show what the campus entails without leaving the comfort of one’s couch. This can be cost-effective by avoiding a long trip or often an overnight stay. Some tours offer a 360 inversive view of their college with interactive buttons that can move through the campus. Other universities have videos of the college that people can watch from home. 

“Since I am only still a freshman, college tours are not on the top of my list right now. Even though I have not gone on in-person visits, I have researched colleges online and taken tours there. It has been really helpful to get this insight to narrow my decision sooner,” Savannah Pullen, freshman, said. 

While it may be viewed to be important to get an official look at a campus, it is also critical to research. Tours are geared towards the students and their interests. With this in mind, colleges are going to show the best aspects of the school and might not focus on the negatives if attending. Getting time alone to either research or explore a college is crucial to forming an opinion regarding the school.  

“ I think it is really important to go to the school on an un-guided tour to make sure you see everything at a school to ensure it is a good fit,” Lana Fischer, junior, said. 

College is a big decision for high school students, so make sure to use all the resources given to make the wisest choice. For more information on how to schedule a campus tour, or to explore colleges online, visit here.