How to Be a Good Judge on the Campus Tour

So you've booked a spot for your chosen college's visit day. This tour could potentially determine your decision of whether you want to spend the next four or five years at this campus. But how should you evaluate the college? It's not easy. Campus tour guides are paid to gush over the college. Don't expect your bubbly tour guide to suddenly break out of character and urgently whisper, "Stay away! Get out while you still can!"

So if you can't take their word, how are you going to get the inside scoop on whether you should attend this college or not? Barring any extreme oddities, the truth is that campus tours shouldn't be the factor in choosing your college. There are, however, certain factors that should absolutely contribute to your final decision. To get the most out of your college tour, follow these ten suggestions.

1. Do your homework ahead of time

Figure out why you want to go to this college in the first place. Check out the college's Web site and see what programs interest you. Do you know what you're going to major in? Check out the opportunities that the department gives its majors. If you don't know your major, look for other programs unique to the college: athletics, study abroad programs, clubs, etc.

You should also look up statistics either on the college's Web site or found in college guide books like the Princeton Review. What's the average class size? What are the most popular programs? Is the college generous with financial aid? Additionally, all colleges must compile campus crime statistics by law. Look for those stats on the college's Web site. Sure, some of the numbers are tweaked to appear lower, but you might be able to get a good grasp on campus safety.

Why should you do all this extra work? Oftentimes, you'll have the opportunity to talk to professors, coaches, and the administration. If you know all this information, you'll ask better questions and receive better answers.

2. Examine the area surrounding the campus

The community surrounding the campus is just as important-if not more-than the college campus itself. Ask your tour guide about the college's relationship with the town. You may receive a surprisingly honest assessment. I had one tour guide even admit that the townies hated college students.

If the surrounding campus makes you feel uncomfortable (or makes you giddy with joy), that should be a major factor in choosing your college.

3. Evaluate the campus itself

Think about what you want out of college. Do you want a sprawling campus? Or do you want to be able to know every square inch of your future school? Do you want cutting-edge technology in all campus buildings? Or are you more concerned with their quaintness?

You're better able to judge the campus facilities if you know your major. For instance, if you're a biology or chemistry major, you should take a closer look at the science buildings and the facilities the college offers. If you're a humanities major, the quality of the teaching-rather than the quality of the buildings-will probably matter more.

Two major factors that everyone should look out for is safety and technology. Watch for any significant health hazards on your tour (although I doubt you'd actually see anything, but boy, what an interesting tour that would be). You should also ask about computer facilities, wireless (if you want to bring a laptop), and the quality of the campus's Internet connection.

4. Be careful when judging a college's rank

Many students choose their college based on their rank or prestige. If you're going to a "Big Ten" school, but you want personal attention in your college classroom, you may be better off at a smaller, private college. If you want a huge range of studies and tons of campus activities, you may want to swap your private college for a huge university.

On your campus tour, forget the numbers and look at the campus, surrounding areas, and classes without rank or prestige prejudicing your thoughts. Think about how you would fit in at the college, and if you could see yourself being happy there.

5. Try to strike up a conversation with regular students

Since your campus tour guide most likely won't give you a laundry list of all the negatives about the college, try to talk to other students. Of course, you may get a student who's the reverse of your tour guide: cynical, bitter, and willing to say anything nasty about the college. You should try to get a range of opinions. Even if there's a lack of enthusiasm (it could be a test day after all), as long as they don't give you any dire warnings, the college should be fine.

6. Talk to professors, coaches, and administration

As mentioned before, these figures can help you evaluate the college. If your major goal is to play on the college's football team, you should absolutely talk to the coach and, if possible, future teammates. Evaluate the coaches; are they happy to tell you about their program, or do they look annoyed that they have to talk to you?

If you're speaking with a professor or a person from the administration, you should do the same. Do they display enthusiasm about the college and you, or do they act as though they couldn't care less?

7. Learn about the classes they offer

Browse through a class catalog. They're usually available for free at the admissions office. Do any of the programs or majors jump out at you? Does the college seem to lack unique courses or demand silly requirements? Now is the time to find out.

Sometimes on tours you're even given the opportunity to sit in on a college class. While a single class doesn't determine the quality of the college (or even the quality of that professor), it still helps you connect with the campus. You will also have the opportunity to talk to other students and ask them about the professor or how happy they are with their classes.

8. Look at the freshmen dorms

A campus tour almost always highlights the dorms-however, the tour guides will be showing off their best and newest buildings. If they don't take you to the freshmen dorms, be suspicious. If it's not on the tour, ask if someone can show you those them. While the dorms shouldn't be a key factor in your decision (barring any safety concerns of course), keep in mind that you will be living there for at least a year.

9. Never judge the campus food

Unless you're a food fanatic, this item shouldn't be on your list. Even if it is, keep in mind that the college is well aware that it should impress on visit days. At my college whenever there was a visit day, everyone knew that lunch that day would be fantastic.

10. Take advantage of any overnight stays

If the college offers overnight stays, you should take this opportunity. Overnight stays typically involve staying overnight in a campus dorm with current students. While the college probably won't stick you in a freshmen dorm (because they want to make a good impression), you'll get to talk to students, see how they spend their time, and maybe even venture off campus (depending on your temporary roommate's workload) and get to know the vibe there. As your roommates learn more about you, they'll be more apt to give you a fair assessment of the college and what life is like there.

Conclusion

While the college will do its best to cover up its flaws, by following these tips you may get a better grasp than most students on visit days. Being alert and open-minded will help you garner enough information to eventually make your life-changing decision on where to go for college.