4 minute read
Summer vacation is the perfect time for college visits, which are a great way for students to get the best sense of a school’s environment and atmosphere. We’re big proponents of college tours, which are organized events where the college provides a trained guide to share facts and highlights about the school while giving guests a glimpse of the campus. Although self-guided campus tours can also be informative, a planned tour by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable student guide can make a student feel most at ease.
But then there’s the question: what happens after the tour?
Summer quickly becomes packed with activities, and for various reasons, it might not be possible to spend lots of extra time at a school after a campus tour. But we really encourage students to spend just a bit of time on campus and in the surrounding area, doing some light snooping and tuning into their comfort level.
Here’s the deal: every campus tour is going to share all of the super awesome things about that school. And that is really useful! But until students have a chance to process the tour and really take in the feel of the campus, they can’t be sure that the school is the best fit for them.
We can think about it like shopping for a new mattress. Let’s say Jess walked into Super Mattress Land, and an employee started helping them find a new mattress. They’d walk through the different options, and the employee would explain all of the great things about the mattresses. They are super soft, they’re thin and portable, and they provide a little heat for the sleeper’s feet. The employee assures Jess that Super Mattress Land mattresses are the cushiest mattresses available and that they’re extremely popular all over the country.
Jess thinks that this all sounds awesome. Just one problem – Jess is looking for a firm mattress that’s really thick and stays ultra-cool at night. The Super Mattress Land mattresses are indeed impressive, and lots of people probably love them, but Jess wouldn’t be one of them.
This is important to remember on college tours too. The tour guide is going to share all of the school’s highlights, but they might not be the highlights that a student is looking for. Someone may want to go to the school with the largest academic library in the world (Harvard) or where Kermit the Frog gave a commencement speech (Southampton College). Maybe a pirate certificate (MIT) or a mascot costume designed by Michael Bloomberg (Johns Hopkins) appeals to a student – or maybe not!
College tours are meant to make students feel like the school is the most awesome college in the universe. And it is for some folks! Some exploring of the campus and spending time around (or even talking to) students will help students find out if the college is their most awesome choice. All colleges have highlights, but students should make sure the campus’s everyday feel is right for them.
While on campus tours this summer, it’s a great time to start jotting down some ideas for future college essays. For students ready to take the next step, register for The Answer Class College Essay Writing Workshops debuting this summer.