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Odds are, you know that it’s a good idea to visit colleges before deciding on where you want to go. Being on campus, seeing current students, staff, and faculty members going about their day, hitting up the best lunch spot, and envisioning yourself there can help you figure out if a school is a right fit for you or not.
When it comes to visiting schools, there are different types of campus tours you can go on, with pros and cons for each. Here we’ll be focusing on group tours, in which you tour a campus with other prospective students and potentially some of their family members.
Pros of Group Campus Tours
During a group tour, you’ll likely see a large portion of the campus, while the tour guide explains where you are, what classes are held in what buildings, and more. You’ll do a lot of walking, but that’s true for most college students anyway. If you’re a little nervous about asking questions, you might get lucky and have someone else on the tour ask the question that you were thinking of. Group tours are great for getting a feel of the campus and learning a lot of information about that school.
Cons of Group Campus Tours
While group campus tours have benefits, there are other factors to consider. Depending on the size of the tour group, the tour may begin to feel too impersonal. The group may consist of prospective students with a variety of interests, so the guide will likely have a set route that they stick to, regardless of what you want to see on campus. You might also feel shy about asking questions in this group setting with people you don’t know, or the others in the group might ask too many before the guide can get to yours.
While the type of tour you take matters, it is most important to consider what is best for you in college. Check out this article on what to do after your visit to help you make a decision. Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
