Visiting the campuses of the colleges and universities where you are interested in studying is not required for admission but can help you learn if a college is right for you. I’ve got great news. You do not have to physically visit a campus to get a sense of what life is like there. After all, depending on where you live and the colleges you’re considering, it may not be safe for you to embark on the quintessential college road trip right now, and that’s assuming the campus is even open or conducting tours, info sessions, and other events that are usually part of the campus visit.
Tips for Virtual Campus Visits
Many schools offer virtual alternatives to on-campus tours on their websites or through YouVisit.com, which is a great way to get a “visual baseline” for a campus. Some schools kick it up a notch by hosting online dorm tours or providing access to residence hall floor plans. Virtual tours are great, and you can take things even further by using the Google Maps “Street View” feature as a way to explore the campus quads, the facades of libraries and laboratories, as well as parks, restaurants, and transportation options in the surrounding area.
Here’s our Campus Visit Checklist to help you keep organized during your virtual campus visits.
At some schools, it may be an option to sign up to attend a virtual class in a major that interests you. Check the college’s website or reach out directly to the admissions office to see what’s available. Plus, schools are offering more virtual information sessions, online Q&A’s with admissions deans, and live chats on social media than ever before. These offerings are opportunities to ask questions about financial aid, career services, academic support, curriculum requirements (many, though not all, schools have some general education requirements that all students must complete, regardless of major), and availability of classes, particularly for first years and/or prerequisites for more advanced courses. The admissions office at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, for example, sets up virtual coffee meetings so prospective students can chat with current students and faculty, and then, of course, you can always keep in touch by email.
Follow your prospective school’s social media accounts, but save time to dig into non-admission accounts, too, like the Twitter for the club soccer team you’d consider joining if you enrolled or the Instagram for the very popular campus improv group. Take advantage of any connections you might have through your parents, your school counselor, or your friends to get in touch with real students who attend the colleges on your list—they are their college experts, after all. Ask them what they like—and don’t like—about their school, what the workload is like, how they spend their days and anything else that interests you.