How to Get the Most out of Your College Tour

I recently went on my first college tour to my dream school in Tennessee. I was very excited and a little nervous but I wanted to make sure I got the best out of my tour. In order to do that, I needed to ask the right questions. But what are the right questions? Well since I asked a ton of them, I have decided to share them to help you get the most out of your tour. But first, a couple of reminders.

Firstly, you are interviewing the college, not the other way around. With the exception of a few exclusive schools, you are trying to see if they are worth your time. After all, you're going to be investing thousands of dollars into their school so you need to make sure it's worth it. Second, you know yourself and what you want to know about. Trust your gut and have confidence. You are the interviewer, not the interviewee. I have organized this into two sections. First are the general questions, and then tips along with pre-med specializations since that's what I spent a lot of time learning about. Now that that's all cleared up, on to the questions!

What class is used to weed out students?

This question is very important, espescially if you're a science or pre-med student. This way you can find out which courses you're going to need the most energy and time for. You can also aim to enroll in these courses first so you can have the best pick of the class times.

What textbooks are used?

It's important to know which books you'll need and if it'll really make a difference which edition you get. One thing I've learned is that when a new edition of a textbook is released, the former edition becomes very cheap. The differences tend to be very minute but you should check with your professor to see which one you'd need. After finding out which books you'll use, you can budget how much money you'll need for them.

What's the culture of the school like?

No school is perfect so you might as well learn about the not so great aspects of it. Even if you absolutely love the school, it's important to know what it's weaknesses are. Maybe it's more outdoorsy than you're used to, then you'd need to learn about cities close by. Maybe the school doesn't have a great intramurals program, then you'd need to see options for sports in the area. Just be aware of what the school is like so you can adjust to it sooner.

What scholarships are available?

This is one of the most critical questions outside of academics that you can ask. Learn about every single scholarship you can. Academic, sports, music, and even other ones like photography, writing, and film. See if there's any way you can get a full scholarship and if it maintains itself. College is expensive and you should always see if there's a way you can better your investment.

Ask about the syllabus

This is probably one of the best tips I can possibly give, but I have to warn you, not every school would be able to allow it. Asking for a syllabus allows you to get a feel for the difficulty of the classes. It also shows that you're proactive and really interested in preparing yourself for college. If you're lucky enough to know someone at the school in your major, you can ask them for a syllabus if you can't get it from the professor.

Tips for improvement

Many colleges have a student give the tour so you'll likely be able to ask a lot of questions. I strongly recommend asking about tips on how you can improve, especially from your professors which brings me to my next tip.

Meet your professors

Meeting your professors is a good way to get your face around campus and prepare yourself for doing well in class. Interested in biology? Talk to professors in the biology department. That way they'll know who you are, and they can give you tips on how to do well in their class.

Explore different departments

I recommend exploring different departments even if you know what you're interested in. You might want to consider a different major or have a minor. It's good to either complement or contrast. For instance, a minor in chemistry would complement a major in biology. And a minor in music would contrast a major in finance. Think about your interests and what you plan to do for a career and go on from there.

Learn about the campus and jobs

As I talked to my future biology professor, she told me that it's important to know where everything is so I can adjust better. So even as we were touring the biology building, she highlighted where the bathrooms were and which labs I would likely be in. As you go on your tour, pay attention to where everything is so you can be prepared for your classes. It also helps to know where the on-campus jobs are. You might get one when you attend to it's a good idea to know what skills they look for and what jobs you're interested in.

I didn't cover absolutely everything, but I hope this gives you a good idea of how to take charge of your tour. Remember, you are investing in the school, so know what you're getting into. Whatever happens, be sure to carry yourself with confidence so you can get the most out of your college tour.