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.