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Advice and Resources for College Visits and Tours – Even the Virtual Ones
Louise G Williams • Mar 23, 2020
I know many of you – both juniors and seniors – were planning college visits for Spring Break and other times this spring and summer. Seniors often postpone visits until they are admitted to a college since visiting ten or more schools by November 1 is hard and expensive to do. Because of COVID-19, admitted student events and scholarship weekends have been canceled, so students are sometimes being asked to choose a college without visiting it. I know that is hard and a little scary to do.
As a service to students and families, NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counseling – of which I am a member) has created an online tool that is a central resource on changes to the college admission process due to the coronavirus outbreak. You can find that HERE. The tool includes information from colleges and universities nationwide on campus closures, deposit deadlines, and other admission-related changes. The tool updates automatically in real-time as we receive input from post secondary institutions.
Also, as a Professional Member of IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association), I have a cohort of thousands of educational consultants around the globe that are working together to support ALL of our students. Together, we are working to create a master list with many institutions' contingency plans and advice for remote work/teaching. You’ll find information about schools HERE.
VIRTUAL TOURS
A campus tour is a quintessential part of the college search. First, visiting a campus helps a student make the right-fit decision. Second, a college visit demonstrates your interest in a school. Many colleges absolutely factor ‘Demonstrated Interest’ into their rubric for admission, and while that may be relaxed this year a bit, you should definitely make an effort to connect – especially if you are deferred or on a waitlist. Colleges feel much better about extending an acceptance to you if they have some confidence that you will actually accept their offer of admission. So, if you have not visited a campus you have applied to, or even if you have, you should certainly reach out personally to your local admission representative. If you have been admitted to a college and not able to visit yet, those admissions representatives can be a wonderful source of information for you as well.
Here are some good sources for virtual tours, and there are others – these are just my favorites.:
*I used Harvard’s new virtual tour as an example, but most colleges will be following suit to attract potential students
Fortunately, during this pandemic, colleges have been focusing on increasing their online presence. According to Inside Higher Ed
(3/16), colleges are being forced to rethink their admission processes and are feeling pressure to start producing their first online content for newly admitted students, or to greatly improve their existing content. So, check out their websites for updated information.
When visiting a college website, it is vital to sign in using your account for that college so that they can track that you have signed in and remain interested. Make sure to visit the individual college websites on your list and sign in with your college account’s email and password. Please note that it is VITAL to check your college emails frequently. When you receive an email from a college, please open it and read it right away!
Remember that there is a lot of important information going back and forth right now, so don’t miss something you need to do! And remember that the colleges track every single touch point – they ARE
tracking to see if and when you open their emails. Please keep current on those.
Stay tuned and keep me posted on your individual situations. I’m always here to help you in any way!
Be well and smile – you’ve got this!!
Louise
I was so fortunate to visit Appalachian State University in Boone, NC over Labor Day. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors. The Saturday we were there, App State was hosting the Carolina TarHeels in a huge football rivalry game. While the TarHeels did barely eek out a win, App State played beautifully and was set up for a fabulous season. In fact, College GameDay hosted its prestigious show in Boone just a few weeks after my visit. If you love the mountain lifestyle and a beautiful town, you’ll love App State. The academic, social, and outdoor offerings are diverse and challenging.
I thoroughly enjoyed a brief visit to Stanford University in late September. Stanford is a place of discovery, creativity and innovation located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the ancestral land of native Americans near Palo Alto. It was orientation weekend when I visited and I loved seeing the students showcase clubs and activities for the freshmen. The weather is most always dependable and pleasant and the campus and the town of Palo Alto are both exquisite.
I so enjoyed visiting Colorado Mesa University while in the area for the Palisade Peach Festival. 🍑 Mesa has a beautiful campus, state of the art facilities and strong programs in so many ways. Definitely a hidden gem on the Western Slope. Check it out.
I had never visited Rider University , and I am so glad that I had the opportunity. Rider is located in quaint Lawrenceville, NJ, about 20 minutes south of Princeton. Rider has so many options for students of all kinds, and their campus and programs have changed greatly in the last few years. They have restructured their College of Arts and Sciences, done HUGE renovations on buildings and academic spaces, and excelled in their Division 1 sports programs. There is something for everyone.
A visit to Princeton is always amazing, and this visit was no exception. I had visited there about 15 years ago, but certainly things have changed. While the campus is still beautiful, unique, historical, and even breathtaking, Princeton has evolved with the times and cultures. The students are very diverse, and inclusion is celebrated. Admission percentages are hitting the single digits and seem very unpredictable, but do not be discouraged. I encourage you to visit if you are at all interested. Princeton is probably my favorite Ivy.
I recently visited Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is a remarkable school proud of its community-engaged learning and welcoming presence. Red doors adorn every building as a sign of welcome. I have known Muhlenberg primarily for its outstanding performing arts curriculum, but there is much more to offer there. Students thrive in the small and intimate environment and gorgeous campus. Most study across disciplines with extra majors or minors as well. And, Muhlenberg also offers strong programs in business, accounting, economics, finance, and pre-health care majors. One of our guides was from Colorado too!
Alamosa, CO - Adams State is absolutely beautiful and ready for students! Surrounded by Colorado landmarks, history, and beautiful mountains and streams, Adams State offers extraordinary diversity in population and academic offerings. Adams State is leading and supporting actions that transform the campus into a model for inclusive excellence by promoting inclusivity, equity, cultural responsiveness, diversity, and community engagement. If you want to know more and see if this school might be a good fit, let's schedule a time to talk - click here .
Durango, CO - Durango was crawling with travelers and mountain adventurers after being isolated during COVID, and the campus at Fort Lewis was alive as well. Fort Lewis College is a place of experiential learning and an incubator of ideas and opportunity. It emerged through a series of changes uniquely tied to this region and its people. From military outpost to Indian boarding school, rural high school to public college, we have been at the heart of Southwest Colorado and the Four Corners region for over a century. If you want to know more and see if this school might be a good fit, let's schedule a time to talk - click here .
Gunnison, CO – I visited Western on a hot day in June, but the campus was still hopping! Surrounded by mountains and rivers, Western Colorado really captures the feeling and personality of Colorado. The school’s mission is to promotes intellectual maturity and personal growth in its students and prepare them to assume constructive roles in local, national and global communities. Western’s distinctive character emerges from its unity among academic and professional disciplines, high standards of scholarship, and a unique environment in the mountains of western Colorado. If you want to know more and see if this school might be a good fit, let's schedule a time to talk - click here.
2020 was full of challenges, but 2021 is full of opportunities. Encourage your child to achieve their goals this year. Register for the February ACT test. Register HERE
