Chris Boehm, Director of Admission

Campus tours are great introductions to a campus. But let's remember that I just used the term "introduction". In assessing what you'd get from a college tour, here is what I come up with:

- See academic, social, and extracurricular buildings (more than likely only the ones that a school wants you to see)
- See a classroom, lecture hall, and computer lab (fairly standard, no much variance from school to school)
- Hear one student's story of how they chose XYZ college or university and what makes it special (realizing that most tourguides have gone through some type of training and while most answers are not coached, tourguides have probably answered the frequent questions enough to have a canned answer)
- View dining options
- Hear a personal story or two about the tourguides experience at the school

If you are really lucky you might:
- See a campus event
- Bump into a professor
- See an actual class
- See students in action

I can't tell you how many students that I have talked to that chose their college or university because they loved their tourguide. To be honest this is a little scary. I love our tourguides, known as ambassadors, and I think they do a great job, but I encourage our visitors to make their decision based on the experience have and education they will receive for four years and not just one personal contact.

To get the most out of a campus tour, here are some suggestions:
- If a tourguide points out a building but tells you that you aren't going to go into it; ask why. Then ask to go in the building anyway.
- Request to see a first-year residence hall.
- Eat in the main dining facility.
- Don’t ask the basic questions of your tourguide. That is when you get the prepared answers. Find out what your tourguide really thinks about their college. Questions to ask your tourguide:

- What is your relationship with your advisor?
- Have you attended any programming outside your major and what was it?
- What professor has influenced you the most?
- Where does this school need to improve (better than what don’t you like about the school)?
- What will you do this weekend (better than asking if students stay)?
- Where do students tend to gather and what gets the student’s excited?
- Have you had a class that you never thought you’d enjoy and did?
- Has there been any controversy on campus recently?
- Have any of your friends transferred to other schools? Why?
- Is there any separation among the student body? By major? By religion? Athletic teams? Other?
- How well does the administration communicate with the student body? What are some of the changes planned for the school?
- Do you think you are getting value for your tuition?

My best piece of advice for the campus tour is to walk around after your tour. Now you know where everything is. Spend some more time in the areas you will be congregating at if you attend the school. If you plan on being a Biology major spend some more time and around the Science building. You may bump into a professor or students. Ask them questions. You will get a better feel for the atmosphere. Other pieces of advice:

- If you enjoyed your campus visit, go back at different times in the day and different days of the year. You will be on campus from August to May for four years. You should want to know what campus is like at differing times.
- If you were excited about a school but your tourguide made the visit less than desirable, take a tour with another guide.
- Have a seat in the middle of campus and just soak it all up for a little while.
- A college campus is an open place. Poke your head in places, stop people, and ask questions.

- KICK THE TIRES A LITTLE, THEY WON’T GO FLAT