Roselyn Romero

Going on college tours is a super exciting part of your high school career! It allows you to not only view the campus you want to apply to someday, but to also check out what opportunities are in store for you at that specific institution. By visiting the schools on your college list, you can get a feel for which universities you’d love to attend and which ones you probably wouldn’t like as much.

At every college tour, there will be one or more tour guides who will do the majority of the talking throughout your visit. These tour guides are normally students attending the college or university, but they can also be alumni or even faculty members of the school.

Though they will have the limelight for most of the tour, it is highly encouraged to be actively engaged by asking the tour guides any questions you may have pertaining to the school. This demonstrates your interest in the college or university and allows you to learn more about the campus than your tour guide would normally divulge.

Here are a few questions you can ask your tour guide that would give you unique answers that would typically not be found online:

• How much time do you study per day/week?
  This is the perfect question to ask your tour guide if he/she is currently studying in the field in which you are interested! Your tour guide will give you more insight on the rigor for his/her specific courses, as well as how he/she practices efficient time management as a full-time college student.
• Do you know your professors well enough to ask for a letter of recommendation?
  For many large schools, it may be difficult for students to get to know their professors one-on-one, which could be detrimental if students need letters of recommendation for an internship, career, or even graduate school. This question will allow your tour guide to divulge information on how simple or challenging it is to establish a strong connection with his/her professors, which is an important factor to research when deciding which college to attend.
• Is there anything you know now that you did not know when you got accepted?
  Many colleges are abundant with amazing opportunities, but some may also come with demanding obstacles, whether it be financial, academic, or social. By asking this question, you will know how your tour guide’s perspectives have progressed as a student at that specific institution.
• Do you know about any specific internships/job opportunities that students majoring in [insert your field of study] have gotten?
  While you are face-to-face with a student enrolled in the college or university, take advantage of this opportunity to network! Ask about any internships that the campus offers, as well as how students have benefited from them academically and vocationally. You can even ask your tour guide if he/she has landed any internships or jobs on campus, and how his/her experience was while interning or working.
• Are there any cons to attending this school?
  All schools have their own perks that they love to highlight during campus tours, so don’t be afraid to ask your tour guide about any drawbacks that may come with attending that specific college or university. This will give you a much broader understanding of the school and its surrounding area from someone who has already spent some time living there.

These are all phenomenal questions you can ask your college tour guide to avoid receiving generic information and to get to know your tour guide’s holistic outlook on that institution. At the end of every tour, remember to thank your guide for assisting your group and to ask for his/her contact information in case you have any further questions!