
Teen Talk
Campus Tours 101: A Helpful Guide to
Getting the Most out of College Visits
By DeShaun Maria Harris
Jan/Feb 2008
For Worth County High School senior Jonathan A. Popham, the key
to his future success may be over a thousand miles away, or less
than a hundred. And, with a graduation date of May 24 he has some
time left to think about his decision, but for now he is seated
between his parents in a 300-person lecture room listening to a
young man give an ode to his college’s meal plan.
With the campus tour climbing in overall college decision importance,
several 2- and 4-year institutions now offer virtual visits and
overnight programs, in addition to traditional guided tours, to
help potential students find the best learning and living environment
for their needs.
Of course, planning the visits is essential – which is where
parents can really take the lead. Families schedule time to chat
with admissions counselors, financial aid officers and professors
before making a final decision. Both parents and students just
have to plan their trips wisely, do their research, and arrive
with questions and goals in mind. Need help? We’ve got you
covered. Class is in session.
Lesson #1:
Visitation Logistics
After choosing and ranking her top five choices
and before applying to any of them, Sarah Williams, a freshman
at The University of Georgia, mapped out her college tour schedule.
She signed up online to visit Spelman College and Georgia State
University on weekdays and participated in a weekend overnight
visitation program for minority students at UGA. “I had
grad friends at Emory, so I had only seen the serious side of
it before I toured. But even afterwards I really didn’t
see myself being on the campus. I didn’t get that feeling
that I got at Georgia,” she
said.
Williams’ mother, Regina, is a real estate agent who works
from home, so it was not difficult for her to accommodate taking
her daughter to visit the different schools. However, if requesting
time off from work would be a concern, carefully consider all options
for tours – weekdays vs. weekends, duration and online options – to
make it easier for everyone.
Lesson #2:
Visitation Options
Several area schools allow parents and students
to register for tours online, and some, like the Georgia Institute
of Technology, even offer guided and interactive virtual tours.
The Women’s
College at Brenau University hosts a message board that is accessible
to prospective students, where they can ask questions of the faculty
and student body about admissions and the college environment.
At Gainesville State College in Oakwood and Watkinsville, the online
tour has been a success. “Because this is a commuter campus
and a 2-year institution, a lot of students who consider us already
plan on attending, however it is nice to see the campuses beforehand.
The virtual tour works because people who can’t necessarily
come during the day can see what we look like online,” said
Molly Potts, assistant director of admissions at GSC. Nevertheless,
traditional campus tours still draw a crowd at both GSC locations. “After
our ambassadors – current students – take (parents)
on a tour, we give them the chance to speak with an admissions
counselor, professors, and we offer them help with the application,” Potts
said.
Of course, students and parents who seek the most comprehensive
view of a school can check to see if there are overnight and weekend
visitation options available. Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs,
for instance, offers prospective students the chance to take a
Fall Preview of the campus. During that time families can take
academic interest workshops to help choose a major, sit in on classes,
talk to students and attend chapel service.
Lesson #3:
Visitation Goals
Jonathan A. Popham, a senior at Worth County High
School in Sylvester, is considering UGA as one of his college choices,
along with Mercer University, Valdosta State University and the
Pratt Institute in New York.
“I’m really looking for a school that has the undergraduate
majors that I want and also a law school, because my chances of
getting into a law school at the place I do my undergrad will be
better than if I go to a totally new school. So I want to learn
more about that,” Popham said.
His mother, Kaye, agreed. Her son, she said, is a planner who
has begun to carefully evaluate his college decision. And even
though his father, John A. Popham, is an alum of VSU, Popham – the
son – still plans on visiting the campus. In September, he
and his parents attended Explore Georgia Day – a one day
visitation program at UGA for select high school seniors in Georgia – to
learn more about the school’s offerings. During a student
panel session, parents and prospective students were able to ask
current students a variety of questions. One that was perhaps most
relevant to Popham, “How difficult was it to make the transition
from living in a small town with familiar faces to living in a
city with strangers?”
Prospective parent Dr. Sharolyn Ward from Lithonia already knew
how to find out answers to many of her questions. Prior to attending
the event, she had spoken with her son’s high school band
director to set up an appointment with the university’s band
director and a few members. “Chris has been in band since
middle school. He’s interested in chorus-style marching bands
and I think (band affiliation) would be a good networking opportunity
for him,” Ward said. She also said she planned to speak with
a financial advisor before leaving the campus to discuss how scholarship
money figures into the equation. In order to get the most out of
a visit, it is a good idea to go prepared with a notion of what
your teenager and you want to get out of the college experience.
Class dismissed.
So, now you have some tips to help you plan a campus
tour with your high school student. In a few short months they
will face new challenges and experiences alone for the first time.
Wouldn’t
it be nice if they were doing so at the right school for them,
that you helped select after visiting? Of course it would. We were
glad to help.
DeShaun Maria Harris is majoring in publication management and
Spanish and is expected to graduate fromThe University of Georgia
in May 2008.
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