Being a freshman in college is always a new and extremely exciting experience. No matter who you ask, the vast majority of adult people reminisce about these years as the most exciting, full-filled with emotion and just in general the most interesting period of life. And, it is also a great responsibility to choose the right educational establishment to attend in the future. This is why it is vital to not neglect the possibility to visit your college beforehand, especially a specially organized college tour. Everyone says, that you have to talk to everyone, to the administration, to older students, but it is easy to give this advice when you know how the college works. However, when you have just finished school, it may seem quite concerning.
Before coming on a college tour, you may even search for its pages online. Not only it will tell you a little bit of general information about the place, you may also find contacts of students, who study there. And, they are what you are searching for, as you may not only communicate formally, but you may also ask them for some college life hacks, like the ways to get a better place in dorm or what cheap dissertation writing services they use. This will create a blurry, but still a picture in your mind of what to get ready for.
A university tour allows potential students to go beyond the cleverly crafted pictures in advertising booklets and on social networking sites and get to meet a college firsthand. Students might gain a better understanding of a college by asking insightful questions of campus tour guides. So, we prepared a list of questions that will help you benefit the most from attending a college tour.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
It is important to understand the general benefits and features of the college you are touring. Usually your guide will be a student. Who is currently studying there, that is why do not hesitate asking the following questions.
- Why did you personally choose this college?
The answer to this question usually reveals all the potential benefits of the place and its distinctive features. Personal choices of people describe the place the best. If someone has willingly chosen this establishment (and was not just forced to study there), then it means that it has some features, that make it worthy.
2. What is the main disadvantage of the college?
This question may be a little provocative, as usually younger students are afraid to ask something like that. But, as you will be talking to a student, who has definitely faced some struggles throughout his (or her) path at the place. And it is extremely important to understand which one. Not necessarily they should be specific with it and go in deep detail, but it is important to understand whether the administration, the dorm, the study load, the food or whatever else is a thing to focus on.
ADMISSION QUESTIONS
The process of admission is quite a stressful one, as you have to undergo multiple different procedures, like passing various tests, being interviewed and maybe some other university-specific ones. This is why it should be a part of your interest to understand what to be ready for.
3. What plays the main role in admissions process?
The answer to this question will tell you your main focuses during the process of applying to the university. In fact, the values do vary in different educational institutions: some pay more attention to your test scores, some focus on the interview, some — on our application letter. This is why talking to the guide will narrow the focus of your attention concerning this very topic.
4. What personal interests play the greatest role?
This is one of the most important questions concerning the process of admission, especially for those universities that focus on personal interviews or admission letters. It is important to understand the values of the college you want to study at, as it is not only important when you are trying to get there, but also is basically a theme of all the process of education. If your guide is a student, he (or she) can definitely prove this point, and as they are approximately your age they will tell you how you can impress the committee.
STUDYING QUESTIONS
No doubt, your academic performance is the primary factor that describes you to the administration of the university, and studying is the main point of overall college education.
5. Are the classes more theoretical or practical?
This one is a very important one for those, who want to plan their future education. And, of course, this question is the most important one for STEM students, who need to possess a list of skills for their work. If they have to find practice opportunities themselves, they should know about it beforehand. A good theoretical base is an important aspect in every specialization, and it is vital to estimate how the course is built and how to organize your time to cope with the amount of information you will receive.
6. Do you go out often?
This one may sound even funny in some way, but it holds a lot of sense. The answer to it will tell you a lot about the length of classes, the workload, the amount of homework, personal assignments and projects and how strict the assessment is. And, you will automatically understand how much free time you will possess.
ACCOMMODATION QUESTIONS
This is the topic that will be the most interesting for away-from-home students, who are expecting to receive the accommodation from the university.
7. Do you live in a dorm?
No need to ask whether the university provides you a place to live first — the answer to this question will tell you everything. After receiving the answer, you can add a lot of specifying questions about the opportunities of receiving an accommodation, and how this specific student sealed with the absence of it (in case the university does not provide any). If he (or she) lives at the dorm, you can then ask about the conditions of it, about the number of people in the room and other detail, so you can understand whether you want to live there or not.
8. What is the main criteria you need to possess to receive a place at the dorm?
If you have decided that you are ready to live at campus and the conditions of the place are acceptable for you, you need to understand how to get there. Different colleges focus on different factors when determining who receives accommodation from it. These include the place they used to live at, the academical performance or the social activity and volunteering. It is quite hard to be the first in every of the possible criteria, which is why you need to know the one for the place of your interest and, according to it, estimate your chances to get the place at the dorm.
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES QUESTIONS
The main reason you choose this or that college is the level of professionalism it guarantees you. And, the level of professionalism you possess directly corresponds to your future work opportunities. Thus, it is especially important to estimate them to choose the educational establishment.
9. Is it possible for companies to solicit students on campus?
The answer will show you how often you can meet a potential employer at your university, and, thus, how interested the businesses are in the students of this specific place. You will understand the possibility of employment even when you are still studying, because no one has cancelled the student loan.
10. What research opportunities are available for students?
Another important question for students. Especially the STEM ones. The list of the companies and universities that co-work with your college and the number of international contacts the place of your interest has is directly related to your personal opportunities of enrolling in the research interesting for you.
