Campus Tours: Tips for Making the Most of Your College Visit
Visit classes, see the dorms, sample the food and more on a campus tour.
Thinking of becoming a Boxer? Schedule your on-campus tour today and talk to current students, faculty, and admissions counselors to get answers on everything from prime study spots to the best late night restaurants.
DISCOVER UPCOMING ADMISSIONS EVENTS
Campus visits are an important part of choosing a college, but doing more than a few can become an expensive and time-consuming process.
And with virtual visits becoming more robust and popular, it’s worth asking the question: why visit colleges at all?
The answer, simply put, is that you’re choosing not only a place to learn, but also a place to live, a place you feel comfortable.
Selecting a college may sound like a rather daunting decision, but a campus tour can be a fun and rewarding experience.
So, how do you make the most of a college visit? Here’s a few of our suggestions.
1. Think of questions in advance and write them down
During your time on campus you will be guided by someone who knows the college inside and out.
This could be a knowledgeable admissions counselor, expert student ambassador, or even a tenured professor. The best way to utilize these amazing people during your campus tour is to come prepared with questions.
Whether typed up, scrawled on the back of an envelope, or dictated through your notes app, having a clear list of your biggest questions or concerns is the best way to leave your visit confident and prepared to make a decision.
No question is too small or too specific, and everyone you meet on campus will be excited to answer them for you.
Curious about graduation rates? Ask away. How late is the library open? Let’s find out. Where’s the best place to get donuts? Someone will know and happily split a maple bar with you.
2. Visit what matters to you
On your campus tour you’ll get taken to a lot of important places — the registrar, financial aid, the library — but your guide can’t hit every stop (there’s so much to see), so make sure you take time to visit the places that will be important to you.
Do you live at the gym? Scout the weight room. Musical aspirations? Sit in on a rehearsal. Into 3D printing? Find the on-campus Makerspace. Your passions are going to propel you through your degree, so don’t be shy about asking after them.
As for the big stuff, here’s three things we think are can’t miss stops on your campus tour.
- The Dorms. Avoid waking up on the wrong side of the bed by touring your housing options. If you’re visiting campus in summer there will be lots of vacant dorm rooms to see, and the housing staff will gladly show you around.
- The Dining Hall. Studying is hungry work, so check out what’s on the menu. Most college campuses allow guests to buy meals at the dining halls, so stop by for lunch and fill your plate.
- Your Major. Not only will visiting the department office of your major give you the chance to talk to students and professors — some of whom could become your future peers and teachers — but it will show you what kinds of study spaces and resources are available for your specific degree path.
You can even sit in on a class! There’s no better way to understand if a major or college is right for you than to experience it firsthand.
Professors are almost always enthusiastic about students visiting, but you need to plan ahead and contact them in advance of your campus visit.
This is a great way to talk to current students, who can answer your questions about campus culture from lived experience.
The best part? If the professor assigns any homework, you don’t have to do it!
3. Wander campus on your own
Break away from the structured tour route and take time to simply walk around campus.
Allow yourself to get lost and go into buildings that seem interesting. Because colleges are so dense with things to see and do, no admissions tour can cover it all.
Wander into art galleries, explore the library's special collections, or simply discover a shady spot and people watch.
Don’t forget to take pictures! When you’re back home making your decision, being able to look back and see the things that were important to you can be a huge help in not only remembering how a place made you feel, but also in recalling things that might not always be listed on an admissions website.
4. Live like a local
Whether in a small town or a bustling metropolis, students don’t spend every moment on campus, and exploring the city that houses your college is a great way to experience what going to that university is truly like.
So go where the students go! Whether it’s a small corner cafe, a local park, or the indie movie theater, you’re likely to run into people who know what it’s like to attend the college you’re visiting.
5. Have fun!
It’s important to remember that, apart from being educational, the college experience is supposed to be fun. So as you explore campus look out for things that interest you.
Is a movie showing at the student union? Take a seat! Pickleball game outside the cafeteria? Join in. Impromptu water balloon fight? It’s more common than you’d think.
The college campus tour process can be stressful, especially with the decisions that are attached to it, but the more relaxed you are, the more you will connect with the places you visit.
So relax. Find a chair — or a yoga ball or lounge chair or park bench beside a fountain — and take it all in. After all, you could be an alumnus one day.
Can't make it out to Forest Grove? Participate in a self-guided virtual tour! Discover everything that makes Pacific such an inclusive and encouraging space for students from the comfort of your couch.