what are college virtual tours

25 Virtual College Tours Worth Taking

Virtual college tours are considered one of the easiest, most accessible ways to learn about a school. While a more typical college tour may still be conducted in-person, the reality of that is changing. With the technological advances of the last 10-15 years, virtual tours have become a new, affordable possibility. Indeed, a virtual college tour can be an excellent way to learn about a school’s campus, programs, student life, clubs and activities, and much more.

You might be curious, how exactly do virtual college tours work? The answer depends on the school. Some virtual tours are live streams or recordings of in-person campus tours. Others are interactive maps where you can click on buildings and see what happens inside. Some will even include Q&A sessions with students. These are just some of the many ways schools show prospective students what life is like on campus. However, not all virtual college tours are created equal.

In this article, we’ll explore the world of virtual college visits, including:

• Benefits of engaging in college tours
• Similarities and differences between in-person and virtual college tours
• Different formats of virtual tours
• Top 25 virtual tours worth taking
• How to plan and make the most of your college visits
• What comes next after a college tour 

Without a doubt, college visits will play an integral role in your college journey. So, let’s dive into why college visits are so important to the application process. 

Why College Visits?

Before we explore virtual college tours in greater detail, let’s discuss why college visits are important to begin with. First and foremost, college tours are a way to learn about schools before you apply or even attend. Attending college is a big commitment. Therefore, taking the time to learn more about each school will allow you to feel more confident in deciding where to attend. 

Secondly, the college admissions process is a time of self-exploration. By engaging in college tours, you can learn more about yourself just as you do about colleges. Maybe you will notice you like smaller campuses that aren’t in bustling cities. Or perhaps you will realize that having a lot of cultural diversity on campus is important. By learning these facts about yourself, you will contribute to your overall personal development as well as create a holistic college list.

Lastly, college visits for juniors help to put together a strong application. Many colleges request that you write a supplemental essay about why you want to attend their school. Through a visit, you can gain knowledge about the school and be able to speak passionately and specifically about why you wish to attend in your essays. This is more critical than ever since the number of applications has skyrocketed at many schools. As such, you’ll need to make sure your application demonstrates why you are a clear fit.

College visits and the admissions process

As you may have already gathered, there are two times when you might find it most valuable to visit colleges:

Before applying

Virtual college tours and in-person campus tours can help you narrow down your college list. In doing so, you will only spend money and time applying to colleges that you would really love to attend. College visits for juniors can also help them write stronger essays.

After admission to make a final matriculation decision

If you are admitted to multiple schools, a campus visit can help you feel more confident in your final decision. As a senior, you also might have more specific questions about certain activities or campus life. Getting to know the campus more can also help ease the transition into your first year. Since you’ll already know where important buildings and resources are located, your first day may not be as overwhelming!

Now that you understand the importance of college visits, let’s explore what goes into planning a college visit.

Planning your college visit

As we shared, college visits are an important part of the admissions process. However, planning in-person campus tours can be time-consuming and expensive. To begin, you and your family will need to explore what times of year are best to travel. Some common times to visit schools are during school breaks or summer vacations. However, if you hope to see more activity on campus, then try to plan your visit when classes are in session. 

Next, we recommend setting up a visit with the admissions office. While you can, in most cases, visit a campus without an appointment, the appointment helps you gain access to a tour. It may even allow you to speak with an admissions officer. Ideally, you will book this appointment a few months before the visit. If you find yourself running short on time, you can also show up on campus and take a self-guided tour. Occidental College , Haverford College , and Claremont McKenna College all offer self-guided tours, whether using a printed map or a downloadable app. 

The cost of college visits

Regardless of whether you pre-schedule your visit, you will need to pay for your travel including transportation, hotels, and meals. Many students try to see multiple schools in one visit to save money and time.

For some students, setting up in-person visits is difficult. Beyond the expensive nature of travel, parents or guardians may not be able to take off work or find childcare. Some high schools organize college visits for juniors, or even sophomores, where adult chaperones take large groups of students to visit schools. However, this may not be an option at your school.

If the cost and logistics required to attend in-person college tours is prohibitive, don’t worry! In the next sections, we’ll discuss the many similarities, as well as the unique benefits, of virtual college tours.

COVID-19’s Impact on College Visits

While virtual tours existed pre-pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic made them a necessity as college campus tours were canceled. Since then, virtual tours have become more advanced and more widely available. In some cases, college virtual tours can offer as much, or more, than an in-person campus visit.

While many students still prefer in-person visits, virtual tours can be used as a tool to explore colleges earlier in the application journey. Virtual tours can also be useful to prepare for an in-person visit. If a student can spend 15 minutes taking a virtual tour and noting what buildings or parts of campus interest them most, then they can focus their in-person tour on those aspects. 

Overall, virtual tours are an excellent way to visit schools that are completely inaccessible, such as ones that are too far away. Many international students use virtual college tours to explore campuses they wish to attend. Indeed, the fact that virtual tours exploded during the pandemic has raised several questions about accessibility, including the need to make more tours available in multiple languages or geared towards low-income families.

Coming up, we will explore more about the similarities and differences between in-person and virtual college tours. 

In-person vs Virtual College Tours

Luckily, visiting colleges today does not require you to go to a campus. Indeed, the number and quality of virtual campus tours for students have skyrocketed in recent years. Undoubtedly, there are similarities and differences between in-person college campus tours and virtual college tours.

Similarities between In-Person College Campus Tours and Virtual College Tours

• They provide a layout of the campus.
• They allow students to get a sense of the campus architecture, including the inside of academic buildings and dorms. For example, UT San Antonio offers special housing tours for students to see where they might be living.
• Students can learn about specific academic programs. For instance, Harvard offers a specialized in-person tour for engineering and applied sciences students in addition to the Harvard virtual tour.
• They offer insight into student life on campus. Emerson College , for example, offers videos of students talking about their transition to life in Boston and co-curricular activities.
• Tours allow students to explore the available clubs and activities on campus.
• They are opportunities to hear directly from actual students about their experiences. Colgate , Princeton , and Barnard all offer virtual conversations with students.
• Students can get some of their doubts answered. Many tours offer a live Q&A with current students. Pomona ’s live virtual sessions include this offering.

Differences between In-Person College Campus Tours and Virtual College Tours

Note that depending on the school, you may or may not receive information about that school’s admissions process during a tour, whether in-person or virtual. Several schools, like Spelman , encourage students to schedule separate webinars to learn more about the admissions process, as this is not a topic covered in their campus tours. 

Now that we have explored the similarities and differences between in-person college campus tours and virtual college visits, let’s look more deeply into when and how to use virtual college tours.

Understanding Virtual College Tours

When first hearing about virtual college visits, many students and families are skeptical about how useful they can be. However, college virtual tours have advanced so much in recent years that many offer a similar, if not enhanced, experience to an in-person visit. 

As we discussed, there are several obvious reasons why college virtual tours are easier than in-person, including the fact that they are free and require little to no planning. In the following sections, we will discover more of the benefits and uses of virtual college tours. We will also discuss how they work and explore some of the best virtual college tours that exist today.

Are Virtual College Tours Worth It?

Yes—college virtual tours are absolutely worth your time! Indeed, virtual college tours can be a very good investment of time depending on where you are in your college admissions process. Let’s explore some ways that you can use virtual college visits to aid you in your college decision-making process:

Initial exploration of schools

As a freshman or sophomore in high school, you might not know how to prepare for the college process. Using virtual college tours, you can begin to explore schools and learn about what you like and don’t like in a college. This process can help you stay motivated to work hard as you will visualize your goals with greater clarity. You will also begin to learn what types of schools you are drawn to, which can help you build a college list faster in your junior year.

Exploring more and different schools

In the past, many students were limited to only visiting schools they could travel to. In some cases, leaving their state or country was impossible. Virtual college tours offer much more accessibility for students who cannot travel large distances. Also, since they can be completed in much less time than in-person college campus tours, virtual college visits may allow you to explore schools you had never considered. Perhaps you were only considering applying to big public schools. With virtual college visits, you can branch out and easily explore small, liberal arts colleges as well.

Narrowing down the list of schools you might want to visit in person

You might have a long college list. Ideally, you’ll want to cut it down when considering which schools to visit. This is where virtual college visits offer a unique opportunity to make the most of your time and resources. Before you get on the road, you can do a virtual tour to see if you like the campus enough to visit. Or perhaps the virtual tour helps you see which parts of campus you want to explore further, or which buildings you want to enter.

Alternatively, maybe your virtual college visits give you the confidence to know you like the school enough that you don’t need to spend lots of money on a flight in your junior year. Perhaps you will wait and see if you are admitted and visit the school afterward to decide if you want to attend.

Certainly, we can agree there are many benefits to virtual college visits. However, some virtual college tours are more interactive, engaging, and informative than others. Later, we will explore some of the virtual college tours that are worth taking.

While the quality of the tour may depend on the schools you’re interested in, how much you get out of them ultimately depends on you. We will explore how to make the most of your college virtual tours later. 

What Are Virtual College Tours Like?

Now that we have convinced you that college virtual tours are beneficial, let’s look at what you can expect from them. Most virtual college tours for students have some combination of the following offerings:

Guided tour of campus

This can include a combination of interactive maps and pictures, embedded videos, informational text, and voiceovers describing what you are seeing. Some college virtual tours offer 360-degree views that allow you to click around and move through campus as if you were there, such as the University of Tampa ’s tour. Even more advanced tours offer immersive virtual reality (VR) technology which allows you to put on a headset and bring the campus to life in front of your eyes. However, VR campus tours typically require you to have your own equipment at home.

Campus highlights

Most virtual college tours for students will highlight important buildings or landmarks. These can include academic buildings, monuments, libraries, dining halls, residence halls, and the student union. By showing you these buildings, schools hope to give you a sense of what your day-to-day life may look like as a student there.

Student testimonials

Another helpful part of college virtual tours is student testimonials. Sometimes, this looks like students leading a campus tour while sharing their own experiences. Other times, schools will offer webinars for prospective students to ask questions of others. More common these days is the use of social media to share student experiences. Some schools will allow students to “take over” their social media accounts and post about their day so that prospective students can see what a day on campus is like. Consider following schools of interest on social media so you can get an insider’s perspective.

Now that you know what you can generally expect from college virtual tours, let’s explore the differences between college campus tours across schools.

How Do Virtual College Tours Work?

As the name suggests, virtual tours happen via a computer, phone, or other piece of technology. However, that can look very different depending on the school you are investigating. As we shared above, many virtual college tours for students include some kind of guided tour of campus, a list of highlights, and student testimonials. However, these items can come in very different formats.

Here are some of the formats you can expect:

Pre-recorded videos.

These can look like videos of a student giving a tour or a video of activities happening around campus. Since these are the simplest version of virtual college tours for students, they are the most common. Schools like Dartmouth , CalPoly , and Vassar all offer pre-recorded tours. 

Interactive videos

Some videos let you click on buildings or landmarks as you watch to learn more. In some cases, you can even enter buildings. For example, the Harvard virtual tour lets you click through photos of the athletic center, dorms, libraries, labs, and quads. The Harvard virtual tour also includes a voiceover that provides additional information as you scroll through images. 

Interactive map s

Here you’ll have a map of campus, whether flat or 360 degrees, that lets you click on landmarks to gather more information. Cornell , Bucknell , Wesleyan , and Pace all have online maps you can explore.

Live streams

This is a video that is being filmed at the same time you are watching it. Live streams sometimes offer a chance for Q&A with the student hosting. To take advantage of this, you will need to be present at the exact time the live stream is being shared. In some cases, you may need to register ahead of time to receive the link. An example of a live tour is at the University of Pennsylvania , where students register ahead of time for a one-hour, live, student-led virtual campus tour.

Live Virtual Tour vs. Pre-Recorded Tour

Take special note of the distinction between live virtual tours and pre-recorded virtual tours. Live virtual tours are being streamed as you watch them, which means you will get a better sense of what is happening right then and there on campus. Sometimes, live virtual tours include a Q&A section where you can ask questions. Meanwhile, pre-recorded virtual tours are less interactive but offer the flexibility of watching them whenever you can.

A common platform for many of these virtual college tours is YouVisit . YouVisit specializes in making virtual experiences as interactive as possible. For that reason, you may notice that many of the online virtual college tours you discover are similar in format. YouVisit’s tours tend to include interactive 360-degree maps, voiceovers, videos, and photos.

As you can tell, there are many formats and options for virtual tours. Indeed, the menu of options has exploded in recent years, in part due to the necessity created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, we will look more closely at when to take a virtual tour and explore some of the most helpful virtual tours worth taking.

When is the right time to take a Virtual Tour?

Virtual college tours can be useful at any stage, whether you’re already working on applications or just starting to build your college list.  No matter where you are in the college admissions process, remember: it’s never too early to take a virtual tour! However, before you start exploring virtually, it’s useful to know how virtual college tours can benefit you.

Tours for sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Virtual college tours will look different for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As a sophomore, a virtual tour might be a way to dip your toes into the world of college admissions. Since you can take virtual college tours from the comfort of your own home, this is a low-stakes way to get a feel for which colleges you’re interested in applying to. 

College visits for juniors are a bit more meaningful. You may be starting to create a college list, so you’ll want to pay close attention to the different parts of the virtual tour. Consider taking notes as you go, so that when you start applying to schools you have observations from your virtual tour to look back on. 

If you’re a senior, there’s another important aspect of virtual college tours to keep in mind: demonstrated interest. When colleges read your application, they often look for “demonstrated interest,” which is a way that you demonstrate that you care about the school. Colleges want to admit students who will ultimately choose that college, and one way to show that you care about a school is to attend a tour. 

What Colleges Offer Virtual Tours?

In general, virtual college tours make tours accessible for people who can’t travel to the school for whatever reason. Most schools understand that not all students can visit in person and will offer some type of virtual tour—whether it’s a recorded tour, a video of the campus, or another interactive option. 

So, how do you decide which ones to take? Up next, you’ll find our list of the best virtual college tours that we think are worth your time.

25 Virtual College Tours Worth Taking!

As we’ve discussed, virtual tours are a great way to get a feel for a school’s campus without having to make the trip to visit. You can take a virtual tour at almost any time—you can even take one more than once!

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 25 great virtual college tours that you can embark on in lieu of a traditional college visit. 

Top 25 Virtual College Tours

1. princeton university.

First on our list of virtual college tours worth taking is Princeton University. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton is ranked #1 in National Universities. Princeton’s virtual tour consists of a live-streamed Zoom webinar, where one of their tour guides will take you along with them on their campus tour. You can even ask your guide questions in the Zoom chat!

2. Harvard University

Next on our list of best virtual college tours is Harvard University, located in Cambridge, MA. The Harvard virtual tour is self-guided, meaning that you can click around the Harvard virtual tour to see panoramic views of Harvard’s classic New England campus at your own pace. Plus, if you’re interested in Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, there’s a separate Harvard virtual tour that goes into even more detail on that school’s offerings.

3. University of Pennsylvania

If you’re interested in UPenn but can’t make it out to Philadelphia, you can explore UPenn’s campus with virtual college visits. You have to sign up online to take one of Upenn’s virtual college tours since they’re led live by Penn’s student tour guides. With these live tours, every tour is different. Since different students give them each time, if you decide to take the tour more than once, you’ll likely learn something new! 

4. Cornell University

The virtual college tours at Cornell are self-guided. This means that you can take yourself around Cornell’s beautiful campus in Ithaca, NY, at your own pace. At each location, Cornell supplies fun facts and details about the campus that can help you get to know the school better. 

5. Dartmouth College

With Dartmouth’s virtual college tours, you can get the best of both worlds: a live-streamed campus tour and a self-guided tour. If you’re just beginning to think about Dartmouth as an option, watch their video of a pre-recorded tour to get a feel. If Dartmouth is your dream school, get to know their campus in bucolic Hanover, NH, by taking a live virtual tour led by a student—that way, you can ask all of your questions and feel more like you’re really there!

6. California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) – San Luis Obispo

If you want to know more about Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, they provide a wealth of virtual college tours that you can take. Not only does Cal Poly offer the classic student-led virtual tours and prerecorded tours. They also have virtual tours of their housing and of each academic college. Even if you can’t make it out to this coastal California city, you’ll have a great feel for the Cal Poly campus. 

7. Barnard College

Curious about college in the Big Apple? Take one of Barnard’s virtual college tours. Once you register for Barnard’s virtual tour, you gain access to spaces in Barnard that aren’t even available on the in-person tour. Barnard also offers an audio tour, where you can listen along to a live tour guide.

8. Pomona College

At Pomona, a college located in Pomona, California, you can explore in a multitude of ways. Pomona offers a pre-recorded virtual tour, as well as info sessions and webinars that you can attend from home. 

9. University of Texas – San Antonio

Located in San Antonio, TX, the University of Texas campus at San Antonio offers a self-guided virtual tour. At each location on the virtual tour, UT offers a video accompanied by written information to help you get to know the campus better.

10. Wesleyan University

If you’re looking for an idyllic New England campus, you’ll find one with Wesleyan’s virtual college tours. Wesleyan is a small liberal arts school located in Middletown, Connecticut, and you can follow along with a current student as they “walk” you through different locations on campus. 

11. Colgate University

Located in Hamilton, ME, Colgate’s beautiful campus is just a few clicks away. Colgate’s college virtual tours let students make their way through the campus on their own time, and you can supplement your virtual college visit with webinars and online info sessions. 

12. Washington State University

Though Pullman, Washington would be beautiful to see in person, WSU’s college virtual tours will make you feel like you’re right there without ever leaving your house. WSU offers a personal tour, where you can direct yourself around the Washington State campus. 

13. Bucknell University

At Bucknell University, you can take college virtual tours by navigating through their virtual campus map. Though you might not get a feel of Bucknell’s location in Lewisburg, PA, you’ll come away with a great understanding of their campus—they even have a specialized map for prospective engineering students. 

14. Vassar College

Next on the list of college virtual tours worth doing is Vassar. Vassar is located in scenic upstate New York, but if you don’t want to make the trip, you can easily get a feeling for the campus with their many options for college virtual tours. Vassar offers an interactive campus tour, a 30-minute preview video of the campus, and even sample classes and recordings of past events. 

15. Claremont McKenna College

The second of the Claremont Colleges after Pomona, Claremont McKenna offers recorded video tours and self-guided college virtual tours. Claremont McKenna is also located in Pomona, CA. So, if you’re virtually touring Pomona, you might as well give Claremont McKenna a look as well!

16. Haverford College

If you’re interested in living in Pennsylvania, you can give this lovely campus located just outside of Philly a look. Haverford offers live virtual tours where two students will take you on a “stroll” across campus, giving you advice and answering questions along the way. 

17. Harvey Mudd College

If you love Pomona, CA, but Claremont McKenna and Pomona weren’t your vibe, give Harvey Mudd a try. Harvey Mudd’s college virtual tours consist of separate videos for each stop along the tour that take you through all of the most important buildings on Harvey Mudd’s campus. 

18. Middlebury College

For your Middlebury College virtual tours, you get all the benefits of variety. Middlebury College, located in Middlebury, VT, has a wealth of options for students who don’t choose to do college campus tours in person. This includes virtual tours in English and Spanish, self-guided interactive maps, recorded information sessions, and more. 

19. Pace University

If you want to get to know Pace University, the college offers interactive maps for both of its campuses—one in NYC and one in Westchester, NY. Using Pace’s maps, you can make the most of New York City college campus tours without ever having to navigate the subway. 

20. Occidental College

Next on our list of virtual college campus tours worth taking is Occidental College. Located in sunny Los Angeles, CA, Occidental offers a self-guided virtual tour, where you can click through 360 views of the campus and hear from Occidental’s student tour guides along the way. 

21. Furman University

Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Furman University also offers stellar options for their virtual college campus tours. Furman gives you the option to explore individual campus buildings with interactive and immersive technology, which includes videos from their tour guides to give you insider knowledge about each location. 

22. Spelman College

If you want to tour Spelman, you don’t have to go all the way to Atlanta, Georgia. You can take one of their virtual college campus tours, where you can take your time looking at each of their buildings. Spelman’s virtual map lets you see inside and outside of many different campus locations, and get a better feel for the vibe of the campus as a whole.

23. Emerson College

Located in Boston, MA, Emerson offers lots of options for students who want to take college virtual tours. Using an interactive map , prospective students can make their way around Emerson’s campus to explore different buildings and facilities. The Emerson campus map also includes some city landmarks, like Boston Common, that are close to campus and part of the Emerson experience.

24. University of Tampa

At the University of Tampa, students can take college virtual tours to get a feel for the beautiful Tampa, FL campus. The University of Tampa offers tour videos, 360 interactive campus tours, as well as virtual visits. If you register for a virtual visit, you’ll also be able to attend a 30-minute info session hosted by an admissions counselor. 

25. Texas State University

For the last school on our list of college virtual tours worth taking, we visit (or more accurately, don’t visit) Texas State. Texas State offers a virtual interactive map, a video tour led by student tour guides, and also provides a presentation where you can learn more about the academics and admissions policies at the school. You can tour both of Texas State’s locations, one in San Marcos and one just north of Austin.

As you can see, not all virtual college visits follow the exact same format. However, there are certainly many opportunities to “visit” a school without ever stepping foot on campus. Next, let’s talk about scheduling and making the most of your college visits.

How To Schedule Virtual College Visits

Now that we’ve gone over some of the best virtual college tours that you can take, let’s talk about some logistics. 

For most virtual college tours, you can take them whenever you want—that’s part of why they’re so great! Whatever your schedule is, you can slide in a college visit on your own time. You could even do a bit of a virtual college visit, take a break, and come back and finish later. It’s totally up to you. 

Schools may ask you for your name and email when you click on their virtual college visits. This is totally fine, and also can work to your advantage. Remember demonstrated interest? You want the college to know that you’ve taken their college campus tours, whether it’s a virtual college visit or in-person. This is especially meaningful in college visits for juniors or seniors.

Even though many virtual college visits can be done on your own schedule, some schools offer live virtual tours. If you want to take one of these college campus tours, you’ll need to sign up in advance. Even though these virtual college tours for students require a little bit more planning, it can be helpful to be in a Zoom with other prospective students and tour guides so that you can ask questions in real time. 

Making the Most of a Virtual College Visit

Even though you might be taking your virtual college tours from your bed, it’s important to still make the most of it. While a virtual tour might not feel the same as in-person college campus tours, there are some things you can do to make the most of the experience. 

Block out dedicated time

At first, virtual college tours for students might not seem very outwardly engaging. However, you should try and make the most of your experience. Don’t multitask, or do college campus tours while you’re watching TV. This is still a college visit, and you want to treat it as such. Immerse yourself in your virtual college visit—you want to get as close as you can to experiencing it in person! 

Consider your priorities

Virtual college visits can serve different purposes for different students. Some students have no idea what they’re looking for from their college campus, and others are already set on what they want their college experience to look like. On the virtual tour, make sure to look at the school’s housing, academic facilities, recreational facilities, and transportation. If there’s a must on your list—for example, if you want a school with a main quad, or a school that’s integrated into a city—see if the school has it! 

Ask questions

If you’re taking a tour on your own, think about the questions you’d have for a tour guide if there was one present. What can you learn from virtual college tours for students, and what do you still have questions about? These are the kinds of things you could ask in an information session or research after your tour.

Next Steps after your Virtual Tour

Once you’ve finished your virtual tour, there are some next steps you can take to make the most of it. 

If you’re just starting to build out your college list, think about what stood out most from your campus tours. Write down some big takeaways from the school, or a list of pros and cons, so you can start comparing schools that you want to put on your college list. These can be informal—something like “huge library,” or “weird vibe” is totally fine—just make sure you write down enough to remember how you felt about the school so you don’t have to take the virtual tour a second time.

If you’re ready to apply, reach out to admissions with any questions you have after the virtual college tours. Explore the application requirements at the schools you’re most excited about. See if the school has any supplemental essays that ask you why you’re interested in the school—these virtual tours can give you great talking points about the school that you might want to include in an essay.

Sometimes after a virtual tour, you might still not know how you feel about a school—that’s okay! Virtual tours are just one way to get to know a college. You can keep doing research, and take advantage of other virtual resources offered by the school. 

Even More Virtual Opportunities

So what are the other ways to learn more about a school from the comfort of your own home?

Along with the virtual campus tour, many schools also offer virtual information sessions. These are Zoom calls with admissions officers who are there to provide information on the school and answer applicants’ questions. Attending information sessions can also be a way to show demonstrated interest to a school that you want to attend. 

Some schools also have student testimonials, or other videos with students who can answer questions about the school. These are a great way to see what actual students think about attending the school. Many colleges also provide a way to reach students at the school with questions—email the admissions office and ask if there are students you can talk to about their experience. 

Virtual College Tours – Final Takeaway

College visits for juniors, seniors, and sophomores are an important part of the college admissions process. Since the pandemic, you can go on amazing virtual college visits from the comfort of your own home. On a virtual college tour, you can get to know the campus, and see what kinds of resources the school has to offer.

There are a few different types of virtual college tours for students. Some are interactive maps, where you can click on different buildings and explore. Others provide a 360 view of various parts of campus. Some are live Zoom meetings led by student tour guides, and some schools provide pre-recorded videos that you can watch. All of these virtual tours are great options to learn more about the school, and if a school provides more than one, they’re all worth doing!

When you’re taking a virtual college tour, make sure to make the most of it. Set aside some time to really focus on the tour, keep your priorities in mind, and take notes on things that stick out to you and questions you have during the tour. 

If at the end of your virtual tour, you’re sure that you’ve found your dream school, don’t hesitate to reach out to CollegeAdvisor for application guidance. Our team of experts is always here to support students in navigating the admissions process. Happy (virtual) exploring!

This article was written by senior advisor Courtney Ng and advisor Rachel Kahn . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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How to Make the Most of Virtual College Tours

Sometimes, you may not be able to visit the college you are considering to tour its campus. While many current college students tout the importance of being able to actually step foot onto the campus you might go to, sometimes the circumstances just do not work out.

However, colleges and universities have begun to offer great virtual tour alternatives, that while not exactly the same, can greatly subsidize a campus tour visit.

In fact, I never visited my campus in person until I was actually enrolled in it! So, here are the best ways to make the most of your virtual college tour.

Virtual Tour – 360 degree view

Many universities have invested in robust virtual tour software in the wake of COVID. Some larger universities will be equipped with a self-paced 360 virtual tour software, while smaller universities may have a YouTube video walking you through the campus.

Regardless of the technology being used, the virtual tour option will likely follow the same path that official campus tours would take. You should be able to “visit” all the key landmarks at your prospective university while your virtual tour guide tells you information.

If your university offers a 360 virtual tour, this also means that you will be able to “walk” around in the direction you please to explore on your own. While this is not the same as walking on the campus in person, the ability to explore to your heart’s content is a great feature that can be offered virtually. Use this to your advantage as this is an important aspect in making the most of your tour. 

Because of the nature of a virtual tour, you will not be able to ask questions or likely see more major specific buildings. However, you can use the explore feature to look at your major buildings if possible, and you can get your questions answered in another way.

As you are taking your virtual tour, write down any questions you might have so you can ask them later.

One positive thing that people usually forget with virtual tours is that even if the weather is bad in real life, in the virtual tour, it is always going to be a warm, sunny day!

Beyond the broad tour of the campus, make sure you tour the prospective colleges you are interested in as well! While the overall tour is great to help you learn more general facts and information about the school, if you want to learn about information specific to your prospective major, many schools will also offer college specific tours.

Thus, if you are interested in business, make sure to do the general tour and the business school tour. Do not be afraid to tour several colleges!

Even if you think you are set on a major, it can still help to do a virtual tour of several different colleges because something in the tour may spark your interest.

Because it is virtual, it will not take any additional walking or days to do the tour, so a little extra time is likely going to be well worth it.

Zoom Information Sessions

Typically, paired with a virtual tour or otherwise offered concurrently, universities will offer information sessions over Zoom. Depending on the size of your university and the Zoom sessions offered, you may be put in a panelist setting or have the opportunity to connect with representatives one on one.

Regardless of the setting, you will get more information on the school, and this is where you should ask the questions you wrote down during your virtual tour.

If you have personal questions, this may be better asked during a one on one conversation, but if this is your only session, do not be deterred from asking your question!

I remember during my session, I asked a personal question pertaining to my unique circumstance but I asked it anonymously through the chat function. The host was able to answer my question and give me the exact information I needed.

If possible, I recommend collecting the emails or LinkedIn contacts of the people presenting in the Zoom session. While adults are likely going to be bombarded with questions and may be too busy to help you, current students may be more likely to answer your questions. 

Connect with current students

Maybe you know a family friend that goes to the school you are considering. Or, as I mentioned, you obtained someone’s contact information through an info session.

Regardless, it is important for you to use your resources. It is the combination of these three tips – the virtual tour, Zoom info session, and connecting with current students – that will get you your most holistic outlook on the university you are considering. 

Even if you do not have a family friend or are not able to connect with a current student during an information session, there are still ways to get in touch with a current student. One of the best avenues you can use is LinkedIn.

If you do not already have a LinkedIn, go ahead and make one . You can find current students and even filter by the major you are interested in. Many students will be open to chat and help you find out more information.

Simply reach out to them in a polite and professional manner and ask to set up a coffee chat. Here, you can ask direct and personal questions as well as their opinions on the school.

While an admissions officer or school representative will only talk about the school in a positive manner, prospective students are important to connect with because they will tell you about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

If you are struggling to think of some questions to ask them, here are some that you might want to consider. Of course, ask them about the questions that you wrote down during the virtual tour if you have not already.

Other things you might want to think about are questions about social life/Greek life or how helpful the advisors are. You may also consider asking about why they chose their major or what aspects of their college they wish they could change.

Take advantage of the fact that you are having a one on one conversation and make sure to learn from their experiences and advice. In this way, you will get a great outlook on the college or university from the administrator level as well as from a personal level.

Additional tips

Another important thing to look at is the dorm living situation. While a tour of the dorms may be included on the virtual tour, you may not be able to see what a model dorm room looks like.

In order to take a look, you will have to do some extra research. You can get an idea of the kind of amenities your dorm room will have as well as the general sizing of the dorm.

Like the virtual tour, if you go on to your school’s housing website, they will also likely have a 360 virtual tour of the inside of the dorm room. Even if they do not have the 360 virtual tour, they will likely have a robust set of pictures and a list of amenities.

One more tip to get the most information out of a virtual tour of your prospective university is to take yourself on your own virtual tour. Using the Google maps walking feature, you can explore the campus and may even be able to look inside certain buildings.

If you did not know about this feature, simply Google your potential university and drag and place the little orange person in the bottom right corner of the screen wherever you want to look.

In this way, you can “walk” around and get a good look at buildings that might not have been covered in the official virtual tour or have been blocked off by the software.

Another thing you might not have considered is if there are local branch campuses that are near you that you would be able to visit. For example, while Penn State ’s main campus is located in the middle of Pennsylvania, they have 20 branch campuses located throughout the state.

If you may not be able to visit the main campus, see if your school has branch campuses and tour one of those! While it is not the same as the main campus, university culture usually spans across locations and you will still be able to get a good gist of the culture.

Generating a view on a college culture without visiting the campus can be difficult but is one of the most important things you pick up on when you tour a campus in person.

In lieu of this, you can still get an idea of the college culture through social media. In order to see how students are, try finding “a day in the life of a student at XYZ university.”

While these types of videos are common on TikTok , you can also find more long-form videos on YouTube. You can get a much more personalized view of a student’s life and they are usually more unfiltered than any tour guide you may talk to.

These unsolicited, self-posted media videos about the school are probably some of the most authentic and realistic reviews of the school. Another important social media is of course the school’s official accounts such as their Instagram or even TikTok.

While this is an official view of the school, it can still provide insight to see what they choose to showcase about themselves.

Lastly, look at Reddit. Students at your school have likely made an un-official Reddit associated with the school in which they ask questions, debate, or complain about topics. Take a look through here and you will quickly see what people are struggling with, whether they are major classes, advisors, or the school system.

Beyond Reddit, you can also look at other unofficial affiliated school social media. Many schools have a Barstool account that shows what students are up to.

For a glimpse into the social lives of the students at your school, this is a helpful resource. However, keep all these unofficial resources in mind with a grain of salt, as these are someone else’s opinions, and only a small representation of what goes on at the school.

While a virtual tour cannot be the same as an in person tour, they can still be a great alternative to getting the information you need while staying in the comfort of your home.

Depending on how you do your research, you may actually learn more while “touring” virtually. Don’t be deterred by the fact that you cannot visit the campus in person.

As I mentioned, I never visited my college (Penn State) in person before I enrolled and I love it and am so happy I made the choice I did. Use your resources and make sure to ask lots of questions!

Author: Sophia

Sophia is a current college freshman at Pennsylvania State University with plans to major in marketing. When she's not studying or in the gym, you can find Sophia watching her favorite Youtube channels or streamers. In the future, she hopes to travel the world while developing her marketing skills and building her network.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, are virtual college tours as important as on-campus.

College Admissions

Do you have colleges you're interested in but don't have the time or money to visit the campuses in person? Look into virtual college tours! More and more colleges are now offering them (we have the whole list!), and they're a great way to get a feel for what a particular school is like without leaving home. But how do virtual college visits work? What questions should you ask? And how do you know if they're the right choice for you? Keep reading to find out.

What Is a Virtual College Tour? How Do They Work?

Virtual college tours are pretty much what they sound like: you watch from your computer as a student from the college you're interested in gives you a video tour of campus , tells stories about the school, and answers any questions you may have. Some are fully live, with the camera following the guide around as they go to different parts of campus, while others are partly prerecorded with the guide speaking over pre-shot video of the campus.

You'll sign up in advance for a virtual college tour. We recommend doing this well ahead of time (ideally several weeks) since the virtual tours are still kept fairly small to allow everyone the chance to ask questions. A day or so before the tour, you'll be given a link that you'll click on at the given time to start the tour. And that's it!

College tours have long been one of the best ways to learn if a school is right for you. On top of that, touring a school shows the admissions teams that you're seriously interested in attending. Some colleges use demonstrated interest as a part of their application review process, so even just attending a virtual college tour could give your application a boost.

Are college tours where you're not actually on campus still useful? They can be! Certainly there are benefits to actually being on campus and experiencing the vibe for yourself, but virtual college tours can be a surprisingly useful alternative. They're carefully put together to show students different parts of campus (classrooms, dorms, stadiums, etc.) and give them a feel for the entire school. Like an in-person college tour, you'll also be able to ask questions at the end.

What Questions Should You Ask During a Virtual College Visit?

We have a list of 118 questions to ask during a campus tour , but below are questions specifically for virtual college tours. Some of these are general questions, others are aimed at giving you a sense of what the school and campus life is like when you're not able to experience it in-person. Whatever questions you ask, be sure that you end the virtual tour feeling like you have a good sense of all aspects of the school, including academics, housing and dining options, extracurriculars, and campus life.

• How large are the classes?
• Are the classes more lecture-based or discussion-based?
• How much freedom do freshmen have in choosing courses? Are there required classes for freshmen?
• Are students usually able to take their first choice courses?
• Is it easy to change your major?
• Can undergraduates work with professors on research?
• Where are the best places to study on campus?
• What are the hours for the library? Do these change during reading periods or exam weeks?
• Are study abroad programs popular? Any ones in particular?
• What kind of opportunities exist for undergraduates to work on research or academic projects with professors?
• What kind of internships are available? Do a lot of students get internships?

Residence Life

• What are the dorms like? Are there lounges, laundry, and kitchens? Shared or private restrooms?
• Do most students live in the dorms?
• What's the most popular dorm to live in? The least popular? How do they compare to the dorm we saw on the tour?
• What kind of food does the dining hall serve? Are there different options? How is it, really?

Extracurriculars

• What are some of the most popular extracurriculars and why?
• What clubs or other opportunities exist for community service?
• Do sports play a large role on campus? What about intramurals or exercise classes?

Campus and the Surrounding Area

• Where do students tend to hang out on and off campus?
• How would you describe the presence of Greek life? Do a lot of students belong to fraternities or sororities?
• What are some big campus events, like homecoming or alumni weekend?
• Is it easy to get around campus or get off campus without a car?
• What transportation options are there around campus?
• Is it a safe area to walk around at night? What kind of safety measures are in place?

Personal Questions

• What's your favorite class and why?
• What do you wish you had known going into freshman year?
• Is there anything you wish you had done differently to improve your experience here?
• What's your favorite spot you've discovered on campus since arriving?

4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Virtual College Tours

If you've decided to do a virtual college tour, what's next? Follow the four tips below to get the most out of the experience.

#1: Prepare Ahead of Time

Before you sit down for any virtual tour of a college, you should do a bit of work beforehand. First, think about what you want to get from this tour. Of course you want to learn more about the school, but is there something specific you're hoping to get from it? A better understanding of what campus looks like? A chance to see an actual dorm room? A clearer explanation of what choosing freshman classes will be like? Having a goal in mind will help you get the most out of the tour. 

Next, come up with a short list of questions you'd like answered (use our suggestions above as a guideline). Finally, when it comes time to sit in on the virtual tour, take it seriously. Move distractions (like your phone) out of sight, and don't be tempted to spend the tour scrolling through other websites. If this is actually a college you're interested in attending, then it's worth an hour of your time to really pay attention to the tour.

#2: Know They're Showing You the Best Parts

This is true of all campus tours. When I visited Michigan State, they had a dorm room they kept vacant and had decorated to show touring students what their dorm room would look like. And…that dorm room was significantly nicer than mine ended up being. For a virtual tour, it's even easier to only show the nicest parts of campus. This doesn't mean that the school is deliberately trying to con you or that the parts of the school you don't see will be a disaster, but be aware that a virtual tour is a bit like looking at someone's Instagram: they're showing you their highlight reel.

#3: Research Other Ways to Learn About the School

College visits (both in-person and virtual) are a great way to learn about a school, but they're certainly not the only way, especially as colleges grow their online presence more and more. If you've done a virtual tour of a college and are interested in still learning more, check out other resources. The school's website is the obvious one, but you can also look into their social media accounts, see what's being written in the school newspaper (they're practically all available online now), what events are coming up on the school calendar, etc. You can also talk to other people affiliated with the school, such as an admissions counselor, and ask them questions you still have after the virtual tour. For example, if you did a Boston College virtual tour and want to know more about the school, you could check out its admissions webpage , its admissions Instagram page , and its student paper , as a start.

#4: Consider If You Want to Visit In-Person

Virtual campus tours are a great way to get a better sense of what a certain school offers and what the vibe is like. However, it's not a perfect replacement for an in-person visit where you can see the buildings for yourself, walk around campus, see students going to and from classes, etc. If you're really interested in a school after doing a virtual tour, and you have the time/money to travel there, an in-person visit can help you decide if it's actually the right school for you. Some students also wait until after they've been admitted and received financial aid packages to visit schools, so they're not wasting their time, but be aware this only gives you about a month to make the visit and decide where you want to go to college.

Colleges That Offer Virtual Campus Tours

Virtual college visits have become more and more popular in recent years, especially since the pandemic made it difficult or impossible to visit many college campuses. Below are all the colleges that currently offer virtual college tours, organized alphabetically by state. It's a long list, so use "ctrl +F" to search for a school name if you're interested to see if a specific school is a virtual tour college.

• Auburn University
• Birmingham-Southern College
• Huntingdon College
• Samford University
• Troy University
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
• University of Mobile
• University of Montevallo
• University of South Alabama
• University of West Alabama
• Alaska Pacific University
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Southwestern College
• Arizona State University
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Northern Arizona University
• University of Advancing Technology
• University of Arizona
• Arkansas Tech University
• Harding University
• Hendrix College
• John Brown University
• University of Arkansas--Fayetteville
• University of the Ozarks
• Academy of Art University
• ArtCenter College of Design
• Azusa Pacific University
• Biola University
• California Baptist University
• California College of the Arts
• California Institute of Technology
• California Institute of the Arts
• California Lutheran University
• California Polytechnic State University
• CSU Channel Islands
• CSU East Bay
• CSU Humboldt
• CSU Long Beach
• CSU Los Angeles
• CSU Northridge
• CSU Sacramento
• CSU San Bernardino
• CSU San Diego
• CSU San Francisco
• CSU San Jose
• CSU San Luis Obispo
• CSU San Marcos
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Cogswell College
• Humboldt State University
• Humphreys College
• Loyola Marymount University
• Marymount California University
• The Master's University
• Mills College
• Mount Saint Mary's University
• Notre Dame de Namur University
• Occidental College
• Otis College of Art and Design
• Pacific Union College
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Point Loma Nazarene University
• Pomona College
• Saint Mary's College of California
• San Diego State University
• San Francisco State University
• Santa Clara University
• Simpson University
• Soka University of America
• Sonoma State University
• Stanford University
• Thomas Aquinas College
• University of California--Berkeley
• University of California--Davis
• University of California-Irvine
• University of California--Los Angeles
• University of California - Merced
• University of California--Riverside
• University of California--San Diego
• University of California--Santa Barbara
• University of California--Santa Cruz
• University of La Verne
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California
• Westmont College
• Whittier College
• Colorado Mesa University
• Colorado School of Mines
• Colorado State University
• Colorado State University-Pueblo
• Fort Lewis College
• Naropa University
• Regis University
• United States Air Force Academy
• University of Colorado--Boulder
• University of Denver
• University of Northern Colorado

Connecticut

• Central Connecticut State University
• Eastern Connecticut State University
• Fairfield University
• Mitchell College
• Quinnipiac University
• Sacred Heart University
• Trinity College
• University of Bridgeport
• University of New Haven
• University of Saint Joseph
• Wesleyan University
• Western Connecticut State University
• Yale University
• University of Delaware
• Barry University
• Clearwater Christian College
• Eckerd College
• Flagler College
• Florida A&M University
• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Florida International University
• Florida Southern College
• Florida State University
• Lynn University
• New College of Florida
• Nova Southeastern University
• Palm Beach Atlantic University
• Ringling College of Art + Design
• Rollins College
• Saint Leo University
• Stetson University
• University of Central Florida
• University of Florida
• University of Miami
• University of North Florida
• University of South Florida
• University of Tampa
• University of West Florida
• Webber International University
• Agnes Scott College
• Albany State University
• The Art Institute of Atlanta
• Augusta University
• Berry College
• Brenau University
• Covenant College
• Emory University
• Georgia College & State University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Georgia State University
• Kennesaw State University
• Life University
• Mercer University
• Piedmont College
• Point University
• Reinhardt University
• Savannah College of Art and Design
• Shorter College
• University of Georgia
• University of North Georgia
• Valdosta State University
• Wesleyan College
• Chaminade University of Honolulu
• University of Hawaii-Manoa
• Boise State University
• Lewis-Clark State College
• University of Idaho
• Augustana College
• Aurora University
• Bradley University
• Columbia College 
• DePaul University
• Dominican University
• Eastern Illinois University
• Elmhurst College
• Greenville University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois State University
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Knox College
• Lake Forest College
• Lewis University
• Loyola University of Chicago
• Millikin University
• Monmouth College
• North Central College
• Northeastern Illinois University
• Northern Illinois University
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Quincy University
• Rockford University
• Roosevelt University
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
• Trinity Christian College
• The University of Chicago
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Illinois at Springfield
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of St. Francis
• Western Illinois University
• Wheaton College
• Anderson University
• Ball State University
• Bethel University
• Butler University
• DePauw University
• Grace College and Seminary
• Hanover College
• Huntington University
• Indiana State University
• Indiana University--Bloomington
• Indiana University East
• Indiana University-Kokomo
• Indiana University Northwest
• Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
• Indiana University South Bend
• Indiana University Southeast
• Indiana Wesleyan University
• Manchester University
• Marian University
• Purdue University--West Lafayette
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Saint Mary's College
• Taylor University
• University of Evansville
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Southern Indiana
• Valparaiso University
• Wabash College
• Briar Cliff University
• Buena Vista University
• Central College
• Cornell College
• Drake University
• Graceland University
• Grinnell College
• Luther College
• Mount Mercy University
• Northwestern College
• St. Ambrose University
• University of Dubuque
• University of Iowa
• Upper Iowa University
• Wartburg College
• William Penn University
• Baker University
• Bethel College
• Fort Hays State University
• Friends University
• Kansas State University
• MidAmerica Nazarene University
• Sterling College
• University of Kansas
• Wichita State University
• Bellarmine University
• Centre College
• Georgetown College
• Murray State University
• Northern Kentucky University
• Transylvania University
• University of Louisville
• University of Pikeville
• University of the Cumberlands
• Western Kentucky University
• Louisiana College
• Louisiana State University--Baton Rouge
• Loyola University New Orleans
• Nicholls State University
• Southeastern Louisiana University
• Southern University and A & M College
• Tulane University
• University of New Orleans
• Bates College
• Bowdoin College
• Colby College
• Husson University
• Unity College
• University of Maine
• University of Maine-Augusta
• University of New England
• Frostburg State University
• Goucher College
• Hood College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Loyola University Maryland
• Maryland Institute College of Art
• Mount St. Mary's University
• St. John's College
• St. Mary's College of Maryland
• Salisbury University
• Stevenson University
• Towson University
• United States Naval Academy
• University of Maryland--Baltimore County
• University of Maryland--College Park

Massachusetts

• Amherst College
• Assumption College
• Babson College
• Bard College at Simon's Rock
• Bay Path University
• Bentley University
• Boston College
• Boston University
• Brandeis University
• Cambridge College
• Clark University
• College of the Holy Cross
• Emerson College
• Emmanuel College
• Endicott College
• Fitchburg State College
• Framingham State University
• Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
• Gordon College
• Hampshire College
• Harvard College
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Merrimack College
• Mount Holyoke College
• Nichols College
• Regis College
• School of the Museum of Fine Arts
• Simmons University
• Suffolk University
• Tufts University
• University of Massachusetts-Amherst
• University of Massachusetts-Lowell
• Wellesley College
• Wentworth Institute of Technology
• Western New England University
• Westfield State University
• Williams College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Worcester State University
• Adrian College
• Albion College
• Aquinas College
• Calvin University
• Central Michigan University
• Eastern Michigan University
• Ferris State University
• Hope College
• Kalamazoo College
• Kettering University
• Lawrence Technological University
• Michigan State University
• Michigan Technological University
• Northern Michigan University
• Northwood University
• Oakland University
• Saginaw Valley State University
• Siena Heights University
• Spring Arbor University
• University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
• Wayne State University
• Western Michigan University
• Augsburg University
• Bemidji State University
• Carleton College
• College of St. Benedict/Saint John's University
• The College of Saint Scholastica
• Concordia College
• Concordia University - St Paul
• Gustavus Adolphus College
• Hamline University
• Macalester College
• Minneapolis College of Art and Design
• Minnesota State University--Mankato
• Minnesota State University--Moorhead
• Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
• St. Olaf College
• University of Minnesota--Crookston
• University of Minnesota--Duluth
• University of Minnesota--Morris
• University of Minnesota--Twin Cities
• University of Saint Thomas

Mississippi

• Belhaven College
• Jackson State University
• Millsaps College
• Mississippi State University
• University of Mississippi
• Columbia College
• Drury University
• Maryville University of Saint Louis
• Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Missouri Valley College
• Saint Louis University
• Southeast Missouri State University
• Southwest Baptist University
• Stephens College
• Truman State University
• University of Central Missouri
• University of Missouri
• University of Missouri--Kansas City
• University of Missouri--Saint Louis
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Webster University
• Westminster College
• William Jewell College
• Montana State University
• Montana State University--Billings
• Rocky Mountain College
• University of Montana
• The University of Montana--Western
• College of Saint Mary
• Creighton University
• Doane University
• Hastings College
• Nebraska Wesleyan University
• University of Nebraska--Omaha
• University of Nebraska--Lincoln
• Wayne State College
• Sierra Nevada College

New Hampshire

• Colby-Sawyer College
• Dartmouth College
• Franklin Pierce University
• Keene State College
• Plymouth State University
• Rivier University
• Saint Anselm College
• Southern New Hampshire University
• University of New Hampshire
• Caldwell University
• The College of New Jersey
• College of Saint Elizabeth
• Drew University
• Georgian Court University
• Kean University
• Monmouth University
• Montclair State University
• New Jersey City University
• New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Princeton University
• Ramapo College of New Jersey
• Rider University
• Rowan University
• Rutgers University-Camden
• Rutgers University-Newark
• Rutgers University-New Brunswick
• Seton Hall University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Stockton University
• Thomas Edison State University
• William Paterson University
• Eastern New Mexico University
• New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology
• New Mexico State University
• University of New Mexico
• Adelphi University
• Alfred University
• Barnard College
• Canisius College
• City University of New York--Baruch College
• City University of New York--Brooklyn College
• Queens College of the City University of New York
• City University of New York - The College of Staten Island
• Clarkson University
• Colgate University
• The College of Saint Rose
• Columbia University
• The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
• Cornell University
• Daemen College
• Elmira College
• Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
• Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York
• Five Towns College
• Fordham University
• Hamilton College
• Hartwick College
• Hilbert College
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Hofstra University
• Houghton College
• Iona College
• Ithaca College
• The Juilliard School
• Le Moyne College
• Long Island University Post
• Manhattan College
• Manhattanville College
• Marist College
• Marymount Manhattan College
• Mercy College
• Molloy College
• Mount Saint Mary College
• Nazareth College
• New York Institute of Technology
• New York School of Interior Design
• New York University
• Niagara University
• Pace University
• Parsons The New School for Design
• Pratt Institute
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Roberts Wesleyan College
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• St. Bonaventure University
• St. John Fisher College
• St. John's University
• St. Joseph's College
• St. Lawrence University
• St. Thomas Aquinas College
• Siena College
• Skidmore College
• SUNY at Albany
• SUNY--Binghamton University SUNY--The College at Brockport
• SUNY--University at Buffalo
• SUNY Canton
• SUNY Cobleskill
• SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• SUNY Cortland
• SUNY Empire State College
• SUNY Fredonia
• SUNY Geneseo
• SUNY Maritime College
• SUNY Morrisville
• SUNY New Paltz
• SUNY Old Westbury
• SUNY Oneonta
• SUNY Oswego
• SUNY Plattsburgh
• SUNY Potsdam
• SUNY--Stony Brook University
• Syracuse University
• Union College
• United States Merchant Marine Academy
• United States Military Academy
• University of Rochester
• Utica College
• Vassar College
• Wagner College
• Webb Institute
• Wells College

North Carolina

• Appalachian State University
• Barton College
• Belmont Abbey College
• Brevard College
• Catawba College
• Duke University
• East Carolina University
• Elon University
• Gardner-Webb University
• Guilford College
• High Point University
• Lenoir-Rhyne University
• Meredith College
• Methodist University
• North Carolina State University
• Salem College
• University of North Carolina--Asheville
• University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill
• University of North Carolina--Charlotte
• University of North Carolina--Greensboro
• University of North Carolina--Pembroke
• University of North Carolina--Wilmington
• Wake Forest University
• Warren Wilson College
• Western Carolina University
• William Peace University
• Wingate University

North Dakota

• Mayville State University
• University of North Dakota
• Ashland University
• Baldwin Wallace University
• Case Western Reserve University
• Cedarville University
• Cleveland State University
• College of Wooster
• Columbus College of Art & Design
• Denison University
• Hiram College
• John Carroll University
• Kent State University
• Kenyon College
• Malone University
• Miami University
• Mount Vernon Nazarene University
• Muskingum University
• Oberlin College
• Ohio Dominican University
• The Ohio State University--Columbus
• The Ohio State University--Newark
• Ohio University--Athens
• Shawnee State University
• Tiffin University
• Union Institute & University
• University of Akron
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Dayton
• University of Findlay
• University of Mount Union
• University of Toledo
• Wittenberg University
• Wright State University
• Xavier University 
• Youngstown State University
• Northeastern State University
• Oklahoma Baptist University
• Oklahoma Christian University
• Oklahoma City University
• Oklahoma State University
• Oral Roberts University
• University of Central Oklahoma
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma
• University of Tulsa
• Eastern Oregon University
• George Fox University
• Lewis & Clark College
• Linfield College
• Multnomah University
• Oregon State University
• Pacific Northwest College of Art
• Portland State University
• Southern Oregon University
• University of Portland
• Warner Pacific College
• Western Oregon University

Pennsylvania

• Albright College
• Allegheny College
• Alvernia University
• Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Cairn University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Chatham University
• Chestnut Hill College
• Clarks Summit University
• Delaware Valley University
• DeSales University
• Dickinson College
• Drexel University
• Duquesne University
• Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
• Franklin & Marshall College
• Gannon University
• Grove City College
• Gwynedd Mercy University
• Haverford College
• Holy Family University
• Juniata College
• Keystone College
• King's College
• Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
• Lafayette College
• Lancaster Bible College
• La Roche University
• La Salle University
• Lebanon Valley College
• Lehigh University
• Lincoln University
• Lycoming College
• Mansfield University
• Marywood University
• Messiah College
• Misericordia University
• Moravian College
• Muhlenberg College
• Neumann University
• Penn State University Park
• Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Robert Morris University
• Rosemont College
• Saint Joseph's University
• Saint Vincent College
• Susquehanna University
• Swarthmore College
• Thiel College
• Thomas Jefferson University
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh--Bradford
• University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
• University of Pittsburgh--Pittsburgh
• University of Scranton
• University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
• Ursinus College
• Villanova University
• Washington & Jefferson College
• Waynesburg University
• West Chester University of Pennsylvania
• Widener University
• Wilkes University
• Wilson College
• York College of Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

• Brown University
• Bryant University
• Providence College
• Roger Williams University
• Salve Regina University
• University of Rhode Island

South Carolina

• Bob Jones University
• The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
• Clemson University
• Coastal Carolina University
• College of Charleston
• Converse College
• Erskine College
• Francis Marion University
• Limestone College
• Southern Wesleyan University
• University of South Carolina 
• Winthrop University
• Wofford College

South Dakota

• Augustana University
• Dakota State University
• South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
• Belmont University
• Bryan College
• King University
• Lee University
• Lincoln Memorial University
• Lipscomb University
• Maryville College
• Middle Tennessee State University
• Milligan College
• Rhodes College
• Southern Adventist University
• Tennessee Technological University
• Tusculum College
• Union University
• University of Memphis
• The University of the South
• University of Tennessee--Chattanooga
• University of Tennessee--Knoxville
• University of Tennessee--Martin
• Vanderbilt University
• Abilene Christian University
• Angelo State University
• Austin College
• Baylor University
• Dallas Baptist University
• Hardin-Simmons University
• Houston Baptist University
• Huston-Tillotson University
• McMurry University
• Midwestern State University
• Rice University
• St. Edward's University
• Schreiner University
• Southern Methodist University
• Southwestern University
• Tarleton State University
• Texas A&M University--College Station
• Texas Christian University
• Texas Lutheran University
• Texas State University
• Texas Tech University
• Trinity University
• University of Houston
• University of North Texas
• University of Texas--Arlington
• University of Texas--Austin
• University of Texas--San Antonio
• Wayland Baptist University
• Brigham Young University 
• Neumont College
• University of Utah
• Utah State University
• Weber State University
• Bennington College
• Champlain College
• Marlboro College
• Middlebury College
• Saint Michael's College
• Vermont Technical College
• Bridgewater College
• Christendom College
• Christopher Newport University
• Eastern Mennonite University
• George Mason University
• Hampden-Sydney College
• Hampton University
• Hollins University
• James Madison University
• Liberty University
• Longwood University
• Mary Baldwin University
• Old Dominion University
• Patrick Henry College
• Radford University
• Randolph College
• Randolph-Macon College
• Regent University
• Roanoke College
• Shenandoah University
• Sweet Briar College
• University of Lynchburg
• University of Mary Washington
• University of Richmond
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Virginia Tech
• Virginia Wesleyan University
• Washington and Lee University
• William & Mary
• Bastyr University
• Central Washington University
• DigiPen Institute of Technology
• Eastern Washington University
• Evergreen State College
• Gonzaga University
• Heritage University
• Pacific Lutheran University
• Seattle Pacific University
• Seattle University
• University of Puget Sound
• University of Washington
• University of Washington--Tacoma
• Washington State University
• Western Washington University
• Whitman College
• Whitworth University

Washington DC

• American University
• Catholic University of America
• Gallaudet University
• Georgetown University
• Howard University

West Virginia

• Bethany College
• Concord University
• Marshall University
• University of Charleston
• West Virginia University
• West Virginia Wesleyan College
• Wheeling Jesuit University
• Beloit College
• Carthage College
• Lawrence University
• Marquette University
• Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Mount Mary University
• Northland College
• Ripon College
• St. Norbert College
• University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire
• University of Wisconsin--Green Bay
• University of Wisconsin--La Crosse
• University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee
• University of Wisconsin--Platteville
• University of Wisconsin--River Falls
• University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point
• University of Wisconsin--Stout
• University of Wisconsin--Superior
• University of Wisconsin--Whitewater
• Viterbo University
• Central Wyoming College
• University of Wyoming

Summary: College Virtual Tours

A Virtual college tour is a tour that you can watch from your phone or computer. The tour is generally an hour long, and will be led by a tour guide who will talk to you about the school and their experience there, as well as answer questions you or others may have. Seeing a school in-person is always the best way to get a feel for it, but virtual tours are still a great way to get a sense of what the college and study body are like, without the time and expense of traveling to the school itself. Virtual campus tours have become more and more popular in recent years, and many schools offer them. To get the most out of a virtual campus tour, be sure to:

•  Prepare ahead of time
• Remember that you're being shown the best parts of the school
• Research other ways to learn about the school
• Consider an in-person visit

What's Next?

Are you in the midst of researching colleges and narrowing down your college list? This guide has some seriously helpful suggestions for figuring out what you want and choosing the colleges that best match your goals.

Touring a school is just one part of the college application process . This complete guide to college applications will help you plan your application step by step!

Another concern when making your college list may be financial aid. If this is important to you, check out these 27 colleges with the best financial aid!

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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A guide to virtual college tours: exploring campuses from anywhere.

Picking the right college is one of the most significant decisions you'll make as you prepare to take the next step in your educational journey after completing high school. 

In the past, campus tours provided an invaluable firsthand experience, allowing prospective students to soak in the atmosphere and culture of each institution. However, with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and other constraints, traditional campus tours have been limited. 

Thankfully, the rise of virtual college tours, including Virtual Reality campus tours, has ushered in a new era of college exploration, opening up a world of possibilities for students from all corners of the globe.

Virtual college tours present a unique opportunity for exploration, as they enable students to delve into many campuses from the comfort of their own homes. With a simple click, you can stroll through historic halls, witness vibrant campus life, and even experience academic facilities as if you were physically present. 

These tours provide a rich array of content, including 360-degree videos, interactive maps, and live guides who offer valuable insights into college life.

In this guide, we will delve into the transformative power of virtual college tours, which have evolved into immersive and interactive experiences, offering a wealth of benefits for prospective students. So, Let’s begin.

What are Virtual College Tours?

Virtual college tours are not just a mere substitute for physical visits. Instead, they offer much more than just a glimpse of the campus!

Through online content and virtual experiences, you can immerse yourself in the college's culture, engage with tour guides, and connect with current students or alumni.

What are the benefits of a Virtual Campus Tour?

While the absence of in-person visits may seem disappointing, it's essential to recognize the numerous benefits that virtual tours bring to the table. Some of them are-

1. Accessibility

Imagine this! You don't have to travel far or worry about time constraints for exploring campuses. 

With virtual tours, you can do it from anywhere in the world! 

Virtual tours allow students to explore campuses from anywhere in the world, eliminating the need for travel and reducing associated costs and time constraints. This level of accessibility is particularly advantageous for international or out-of-state students who may find it challenging to visit colleges in person due to distance, financial limitations, or visa restrictions. 

Not only this, but the virtual tours also break down geographical barriers, offering a unique opportunity for prospective students to gain insights into various colleges without leaving their homes. This convenience empowers students to explore a broader range of institutions, facilitating a more informed decision-making process. 

Moreover, virtual tours ensure inclusivity by catering to individuals with physical disabilities or mobility limitations, providing them with equal access for exploring campuses and making educational choices.

Also Read, The Future of Healthcare: Transforming the Patient Experience with Immersive Technologies

2. Cost-Effective

Speaking of costs, virtual tours are a fantastic money-saving option.

Virtual college campus tours save students and their families the expenses related to travel, accommodation, and other costs associated with in-person campus visits. 

This cost-effectiveness enables students to explore multiple colleges without breaking the bank. It is particularly advantageous for international or out-of-state students who might otherwise face substantial financial burdens to visit colleges in person. 

Additionally, the reduced costs associated with virtual tours empower students to allocate their resources more efficiently, focusing on other essential aspects of their college application process. 

Overall, being cost-effective, virtual college tours democratize the college exploration process, ensuring that students from all backgrounds can make informed decisions about their future without financial constraints.

3. Time Efficiency

Unlike traditional visits, where you need to plan everything and take time off, virtual tours can fit seamlessly into your busy schedule. 

You can access them at any time, pause, rewind, and revisit specific sections. 

With such options, virtual tours enable a more in-depth examination of campus facilities, academic programs, and extracurricular activities.

Additionally, virtual tours save students and their families the time spent on travel, accommodation arrangements, and navigating unfamiliar locations, freeing them to focus on discovering the colleges that align best with their academic and personal goals.

4. Comprehensive Insights

Virtual tours offer a treasure trove of information!

Through various resources like video tours, image galleries, 360-degree views, and in-depth written content, students gain access to a wealth of information about campus facilities, academic programs, extracurricular activities, immersive technology in college , and campus culture. 

This comprehensive approach enables prospective students to explore various aspects of the college from the comfort of their homes, ensuring that no essential details are missed.

By immersing themselves in these rich resources, students can assess whether the college aligns with their academic and personal preferences. They can gauge the campus environment, evaluate available resources, and understand the overall atmosphere, allowing for a more informed decision-making process.

Additionally, this level of information empowers students to make thoughtful comparisons between different colleges, ultimately leading to a more confident and suitable college choice. With virtual college tours providing a holistic view, students can efficiently explore multiple institutions and find the perfect fit for their higher education journey.

Also Read: 5 Mind-Blowing VR Educational Apps to Enhance Learning Through Immersion

5. Flexibility and Revisits

Flexibility is key here.

Students can take virtual tours multiple times, allowing them to revisit specific areas of interest or refresh their memory about different aspects of the college. The flexibility to revisit virtual tours multiple times empowers students to delve deeper into specific areas of interest and gain a comprehensive understanding of the institution. 

Whether it's revisiting campus facilities, academic programs, or campus culture, the ability to pause, rewind, and replay specific sections enhances the overall college exploration experience. 

6. Inclusive Experience

And guess what? Virtual tours are inclusive too!

Designed with accessibility in mind, VR tours accommodate students with physical disabilities or mobility limitations, ensuring they can fully participate in the college exploration process.

Through the virtual reality world , students can virtually navigate campuses, experience campus life, and access vital information regardless of their physical location or abilities.

The inclusive nature of VR tours eliminates geographical constraints, allowing international or remote students to explore colleges without the need for costly and time-consuming travel. Additionally, students with mobility challenges can explore campuses without facing physical obstacles, fostering a sense of independence and empowerment.

By providing a platform that caters to diverse needs, VR tours democratize the college search, making it an equitable experience for all. Students with disabilities can engage with colleges on equal footing, making informed decisions about their future education, ultimately leading to a more inclusive and diverse higher education landscape.

7. Real-Time Interaction

The interactive nature of VR fosters a sense of connection with the college community, making the exploration more meaningful and impactful. Students can participate in Q&A sessions, receive authentic testimonials, and even attend virtual events, mirroring the experience of an on-campus visit. This level of engagement enables students to make more informed decisions about their college choices.

Real-time interaction in VR not only overcomes geographical barriers but also creates a sense of presence and belonging, empowering students to envision themselves as part of the college community. As a result, virtual college tours become a powerful and beneficial tool for prospective students to make confident and well-informed decisions about their educational journey.

Also Read:   The Power of Virtual Reality in Education Technology

8. Pandemic Adaptability

VR provides an essential alternative during times of crises when in-person visits are unsafe or unfeasible. As the world faced the challenges of the pandemic, virtual tours became a lifeline for students seeking to explore colleges without jeopardizing their health and safety.

Virtual college tours in VR not only offer a valuable solution during crises but also extend accessibility to a broader audience, transforming the college search experience into a convenient, inclusive, and pandemic-resilient process.

But what are the essential questions that you need to keep in mind when taking a virtual college tour?

Questions to Ask on a Virtual College Tour

When embarking on virtual college tours, it's crucial to keep some essential questions in mind and ask during the exploration process. These questions will help you gather valuable information and insights about each college, ensuring that you make an informed decision about your higher education journey. 

Here are some key questions to consider:

1. What academic programs are offered?

Explore the college's website and virtual tour materials to learn about the range of academic programs available. You can look for specific majors, minors, and concentrations that align with your interests and career goals.

2. How is the campus culture?

Discover the college's values, traditions, and overall campus atmosphere. You should consider whether it fosters an environment where you see yourself thriving academically and socially.

3. What are the campus facilities like?

Pay attention to virtual tours that showcase academic buildings, libraries, laboratories, recreational centers, and student housing. Assess whether the facilities meet your expectations and needs.

4. How is the campus community?

Seek information about the student body size, diversity, and student-to-faculty ratio. Understanding the campus community can help you determine if you'll find a sense of belonging and support during your college years.

5. What resources are available for students?

Inquire about academic support services, career counseling, mental health resources, and extracurricular opportunities. A robust support system can contribute significantly to your success and well-being as a student.

6. What is the college's approach to learning? 

Ask about the teaching methods, class sizes, and opportunities for research or internships. Understanding the learning environment can help you assess how well the college aligns with your preferred learning style. If they have an approach to experiential learning in college , it’s a plus point.

7. How is campus safety and security?

8. Can you connect with current students or alumni?

Many virtual tours offer opportunities to engage with current students or alumni through virtual events or Q&A sessions. Interacting with them can provide valuable insights into the college experience and campus life.

9. What financial aid and scholarship options are available? 

Inquire about the college's financial aid packages, scholarship opportunities, and work-study programs. Understanding the cost and available financial support will impact your decision-making process.

10. What are the internship and job placement rates? 

If available, inquire about the college's track record in helping students secure internships and job opportunities after graduation. Understanding the college's commitment to your future career can be essential.

Remember to keep an open mind and explore beyond the tour materials!

Engage with current students, ask questions, and seek out experiential learning opportunities. With careful research, active participation, and reflection, you can make the most of virtual college tours and find the perfect college that aligns with your goals and aspirations.

But, how to make the best of your Virtual College Tour? Let’s find out!

Also Read: Why Haptic Feedback is Crucial for VR Education?

How to make the most of your Virtual College Tour?

So, you're all set to take on the virtual college tour journey?

Awesome! Let's make sure you get the most out of this exciting adventure. Here are some nifty tips to guide you along the way:

Plan It Out: Before you dive into the virtual tours, whip up a little plan. Jot down the colleges you're itching to explore and the specific things you want to know more about. This nifty plan will keep you on track during your virtual college exploration.

Scribble Your Thoughts: As you hop from one virtual tour to another, don't forget to take notes! 

Scribble down your first impressions, any questions popping into your head, and the coolest stuff that stands out about each college. These notes will be your best pals when it's decision-making time.

Join the Virtual Party: Colleges love throwing virtual events for future students, like webinars, Q&A sessions, and campus tours guided by real-life students or admissions officers. These events are gold mines for real-time answers and getting a taste of the college community vibe.

Chat Up Current Students and Alumni: If the virtual tour offers a chance to connect with current students or alumni, don't miss out! Talking to these seasoned college pros gives you the inside scoop that goes beyond official materials.

VR Classroom Adventure: Feeling adventurous? 

Some virtual college tours offer VR classroom experiences ! You can virtually sit in on a lecture or join an educational activity. It's like teleporting into the college learning scene and checking if it matches your style.

Dive into Experiential Learning: Seek out the college's approach to experiential learning. Internships, research opportunities, and study abroad programs can be game-changers. Virtual tours often highlight these gems, giving you a glimpse of hands-on learning possibilities.

Share with Your Team: Don't be a lone ranger: Share your virtual college tour experiences and insights with your support network—your parents, teachers, or mentors. Their wisdom and advice can be total lifesavers when it comes to making that big college decision.

Go Beyond the Tour: Virtual tours are just one slice of the college exploration pie. Venture into the world of reviews, chat with college counselors, and get in on online forums where other future collegians are sharing their thoughts.

Get that Schedule going: Flexibility is key with VR campus tours. Create a schedule that lets you explore multiple colleges without losing your cool. Set aside specific times for each tour and stick to your plan like a champ.

To wrap it up, virtual college tours have opened up a whole new world for students like you to explore potential colleges. From campus facilities to real-time college life connections, these tours are full of valuable insights. 

So, take that digital leap and embrace the endless opportunities in the world of virtual education. 

Happy virtual touring! 

The perfect college match is just a click away!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why college tours are important.

Virtual college tours present a unique opportunity for exploration, as they enable students to delve into many campuses from the comfort of their own homes.

How to make the most of your virtual college tour?

Plan it out, scribble your thoughts, join the virtual party, Chat up current students and alumni to make the most of your virtual college campus tour.

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How to Make the Most of Virtual College Tours

Virtual college tours can be a useful tool for weighing options or previewing a campus.

Virtual College Tour Options

Getty Images

Virtual reality is one way colleges offer students a glimpse of what to expect when they arrive on campus.

Virtual campus tours, which many schools implemented initially as a way to keep up with the technological times, proved a necessity once the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normal flow of the college-seeking process.

Now, college admissions and marketing professionals say virtual campus tours are a vital component of the college search. Using 360-degree video and virtual reality, colleges are able to welcome students to campus from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

"I think virtual tours can be a great pre-screen or preview for students who have maybe never seen campus," says Kristi Lafree, director of enrollment marketing at Butler University in Indiana, which offers a 360-degree video tour alongside supplemental videos. "They maybe want to get a gut check. They want to make sure that if they do come visit that it will be worth it.”

Hundreds of U.S. colleges now provide prospective students with web-based virtual tours, complete with interactive photos and videos designed to be compatible across all devices. Some schools are even using virtual reality, though VR headsets are required for those experiences.

University officials say they hope virtual tours give students a sense of what college life at the school looks like, from the architecture to the activities. Students can dive into exploring buildings and parts of the campus that might not be covered as deeply on a standard in-person campus tour, says Joffery Gaymon, vice president for enrollment management at Auburn University in Alabama, which has a 360-degree virtual tour on its website as well as a video of a student-led tour.

Through a virtual tour, students can hop from the business building to the student union, or from athletic facilities to residence halls. A general in-person tour might not include a visit to the student newspaper building, but an aspiring journalism major may be able to tour it online.

Virtual tours have become a critical tool for attracting international students who might not be able to visit the campus in person, Gaymon says. Auburn has about 2,500 international students, visiting scholars and employees from 100 different countries each year, according to the school.

“It’s a way for them to dive a little deeper and to have a greater sense of familiarity with the university while they’re exploring options,” she says.

The University of California—Berkeley also offers 360-degree virtual tours for prospective students. Previously, the school was posting YouTube videos and virtual question-and-answer sessions, but it has since moved to a platform called YouVisit, which is used by about 700 schools across the country. Virtual tours proved to be a game changer for admissions, says La Dawn Duvall, executive director of visitor and parent services at Berkeley.

Students visiting Berkeley can start in the center of campus with a virtual tour guide providing information about the school while they explore at their own pace. In the last year, Duvall says more than 22,000 unique visitors have taken a general virtual tour of the school with about 3,000 more touring specific locations around campus that are available on YouVisit, including residence halls and academic buildings.

Auburn averages nearly 30,000 virtual visitors, including students living in India, China, Canada and Brazil, and about 25,000 in-person visitors per school year, Gaymon says.

These numbers suggest how important virtual tours have become for schools across the board, Duvall says. In a matter of minutes, students and families can visit a school in California, then zip to one on the East Coast, saving hours in the car or thousands in airfare and hotel bills, which may allow families to plan other visits .

Lafree says she expects these trends to continue, even as in-person visits resume.

“The demand for that virtual admission visit has really hardly decreased at all, so there’s no going back to pre-COVID for college admissions,” she says.

Well-produced virtual college tours also offer pizzazz that experts say prospective students may not see in other marketing materials. For schools that use VR, it provides an immersive experience; users have the sense that they're in that environment.

Prospective college athletes don’t have to visit an actual campus to get a good idea of what the school and its athletic facilities look like, says Zvi Goffer, a co-founder of CampusVR, the platform a number of universities and college athletic departments use for VR tours. This has been especially beneficial for schools and athletes as National Collegiate Athletic Conference transfers have become more prevalent, since it allows athletes to take an unofficial visit of a school without having to leave their living room, he says.

“This is going to become the norm,” Goffer says. “Visualization, as much as some people want to fight that trend, there’s just no substitute for it.”

But universities are also aware that prospective students are craving authenticity, even through virtual experiences and in social media, says Alexa Heinrich, social media manager for St. Petersburg College in Florida.

Lafree says high school students are cognizant that virtual tours and other school-produced content are intended to be marketing tools, so they're also looking at a school's TikTok, Instagram and YouTube pages to find first-person, user-generated content from other students.

Many students have begun to use social media apps the same way they might use a search engine, Heinrich says, and experts say visiting social media channels is a good way for students to make the most of vetting a school virtually. With this in mind, Heinrich says some schools have started to do “student takeovers” on their social media pages, where students show what a typical day is like on campus for an average student.

Potential students are craving something "that feels a little less robotic," she says.

“Social media plays a huge part in showing what student life and campus life is going to be like for them,” Heinrich says. “We can put out emails and tell you about the affordability of our college, but social media is going to do its best work when we’re showing students enjoying their experience at our college.”

Prospective students are applying to more schools, according to a March 2022 Common Application report , which showed the number of submitted applications rose by 21.3% between 2019-2020 and 2021-2022. (That includes data from 853 member schools.) With shortlists now longer than ever, students can use virtual tours to weigh options.

Campus officials advise prospective students to use the virtual tour as a jumping-off point and then to weigh academic programs, admissions requirements and other factors that will shape student experiences at the school. If students have interest in a specific program or activity, they should follow up directly with the school to gather more information.

“I would recommend taking their time and not just using just the tour, but using the larger campus website, the websites of your department or academic area of interest – supplementing those together,” Duvall says. “Take information from all of those places, because there’s not one that’s going to give you everything you need to represent the experience."

While college officials praise virtual tours as an option, they also encourage students to visit campus if possible. Gaymon says the function of a virtual college tour is to get a look at campus life. Other questions are best reserved for the admissions office.

“The virtual tour does not replace the traditional visit,” she says. “For us, it truly enhances it.”

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26 Virtual College Tours

Explore your dream schools without leaving home

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• Choosing A College
• College Admissions Process
• College Profiles
• College Rankings
• Application Tips
• Essay Samples & Tips
• Testing Graphs
• College Financial Aid
• Advanced Placement
• Homework Help
• Private School
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
• M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
• B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT

Virtual college tours are an excellent alternative to in-person visits. Virtual tours allow you to explore college campuses at your own pace, typically with useful features like 360° views and student-narrated audio/video. In fact, you will often see and learn much more during a virtual tour than is possible through an in-person tour, given the size of many campuses and the time constraints of a visit to the admissions office.

For each school on our list, you'll find one or more virtual tours that take you around campus and into academic buildings, residence halls, and athletic facilities.

Boston College

Despite its name, Boston College is not located in Boston. The 175-acre main campus in Chestnut Hill sits a little over 6 miles from downtown. The attractive campus features collegiate Gothic architecture and sits on a hill overlooking the Chestnut Hill Reservoir.

Online: For 360° views of buildings, athletic and performance venues, and dining areas, check out the BC virtual tour at eCampusTours.com . For a more personal experience, CampusReel offers a range of videos shot by BC students as they tell you about their campus.

Boston University

Located on an urban campus in the Fenway neighborhood, Boston University is home to one of the largest residence halls in the country, as well as beautiful green spaces along the Charles River. From contemporary towers to historic brownstones, the university's architecture is truly diverse.

Online: Boston University has an excellent collection of over 40 videos narrated by students that provide a window into academic life, residential life, and campus life.

Brown University

As one of the prestigious Ivy League schools , admission to Brown University is extremely selective. The campus in Providence, Rhode Island, features attractive red brick buildings and a hilltop location. The highly ranked Rhode Island School of Art and Design adjoins the campus.

Online: On the admissions website, you'll find an excellent 360° tour of Brown created in collaboration with YouVisit. Brown students guide you around campus and narrate different aspects of the university experience.

Columbia University

As a member of the Ivy League located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, Columbia University can be an excellent choice for strong students looking for an urban college experience. Barnard College sits adjacent to the Columbia campus.

Online : The university partnered with YouVisit to create a virtual walking tour of the campus narrated by Columbia students. You'll learn about 19 locations on campus and see dozens of high quality photos. For a less professionally produced view of campus, check out the many student-created videos on CampusReel .

Cornell University

Another Ivy League school, Cornell University has an enviable location in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York. The large hillside campus sits in the middle of wine country overlooking Lake Cayuga. In addition, Ithaca frequently ranks among the best college towns in the nation.

Online: The university has a professionally made video, Cornell University: Glorious to View , that features scenes from around campus and soundbites from faculty and students. You can also check out Cornell's interactive map with photos and information on dozens of locations around campus. Finally, take a look on CampusReel for some amateur videos by Cornell students .

Dartmouth College

Another highly selective member of the Ivy League, Dartmouth College is located in the quintessential college town of Hanover, New Hampshire. The iconic bell tower of Baker Library soars above the school's attractive buildings and open green spaces.

Online : The Dartmouth admissions website has links to some excellent resources including a 360-degree virtual tour with YouVisit and virtual tours of athletic facilities and the School of Engineering. Dartmouth graduates wrote the script for this informative 36-minute video tour of Dartmouth. For a less scripted perspective of a current student, check out Paula Joline's video .

Duke University

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University 's sprawling campus includes a forest and a medical center. The school is well known for its stone Collegiate Gothic architecture. The iconic Duke Chapel towers over 200 feet above West Campus.

Online: Narrated virtual tours at YouVisit offer excellent 360° image quality and information on Duke's main campus, Duke Marine Lab, and Duke's Kunshan campus. For another virtual tour, students in the ISIS Research Capstone course created a Duke Google Earth project with views and information on some of students' favorite campus locations.

Harvard University

rabbit75_ist / Getty Images 

As one of the world's most prestigious and selective universities, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has probably been filmed and photographed more than any other school in the United States. The university has roots going back well before the U.S. was a country, and it is also a major research hub with over 20,000 graduate students. The result is a campus with an interesting mix of historic and state-of-the-art facilities.

Online: Like several schools on this list, Harvard partnered with YouVisit to create a high quality 360° narrated virtual tour that includes both indoor and outdoor views of campus features including residence halls, Widener Library, sports complexes, and academic buildings.

 John Nordell / The Image bank / Getty Images

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology often tops the rankings of engineering schools in both the United States and the world. The school's 168-acre campus stretches along the Charles River in Cambridge, and you'll find a variety architecture from the neoclassical central buildings to the Frank Gehry designed Stata Center.

Online : Check out the campus sites in this narrated Campus Crawl video or MIT's own video, Hangin' Out at MIT with Cathy and Tara , a tour that will give you a 21 minute student-guided look around the institute. You'll also find a large library of information and videos related to different campus locations in the MIT Virtual Tour .

New York University

City lovers will be drawn to NYU 's location in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, adjacent to Washington Square Park. The campus is truly urban, so don't expect to find the green spaces and quadrangles that are typical of most campuses on this list. The school leverages its location to create impressive opportunities for students in fields ranging from business to the performing arts.

Online: NYU has created a 9-minute video that shows off the NYU campus and its New York City location. On the school's admissions website , you'll find additional virtual tours of the NYU Abu Dhabi and Shanghai campuses, as well as an online information session. For a less promotional glimpse of campus, check out this remarkable student-made video tour of NYU .

Northwestern University

With a single-digit acceptance rate, Northwestern University is among the most selective universities in the country. The 240-acre main campus in Evanston, Illinois, hugs the shore of Lake Michigan and is home to about 150 buildings. The university also has a 25-acre campus in downtown Chicago, roughly 12 miles away.

Online : Northwestern teamed up with YouVisit to create a narrated tour with dozens of high quality photo with detailed information on 22 campus locations. For something a little less formal, check out student James Jia's video tour of campus .

With over 46,000 students, Penn State 's main campus is a small city unto itself. Indeed, the campus has its own postal address—University Park, Pennsylvania—where the university is the major employer and economic driver in its rural location in the center of the state. With 18 colleges, 275 undergraduate degree programs, and over 1,000 clubs and organizations, there is clearly a lot to see and do on campus.

Online: For an excellent introduction to the university, check out Penn State's 360° virtual tour of dozens of campus locations, including the iconic Old Main building and Beaver Stadium, with its seating capacity of over 100,000.

Princeton University

Founded in 1746, Princeton University has a rich past that is reflected in its historic 500-acre campus in Princeton, New Jersey. The oldest existing building, Nassau Hall, was completed in 1756, and many more recent buildings feature Collegiate Gothic architecture. The campus frequently finds a place in rankings of the nation's most beautiful campuses .

Online : Powered by YouVisit, the Princeton University virtual tour features high quality 360-degree views of 25 campus locations narrated by Princeton students. Also be sure to check out this series of YouTube videos to introduce you to various campus features. For a more personal touch, student Nicolas Chae created a 9-minute video to show you around campus.

Stanford University

The most prestigious and selective university on the West Coast, Stanford is easily recognizable, with the mission-style architecture of the Main Quad and Hoover Tower soaring 285 feet over the school. Its campus occupies over 8,000 acres in the Bay Area, about 30 miles south of San Francisco.

Online: You'll find a range of virtual tours on the Stanford visitor's webpage. You'll be able to explore the main campus, residential facilities, and campus gardens.

Temple University

Temple University' s main campus sits about one and a half miles north of Center City, Philadelphia. As the university has grown in both size and prestige, it has expanded its facilities to include the 27-floor Morgan Residence Hall and Dining Complex, which opened in 2013 .

Online: For a professionally produced 360° tour of Temple with stellar image quality, the university partnered with YouVisit to bring the campus to your computer. If you prefer amateur student-created videos , you'll find plenty of short clips at CampusReel.

UC Berkeley

The University of California at Berkeley often tops lists of the nation's best public universities. Along with the main undergraduate campus, the school features an 800-acre ecological preserve, a botanical garden, and numerous research facilities. Towering over the campus is the 307-foot Campanile, a building that offers stunning views of campus and the Bay Area.

Online : UC Berkeley is planning to release a new virtual tour in the fall of 2020. Until then, you can check out some of the sites with this 14-minute student-guided video tour as well as a library of short videos on CampusReel .

UCLA 's 419-acre campus sits northwest of downtown, just a few miles away from the Pacific Ocean and Hollywood. Students can enjoy the advantages of proximity to a major city while living on a spacious and attractive campus defined by its Romanesque Revival architecture.

Online: For a visual experience with no narration, you'll find a 40-minute virtual walking tour of UCLA on YouTube. Also be sure to check out dozens of student-created UCLA videos on CampusReel, as well as a professionally-produced 360° tour created in collaboration with YouVisit.

Students who love sand and sun (as well as a good education) will be drawn to the University of California Santa Barbara , one of the few universities in the country with its own beach. The main campus has a cliff-top location overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The East Campus is home to most of the school's academic facilities, while the West Campus is home to residential life and athletics.

Online: If you're interested in seeing where you'll be living at UCSB, the university has extensive 360° virtual tours of residence halls, apartments, and dining areas. For a virtual walk around the attractive campus and many of the academic and athletic facilities, check out the YouVisit virtual tour , where you'll find plenty of high resolution photographs.

RightCowLeftCoast / Wikimedia Commons /   CC BY-SA 4.0

UC San Diego frequently ranks among the best public universities in the country, and its location, with La Jolla, Black's Beach, and Torrey Pines State Reserve just minutes away, is an added bonus. While surrounded by beauty, the campus itself was named by Travel & Leisure as one of the ugliest in the country because of its mishmash of architectural styles. That said, many would disagree with that assessment, and the iconic Geisel Library pictured here is certainly a one-of-a-kind campus building.

Online: UCSD created virtual tour brochures for each of its six undergraduate colleges. You'll also want to check out the YouVisit virtual tour , with its excellent picture quality and informative narration of numerous campus features.

University of Michigan

 jweise / iStock / Getty Images

The University of Michigan , another of the nation's top public universities, occupies an attractive campus in Ann Arbor. With over 500 buildings sitting on 860 acres, the university has a daunting number of tour destinations. The South Campus is dominated by athletic facilities, and the Central and North campuses are home to most academic and residential buildings. The university's top-ranked medical school has its own campus.

Online: Learn more about the campus and see the sights with these photo galleries on the U-M admissions website; you'll find a gallery featuring the campus and another focused on student life. You can also check out a 14-minute video on YouTube with 4K outdoor shots of many of the campus' main buildings.

University of Pennsylvania

Located in West Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania has a rich history dating back to its founding by Benjamin Franklin. This prestigious Ivy League school is home to the top-ranked Wharton School of Business. While much of the campus is historic and constructed in the Collegiate Gothic style, contemporary expansion continues, especially after the university acquired acreage along the Schuylkill River front.

Online: You can choose your virtual Penn experience. For an amateur and down-to-earth look at Penn, check out the dozens of student videos on CampusReel. For high quality images and narration, explore the campus through YouVisit's 360° virtual tour .

University of Southern California

Situated in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, the University of Southern California has grown increasingly selective in recent years. The attractive 229-acre main campus has a number of red brick buildings in the Romanesque Revival style. A few miles from the main campus, the university's Health Sciences campus is home to one of the top hospitals and medical schools in the state.

Online: To see the campus and learn more about USC, CampusReel has nearly 100 videos shot by students as they show off their school. Also be sure to check out the USC photo gallery on Flickr where you'll find 59 high resolution images.

University of Virginia

A top-ranked public institution, the University of Virginia has a rich history dating back to its establishment by Thomas Jefferson in the early 19th century. The university campus features stunning Jeffersonian architecture, including the arched walkways and pillared rotunda that surround the Lawn, the campus' central green space.

Online: Explore the campus through YouVisit's high quality, interactive, narrated 360° tour of UVA . Student tour guides will tell you about many of the campus features as you look around 19 campus locations.

Vanderbilt University

 SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

A prestigious private university in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt University frequently ranks among the most beautiful colleges in the country. The 330-acre campus is a designated national arboretum. Despite being just a couple of miles from the city, the campus is filled with trees and green spaces. Campus buildings are designed in a variety of architectural styles.

Online: You can virtually walk around campus and learn about 20 different locations through Vanderbilt's online tour . Sights include libraries, sporting facilities, academic buildings, and even Greek Row. If you want to take the experience a step farther, explore the campus in 360-degree virtual reality with your VR headset or YouTube app on your smartphone.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech 's expansive 2,600-acre campus features numerous buildings constructed with the school's defining "Hokie Stone"—a gray rock mined near the university's home in Blacksburg. As one of the nation's six senior military colleges, the institute is designed around the Drillfield, a large grass field where the Corps of Cadets conduct military drills.

Online: Virginia Tech offers an extensive campus photo tour with information about academic, residential, and student life facilities. You'll find even more photos and Virginia Tech information on the campus highlights page . For the student perspective on the university, you can find a wide range of short videos on CampusReel.

Yale University

Yale 's historic campus in New Haven, Connecticut, expands over 800 acres and features numerous ornate Gothic Revival buildings. You'll also find a few unique architectural gems, such as the windowless Beinecke Rare Book Library with its translucent marble and granite exterior panels. Yale's residential system is modeled after those at Oxford and Cambridge, and all students reside in one of 14 residential colleges.

Online: You can get a strong impression of Yale from the numerous virtual tours the university created in collaboration with YouVisit. Options include the Yale Campus Tour, Yale Science Tour, Yale Engineering Tour, Yale Athletics Tour, and Yale Residential College Tour. Each features high resolution photography. For more scenes of campus and the surrounding New Haven shops, check out the half-hour YouTube video created by Wind Walk Travel Videos.

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How to Make the Most of Touring Colleges Virtually

Now that COVID-19 has closed college campuses, experts walk us through how to choose a school online.

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Right now, in an alternate universe, high school students are traveling the country looking at prospective colleges. In any ordinary year, juniors would be touring schools over spring break and seniors would be preparing for admitted students weekends. Even admissions officers would be flying around the nation, attending college fairs and speaking to high schoolers unable to travel. But in the era of COVID-19, these journeys are some of the millions that have been cancelled.

In a recent Scoir survey , 80% of high school juniors and 84% of parents surveyed reported that campus visits are extremely or very important to their college selection process—so, what now? T&C spoke with college admissions experts to get advice for students and parents alike on how to virtually visit and choose a school.

Evaluate Yourself Before Evaluating A School

Before scheduling a virtual tour, it's important to figure out what kinds of colleges you may be interested in. Jennie Taylor Tucker is the CEO and founder of Pointer , an app designed to inform students about the admissions process and help them customize their search to fit their needs. Her biggest piece of advice for prospective students is to use this time at home to self-evaluate.

"This moment actually provides an opportunity to take pause and reflect on who you are as a person," Tucker suggested. "This is such a challenging process under normal circumstances, and in this moment, so much of what I think students should be doing is thinking about who they are and what makes them tick. The more self-aware they are, the better their college exploration will be."

Many college counselors ask students to make lists of qualities they'd value in a school. Aaron Fulk, director of college counseling at Marin Academy, a prestigious independent school in Northern California, asks students to take this questioning a step further.

"I think this is an opportunity for our students to actually do the search process in a more thoughtful way," Fulk said. "An important thing for our students is to articulate why they want to go to college. Many of our students and parents often scoff when we ask, but a lot of students can't answer that."

From there, Fulk asks students to figure out what they want out of college, and then explore online resources through that lens. This is also how students should be approaching the task of putting together their wishlist of schools.

Adam Lips, Director of College Counseling at Stanford's Online High School, does not see virtual counseling as an impediment to the process, having worked with students via video conference even before the pandemic.

"Initially, it’s finding places that are a good fit for the student, and then when they're applying, it’s helping them put together a strong application," Lips said. "I think that all of that can be done extremely effectively in an online environment. I don’t think you have to give much up at all. "

Where To Look

Once you've listed a few schools of interest, the next step is to go to a college's website. While these websites are large and overwhelming, there are specific areas targeted to prospective students.

Whitney Soule, Dean of Admissions and Student Aid at Maine's Bowdoin College, suggests beginning with the school's admission requirements. She also noted that many schools that usually mandate standardized testing are relaxing those requirements this year (Bowdoin, for one, is test-optional).

"It's very important to be looking to see how colleges are responding to what would normally be their admission requirements, both curriculum-wise and through standardized testing, so students can feel secure about what they’re going to have available at the time they apply," Soule said.

Financial aid is another incredibly important factor to consider as you're researching your potential schools. Most institutions have a calculator online where students can input their information and get an estimate about the cost of attendance. Soule noted, "[Students] really should be exploring financial aid as much as they should be exploring what the college is like."

Next on the website, take a look at the school's curriculum. Especially for seniors trying to decide between schools, Fulk asks his students to dive deeply into requirements and course offerings: "[What] always shocks me, the longer I do this job, is the number of students that are going to leave for college in five or six months and have not looked up the curriculum."

Finally, investigate what's important to you. Look at the website pages and social media accounts for potential majors. Research extracurricular options that interest you. Explore housing options. Make sure you're thoroughly examining whatever aspects of college you, personally, value.

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Feel (almost) like you're on campus.

There are a number of ways to explore campus or speak to students and admissions officers online. From online campus tours to Zoom information sessions, colleges are more virtually accessible than ever.

Though this year may be disappointing for some students, Soule noted that tens of thousands of students nationwide each year are unable to visit colleges before attending, so schools have already been trying to provide more virtual options. "It’s important to keep in mind that the lack of opportunity to visit is a new issue for some families and a familiar issue for a lot of families," she pointed out.

When looking at schools virtually, first join the mailing lists of colleges of interest. That way, prospective students will learn about upcoming virtual programming and options via email, which is particularly crucial in this admissions cycle.

"Recognize that college admissions are creating a lot of content very quickly to try to accommodate the lack of in-person exposure," Soule said. "The best way for students to have access to that content is to get onto the mailing lists of colleges they might be interested in."

Once you're informed, there will likely be plenty of virtual options available. YouVisit offers free virtual campus tours of over six hundred colleges and universities. All of our experts advised that students attend online information sessions through the schools' admissions offices. And many schools are offering live chat services on their websites, where prospective students can be connected with an admissions officer or student, similar to a customer service experience you might find while online shopping.

Our experts also recommended a number of other online resources and websites, including Niche , College Confidential , Campus Reel , and individual schools' social media accounts. All of theses sources will provide more information about each school, and many also feature photos and video which enable students to get a sense of the campus. Students can also use Google Maps to look at a school's surrounding area, Tucker says: "Are there things in your day-to-day now that you want to carry over to your college experience? Does that environment have similar things?"

Experts' Picks: Online Resources

YouVisit offers virtual campus tours of over 600 colleges and universities. Many tours are accompanied by student guides, providing their commentary on the school.

This site allows you to search colleges based on the qualities you value like cost, major, selectivity, or religion. Niche also provides student reviews and comments.

Google Maps

Tucker recommends students use Google Maps to explore the area surrounding a school of interest. Use the satellite view to explore a college's landscape, especially if you can't get there in person.

Pointer helps students take control over their college process and find a school that is the right fit for them, through school profiles, personality quizzes, scheduling help, and self-reflection.

Information sessions with admissions officers should also be a part of your virtual college visit. Knowing the constraints of social distancing, colleges are giving students greater access to their faculty and staff than ever before.

"Schools are trying to be mindful of this moment and be as flexible, adaptive, and empathetic as possible to students," Tucker said. "So, there are resources on a school-by-school basis that are available in a way that they wouldn’t be normally."

All of our experts agreed that the best way to get a real sense of a school is to talk to as many people as possible, whether you connect with alumni from your high school or ask a school's admissions office to connect you with current students and faculty. "It’s not just browsing a website. It’s interactive; it’s a human being who has a personality and a smile and gestures and is answering questions in real time," Soule said.

Students can tell a lot about a college based on how they're treated, Lips noted. He asks his students to "make direct contact with people who will give you a good sense of what’s going to be available to you [at this school], and then also how helpful and welcoming the people from those offices are, too."

A major part of the college search has always been finding a school you connect to personally, as well as academically. That does not change, even though today's search process is different.

Keep Some Perspective.

Make no mistake—this is an incredibly difficult time to be applying to college. With mounting uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus, colleges are unsure how and in what form the fall semester will take place, and some current seniors are considering taking a gap year to avoid the possibility of beginning college online.

"I’ve definitely had many more students thinking about delaying," Lips said. "In any year, I think it’s a great idea. Particularly this year, if the college gives that option."

While 89% of Scoir survey respondents said they had no intention of delaying enrollment, those figures may change as we learn more about the impact of COVID-19. Lips also noted that possible deferrals could have rippling consequences, including lower college admittance rates for the class of 2021, since fewer spots will be available if many current seniors defer admission.

With standardized test dates being cancelled and high schools moving to pass/fail grading systems, there are numerous other complications to consider. But despite all of these hiccups, it's important for students to keep everything in perspective.

To that end, Fulk recommended students put more of an emphasis on wellness in their college plans—for instance, an incoming freshman might plan out five things they will do to build community once the semester begins.

"Wellness is actually a far better indicator of success and persistence and graduation than even standardized testing or high school GPA," Fulk said. "We’re trying to talk to our students... more about how you are going to find your community as quickly as possible, and how are you going to find people that you can connect with and trust."

"Your primary concern needs to be your personal health and well-being. You need to do what’s best for you," Lips said. "Even though people are skeptical of the colleges and cynical about the admissions process, I think [the colleges] try to be reasonable and are going to be accepting and understanding."

Finally, remember that you are not alone. The whole world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus and everyone is handling it in their own way. Students will react differently, but remember that everyone applying to college right now is going through the same problems.

"I try to remind our juniors that every junior in the country is going through this," Fulk said. "They shouldn’t feel like they're behind—certainly they can have all sorts of emotional responses to this. They can be frustrated or angry or disappointed, but it should be unifying. Everyone is experiencing this together."

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An Updated Guide to Virtual College Tours

Where to start.

Without the option to visit colleges in-person, virtual tours and online content can provide a bridge and help you gain a sense of a school from the comfort of your home. While a virtual visit may not be what you hoped for, adjusting your mindset and remaining open and curious can go a long way toward making the process fun and informative. 

Even before Covid-19, many schools created virtual tours as a way to engage international and out-of-state students. School to school, the virtual offerings vary widely – some colleges have entire real-time tours posted on Youtube and 360-degree virtual tours , while others have short videos paired with image galleries and written content. 

Because navigating university websites can be frustrating, we suggest that if you know what school you want to start with, skip straight to a quick “[College Name] Virtual Tour” Google search.

You can also browse colleges that offer tours on websites, such as YouVisit , CampusTours , and CampusReel . (On CampusReel, students upload videos, tours of dorms, and more to share, but students or parents must register to join.)

Prepare to be a little overwhelmed

Virtual tours offer a flood of information in the form of hundreds of videos, articles, images, and aerial shots of sunny campus quads. There is a lot of information spread across sprawling pages. 

We recommend spacing out your virtual tours the same way you would in-person tours to give yourself time and space to judge each school on its own merits and to avoid missing out on key details because of fatigue. 

One of the surprising benefits of the virtual tour? It’s okay to stop! Give a virtual tour an honest try – but one of the advantages of this type of engagement is that you don’t have to stick it out to the end if you can tell early on that the school is not a good fit for you. 

Taking notes for research 

Just like for a “ real ” tour, you should keep a notebook handy to jot down details that stick out to you or any resources that pique your interest.

Unlike a real tour, don’t forget you can hit the pause button, go back to hear a detail again, skip over general descriptions of majors or programs that don’t apply to you, and make browser bookmarks of anything that excites you. 

Hopefully, you start every virtual tour with an open mind, but it’s still a good idea to start with a sense of what you hope to gain. Keep a running list of any specific degrees, programs, or opportunities mentioned by the tour guides that interest you so you can follow up with research.

It’s also a good idea to find out if the school you are touring will require you to write a Why College Essay should you decide to apply – if so, taking detailed notes now could help you write Why College Essays in the future.

Before the tour starts, create a list of headings in your notebook. The headings may include the names of majors you’re interested in exploring, a heading for campus life, another heading for school values, and a heading for special resources and opportunities. 

Lastly, leave a big space under the heading of RESEARCH where you can note anything you want to find out more about later. 

Questions to consider for further research:

• What special resources, like honors programs, are highlighted in the tour? 
• What do they say about research and undergraduate involvement? 
• Do they discuss internships or study abroad? 
• What students have access to resources like makerspaces and special collections? 
• What have alumni done with this major or degree program?
• What are the mentorship opportunities? What professors would you be excited to learn from and work with?
• How easy is it to study across disciplines?
• What career resources, student support services, and advising does the school offer?

Navigating buildings and tour stops  

In the world of virtual tours, just as in real-world tours, “stops” at specific locations or buildings on campus are what provide the tour guide the opportunity to discuss majors, programs, and resources. 

Some colleges are great about organizing tours by the majors and programs themselves, but for other schools, you have to look up what building houses your particular majors of interest, then navigate to that building/tour stop to hear about the majors and programs within it.

Again, enjoy the process of exploring and stay curious, but also feel free to skip any buildings/tour stops that have nothing to do with what draws you to that particular campus. 

Pay attention to the details

Apart from the descriptions of parts of campus, what do you get to learn about your tour guides in the virtual tours? 

Most schools will require guides to introduce themselves by sharing their names, where they are from, and their majors. Listen carefully: do any of the guides have surprising major combinations, like Chinese and art history, or math and sociology? Do the students mention they take part in any special degree or Honors programs within the college? 

These details can offer clues about aspects of the school that the school wants to highlight, like how easy it is to pursue interdisciplinary study.

Listen for values

To learn more about a school’s values, listen to the aspects of the curriculum and campus that the videos and tour guides emphasize. Is there a lot of talk about working in teams or groups, a focus on a diverse student body, or an emphasis on career resources? 

If a certain value is what draws you to a particular school, seek out specific examples of how the school engages with that value beyond its marketing materials. If service is important to you, for example, then do some research: how does the college actually demonstrate its commitment to service? Research the types of service opportunities offered and look to see whether the school integrates service initiatives into its academic offerings.   

Go beyond the virtual tour

It is possible to have a more authentic virtual experience of a college culture beyond the typical YouVisit 360 degree tours (though these can be pretty cool if you use a virtual reality headset!). 

Some colleges are finding creative ways to give you a glimpse of their campus. Villanova’s aerial campus tour or the current student blog posts under “Wish you were here” at William and Mary present an interesting new take on virtual tours. 

You can even take advantage of a 24-hour live stream through a campus webcam lik e Arizona State University if you felt the urge to check-in on your dream college at any time of the day or  night. 

YouTube also offers a multitude of options – but be sure to take any unofficial content or student reviews on YouTube with an extra grain of salt. You can also check out the college’s Campus Events Calendar, its Admissions Blog, or explore the campus and surrounding area with Google Maps.

Finally, we recommend that after you view specific tours on university websites, you have a little fun watching informal tours on youtube like The Campus Crawl by Hafu (he has “Campus Crawls” for such schools at Stanford, University of Washington, NYU, UCLA, Berkeley, MIT and Harvard).

Connect with people when you can

Just because you can’t visit in person doesn’t mean there aren’t people at that school who would be willing to connect with you.

Don’t forget that in addition to live tours and webcams, some campuses are encouraging prospective students to attend virtual information sessions and events. Tulane offers both of these and the opportunity to set up a virtual interview with an admissions officer. 

Some schools are offering online chats with admissions officers and virtual Zoom information sessions. Certain schools are even offering the opportunity to sit in on class lectures! 

If you have a specific question about an academic course, consider emailing the professor who teaches it. Or, if you’re excited about a major or program, reach out to the department chair or advisor. Make sure to ask thoughtful questions – questions that can’t be answered with a simple Google search! – and allow extra time for a response during this still-hectic period of adjustment for everyone. If you don’t hear back after a week or so, you can send a polite follow-up note. 

Reach out to your family and friends – could you get connected with any alumni who could provide valuable insights into the school? LinkedIn and alumni networks can also be useful tools for creating connections.

If you find an alum willing to chat, utilize him or her as a resource! Ask any questions you may have about how accessible their professors are, how they joined and engaged in the campus community, and whether they have school-specific tips or insights they wish they’d known while they were applying. 

A final thought

This is your process, so focus on finding ways to engage that keep you interested. Consider looking up the work of professors and alumni. Search for lectures that are available online. Read the school’s Twitter feed. Schedule a Zoom meeting to do a virtual tour with your friends who are also excited about that school – and then compare and share notes! 

Virtual tours offer a taste of what a college has to offer, but just like in-person tours, ultimately what you gain – the depth and range of insights you glean – is up to you. 

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Which Colleges Offer the Best Virtual Campus Visits?

Spring is on the way; the season when flowers bloom, the days get longer and warmer, and high school juniors and seniors traditionally flock to visit college campuses as they decide where to apply or attend. But for the last two years, the pandemic has caused colleges and universities to eliminate or scale back on-campus visits and move towards virtual visits for prospective students. This means some students won't get to see their first choice schools in person before applying or accepting. It also means fewer families will spend their spring breaks shuffling behind undergrads who seems preternaturally good at walking backwards, as they peek into dining halls and listen to stories about the history and traditions of yet another school.

The good news (in case that wasn't it for you) — colleges have now had a full year to build out their virtual visit resources, and many have come up with some pretty amazing offerings. We've highlighted the best virtual visit in each region of the country and why we loved it, so you can start planning your virtual college tour this spring.

Best Virtual Campus Visit on the East Coast: Williams College in Williamstown, MA

Students outside of a red brick building on the Williams' College campus

Williams College has been ranked one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation for decades, so it's not surprising that their virtual tour also ranks among the best. In an efficient nine minutes, their recorded campus tour hits on many of things students and their families really want to see, including a look inside the dorms and the food served in the dining hall, as well as the art gallery, dance studio, athletic facility, and the stunning library, which includes a 3-D printing room and recording studio. If you like what you see, you can sign up for a group chat with a real student or attend a virtual information session focused on topics like how to afford college, sustainability on campus, or resources for first generation students. If the times offered don't work for you, watch one of the many prerecorded videos with tips for parents and students on applying to Williams. And, if you want to see firsthand what academics are like at one of the nation's top liberal arts schools, you can watch a recording of a Williams class like Music in Film , or Why the Impacts of Climate Change are So Unfair .

Best Virtual Campus Tour in the South: Tulane University in New Orleans, LA

Stanley Thomas Hall at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA

Tulane 's 25-minute recorded campus tour features two real students and feels a lot like an actual campus walking tour, but with peppy music and faster walking. The tour not only highlights campus buildings and student life, but speaks to the traditions that make the school special, like Friday "Donuts with the Dean" on the porch of Cudd Hall, where students can grab free donuts and coffee and chat with a dean. They also how the famous Mardi Gras tree, where admitted students throw beaded necklaces into the branches, and if they stick, it's supposed to be good luck for your four years.

Tulane also offers a host of other virTUal resources , including an interactive campus map , opportunities to book live virtual tours, and webinars on many topics, including pre-recorded sessions relevant to people applying to other schools too, like tips for parents of prospective college students and tips and tricks for applying to selective colleges.

Best Virtual Campus Visit in the Midwest: University of Wisconsin - Madison in Madison, WI

Quad in front of Memorial Union on University of Wisconsin - Madison campus in Madison, WI

The University of Wisconsin - Madison's interactive map is one of the best we saw. It features a panoramic photo of the school's campus, which is flanked by water on both sides, and offers many clickable pinpoints to learn more about key spots on campus. Each pinpoint brings up a video of a real student talking about the campus spot and its history (for those history buffs missing the lesson) or a slideshow featuring photos taken at different times, so you can get a feel for what it's like to be there. They also offer an array of live and prerecorded virtual events , including information sessions for each school, and resources on topics prospective students typically want to know about, like the study abroad opportunities offered, and sessions on "Tuition and how to pay for it" and "How to submit a strong college application."

But what really sets apart the UW - Madison virtual visit is how easy it is for prospective students to connect with current students. UW - Madison offers special instagram live "Ask Me Anything" sessions with real UW students and staff tailored to specific student groups, like first generation students or transfer students. And it was the only school we saw where prospective students can schedule a 15 minute one-on-one phone call with an actual campus tour guide to ask your specific college questions in a private space.

​Best Virtual Campus Visit on the West Coast: Pepperdine University's Seaver College in Malibu, CA

A view from the Santa Monica mountains of Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA

Pepperdine University's virtual visit page opens with a sweeping bird's-eye view of the campus that may make you a little sorry you weren't able to visit Seaver College's Malibu campus in person. From up above, it's easy to see how close campus is to the Pacific Ocean. This not-terrible view is visible from the main part of campus, and can be glimpsed in the self-guided 365 virtual tour or one of the quick campus highlight videos . The virtual tour also highlights the school's signature cream-colored buildings with terracotta roofs, the impressive Eddy D. Field Baseball Stadium, and the outdoor pool, which shines like a cyan jewel in the center of campus.

Pepperdine also offers a virtual application workshop for prospective students on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the option to sign-up for a live student-led virtual tour .

But our favorite part and the thing that really sets Pepperdine apart as one the very best virtual college visits is the impressive docuseries Rising Tide . Grab some popcorn and watch all four seasons as it follows five real Pepperine students through their four years at the school.

Explore more schools' virtual offerings

The four schools mentioned above stood out, but many schools throughout the country are offering in-depth and creative online resources for prospective students who won't be able to visit campus in person. One upside of online visits is that, with no travel time or hotel costs to factor in, you can virtually-visit more schools, and you may even find that some new colleges rise to the top of your list. Be sure to visit the websites of any schools you're even a little interested in to see what the virtual events and tools are being offered this spring, and sign up now for the sessions you want to attend.

Joy Bullen is College Confidential's Senior Editor and Head of Content. She is a graduate of Kenyon College , where she majored in English and Creative Writing. She also earned a master’s in Psychology from The New School for Social Research in NYC.

Before becoming a full-time writer and editor, Joy coached thousands of prospective and enrolled college students on admissions and academic and career success. She also managed a team of academic and career coaches and consulted with universities on how to create programs that have better outcomes for students.

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Colleges and universities across the world offer virtual alternatives to on-campus tours and information sessions. 

Colleges and Universities That Offer Virtual Campus Tours

Below is a table of colleges and universities with virtual alternatives to on-campus tours sorted by state. If you don’t see your prospective school(s), check directly on school sites. Best of luck with your virtual tours in this moment of social distancing. Kudos to you for being resourceful!

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How to Choose Colleges With Virtual Tours

A guide to some of the tour sites that aim to help students feel as if they are walking around campuses without leaving home.

By Donna De La Cruz

With college campuses closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, free virtual tours have grown in popularity . High school juniors hoping to begin college in the fall of 2021 are not able to visit campuses in person, but they and their families have many ways to explore their options while staying safe at home.

Here is a guide to some of the tour sites that aim to help students feel as if they are walking around campuses. They can visit as many colleges as they like, without the cost of a road trip or the aching feet.

If you are just getting started on the college admissions process:

The National Association for College Admission Counseling provides information from more than 1,000 colleges and universities on changes to admissions processes resulting from the pandemic. The tool lets students get an overview of resources available at each institution, including links to virtual tours offered, said the association’s president, Jayne Caflin Fonash. “If someone only wants to know about schools in a certain state, or is only interested in finding out about standardized testing policies for the fall, they can drill down to get that information,” Dr. Fonash said.

StriveScan is offering the Strive Virtual College Exploration program through May 8 to take the place of in-person college fairs. Students get advice on how to write a college essay, apply for financial aid, and the chance to ask questions to officials from more than 450 colleges from 45 states and 13 countries — Canada, Britain, Ireland, Italy, France, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Australia and Mexico. All sessions are taped, allowing students to download them. StriveScan’s president, Dan Saavedra, said more presentations will be held in the coming weeks, including one focusing on STEM schools and another on small, private liberal arts schools.

If you are ready to start touring:

There are several websites that allow students to tour and compare schools. These sites offer interactive maps, photos, videos and testimonials.

CampusTours offers tours of more than 1,800 schools in the United States as well as tours of schools in the United Kingdom, Canada, China and France. Its advanced search feature allows students to fine-tune details they are searching for, such as how much tuition they want to pay. About 100 schools offer insights from enrolled students during parts of the tour on campus life, the company’s president, Christopher Carson, said. CampusTours is also working on a feature to allow students to ask questions while they are on the tour that are sent to college officials, he added.

YouVisit offers tours of more than 600 U.S. schools. The tours offer prompts that pop up asking students for input that is sent to college officials to respond, an attempt to replicate the questions and answers that come up during in-person tours. YouVisit also offers students to tour using “virtual reality” tools. “There is nothing that replaces that in-person experience that makes a student fall in love with a campus, but the goal of a virtual tour is to do as much as it can to replace those moments,” said Emily Bauer, vice president for agency services for EAB, the education research and technology company that owns YouVisit.

If you want to attend a Historically Black College or University:

The Chicago HBCU Alumni Alliance is offering virtual fairs in which nearly 50 H.B.C.U.s give students information on admissions, programs and scholarships. Videotapes of the events will be available on the alliance’s website in the coming weeks. The alliance’s president, Danielle James, said more virtual fairs are planned for the summer.

StriveScan also featured presentations from several H.B.C.U.s.

Other virtual tour sites include:

YoUniversity : Students can click on tabs such as “safest campuses,” “most diverse campuses” and “top academic colleges,” as well as “best campus food” and “coolest dorms.”

CampusReel : Students enrolled at colleges can upload their videos to this site for sharing, after being vetted. Students or parents must register to join.

If you want to take a gap year:

The Gap Year Association offers videos on what it means to take a gap year and is building a new student membership platform — a nominal fee will be required to join — that will give students access to weekly calls to learn about gap year opportunities, said the association’s executive director, Ethan Knight. The website also offers information on accredited gap year programs and counselors.

If you want to play sports in college:

Virtual tours, like the ones at YouVisit , can put students in the stands or on the playing field to get a simulated experience of being an athlete there. CampusTours has a feature that lets students find sports offered at various schools.

After you’ve narrowed down your list:

This is the time to start making personal outreach to schools, Mr. Carson of CampusTours said. “You can’t rely on virtual tours to tell you everything about the institution, you need to reach out to the schools themselves.” Traditionally, students have been told that some colleges rank in-person visits as a show of “demonstrated interest.” This year that could take different forms, like emailing professors and admissions officers or attending Zoom meetings. “Demonstrated interest is very valuable,” Mr. Carson said. “Make personalized phone calls and write emails.”

Putting Together a 360 Virtual Tour of Your College Campus: Tips and Tricks

Putting together a 360 virtual tour of your college campus.

Students put a lot of thought into whatever institution they enroll in. Everyone dreams of attending a school with top-notch academics, state-of-the-art resources, and a beautiful campus.

The truth is that most students and their parents use the internet to find the best institutions. A captivating 360 virtual tour can help them decide if your school is the right one.

But, how can it help you boost enrollment? And How do you make a perfect tour? Let’s see.

Why Use 360 Virtual Tours for Colleges and Universities?

First and foremost, we need to see if such virtual tours are worth your money and time. which explains why their popularity among colleges has skyrocketed by 258% . Here are several reasons:

#1 Showing Your Best 

With a 360 virtual tour, you can showcase the whole campus as well as all of the facilities at once. As usual, you get excellent overhead images. There are also useful features like transportation links. This can be particularly handy for parents whose kid is going on their first trip by themselves. You may also use a 360 Virtual Tour to showcase interesting spots or cultural landmarks in the area

#2 Students Can Immediately Find Their Answers 

Colleges can benefit a lot from 360 Virtual Tours because viewers can sort the tours by theme or location. Potential students who really want to study Mechanics or Biochemistry can go straight to the classes or labs that interest them and easily explore them. With a bigger school, this function also makes it simpler to get around, and people don’t have to spend a lot of time on the website figuring out how to get from one hallway to another or which stairs to take.

#3 You Can Use them for Branding

Also, it’s important to note that 360 Virtual Tours are very adaptable and can be delivered with your own logo. During the tour, you can also add things like extra pictures, printed details, links to handouts, and student footage. For prospective students who live too far away to attend in person, your virtual open days are the best way to take a look around.

#4 People Can Quickly & Easily Share it With Others

Sharing virtual tours is a breeze for everyone, including you, the students, and the parents. Any student may spread the word about the college by simply sending the link to their friends via text. They could even post it on social media. There is no better way to advertise your school without spending a dime and perhaps attracting new students.

They can also send the link to their parents, who are often very involved in making decisions. This means that giving kids virtual tours is a smart way to get parents to like and approve of your college. As a matter of fact, you could put the link in every one of your promotional emails or newsletters and urge readers to click on it. This will also bring more people to your site.

#5 A New Tool for a New Gen

Most of today’s college freshmen are members of Gen Z, a group of kids that has grown up with technology in ways that older generations have not. Gen Z spends most of their time online, on things like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and more. Good video tours of your campus can instantly show these potential students how tech-savvy your institution is, which can easily guarantee you a place on their shortlists.

#6 Bring in International Minds

A virtual tour is a fantastic tool for promoting your university abroad and attracting students from other countries. Most international students cannot come and see your college in person, but a video tour is a great way for them to feel like they’ve been there. 

The tour is a great opportunity to showcase your school’s rich diversity, including various student clubs, athletic programs, and a global alumni system that covers their specific country. Virtual tours are undoubtedly a great way to get people interested, whether they live nearby or around the world.

#7 A Powerful First Impression

With just a few shots, you can give potential students a virtual tour of your school that lets them see different parts of it from all sides. Plus, adding narration and links to buildings, school equipment, social media, and other things can also make it a memorable experience. 

The “game-like” parts of a virtual tour are an effective strategy to get potential students hooked on your school and make a powerful first impression. Because people tend to tell others about things they like, that impression will lead to more applications and admissions to your college.

Where Can You Cover 360 Virtual Tours?

Two important things make universities and schools excited about virtual tours. For starters, they want to make their school and classes easier for people to get to. Next, they want to make their educational programs better and more flexible.

Of course, there’s no surprise in such interest because they can use virtual tours in many parts of their system, including these:

Every college and university wants to have a positive image so that plenty of bright individuals will want to register there. By putting a virtual tour of the campus on your website featuring students and professors, you can easily show students and their parents why you’re the right fit.

Field Trips

A lot of schools and professional colleges are searching for novel approaches to get their students more time engaged with the real world right now. A 360-degree virtual tour with notes gives students a true first-person view of any location or event, and they can play this experience again and again at any time.

Plus, students don’t always get to connect with their tour guides or the school itself during a physical tour due to time limits, bad weather, and other variables. Virtual tours help the school show off its vibe and infrastructure.

Employee Training

Virtual tours are not just for entertainment. In fact, 80% of users only view these 360 virtual tours for educational purposes. You can easily use them to set up training programs for teachers, professors, and even administrative staff members. Public and private sector staff are required to participate in periodic safety drills; you can do this in a virtual environment where people can participate easily, saving everybody time and money.

Student Orientation

New students and staff benefit from virtual tours and trips around open spaces like the library, gym, and lecture hall. Whether in the chemical lab or the design studio, students may take their time exploring the equipment and procedures at their own leisure with a 360 virtual tour.

It also boosts class efficiency because the professor doesn’t have to spend 40 minutes on the basic features of every tool or equipment. Instead, they can put that time into the actual subject matter.

Data Collection

Let’s say you study sociology. In that case, using a 360 video camera like Insta360, you may capture real-world social interactions, analyze them quickly and share them with other academics interested in the topic. You can also show how you collected the data in the first place.

How to Optimize Your 360 Virtual Tours?

So, now you understand how these tours can make life much easier for students, teachers, parents, and your institution. You also know where to use this technology. But, how can you create a pro tour that guarantees results? Here are some pointers:

“Normal” is Not Enough

Virtual tours of colleges and universities often show the full campus, from the grass and buildings to the classrooms and sports fields. So, you need to present something different to cut through the noise. You need to highlight the unique, cool things about your institution.

It may be a modern, pro-league-level gym with all the newest equipment, a fully stocked chemical lab, or a chic amphitheater. Plus, make sure to cite some eye-catching stats about your scholarship programs, student awards, and placement rates.

Your school’s rich history deserves a nice display along with its beautiful architecture. Describe the school’s development since its inception, highlight notable alumni, and tell some interesting anecdotes. This brings us to the next point

Share Your Story

As you already know, most freshmen are 16, 17, and 18 years old. So, they are at a crossroads in their lives with so many hopes and questions, and they want to know whether your institution will support them and provide the perfect platform to realize their goals. Your virtual tour has to highlight the things that set you apart from competitors. The unique courses, the stunning grounds, the excellent leisure facilities, and the campus location can certainly make a good impression.

Make it Responsive & Easy to Find

Even if you do all the right things and make a captivating tour, it won’t make a difference if people don’t see it. Make it easy to find. Put it right on the homepage or the admissions section. Besides looking good, the tour shouldn’t take too long to load. 

Post links to the tour on your social media accounts, where your target audience is more likely to see it. There should also be no problems viewing the tour from any device because people rely on their phones for everything, especially Gen Z who check their phones over 80 times a day.

Make it Immersive

It’s not just about taking quality pictures. You need to let students feel as if they’re already on the campus. Taking a virtual tour of a college campus isn’t as simple as clicking through photos of buildings and fields. Show what kids are really eating in the cafeteria or learning in the classrooms, rather than simply showcasing the space itself. 

Feature students having a good time in the dorms or counselors who can help them with their future plans. This shows them that your college is a dynamic environment that can help them achieve their goals.

Add in Positive Testimonials

Your video tour will work better if it has genuine positive comments and testimonials from teachers, students, and parents who like your institution.

You may win over skeptical viewers by including clips where current and former students praise your school. Use fun elements to connect with them right away. Just make sure you maintain the proper balance between information and entertainment.

It’s also a good plan to have former students talk about how they made it in the real world, whether by becoming successful business owners or landing dream jobs. You may also ask professors for their feedback and post it on the website. They can describe the unique aspects of teaching at your institution.  

Integrate your college’s volunteer projects like neighborhood clean-ups and blood drive camps into the 360 virtual tour. You can use it to highlight the human aspect of your organization.

Team up with an Expert Team

It’s not easy to make virtual tours that are both informative and visually appealing. Having the most cutting-edge equipment on the market is no guarantee of success when it comes to recording a tour. It makes sense to bring in experts if you’re looking to get an advantage in the market. 

To take the best shots of your school, professional virtual tour companies know how to utilize various lights, perspectives, lenses, and effects. They will also know how to use the right tools to edit photos and “weave” them together to make a story that is only yours.

Bottom Line

In order to attract applicants, make a good impression, and form a genuine bond with those young minds, universities and colleges sorely need virtual tours. But, there are simply too many variables in making a solid 360 virtual tour. You can either spend your resources on trial and error to find the missing pieces, or just bring an expert team. 

Besides the know-how, they understand how to comply with the latest regulatory changes and come up with a virtual tour that speaks to your target audience. 

We at Momentum Virtual Tours have a long track record in offering this exact service. With our immersive virtual tours, you can bring the brightest minds into your student body and faculty. Just get in touch and let’s get started.

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15 Virtual College Campus Tours to Explore From Home

Tour Vanderbilt, Harvard, USC, and more!

Touring a college campus is an exciting rite of passage for many high school students as they explore their future stomping grounds. For a variety of reasons students and families might not be able to visit in person—but that doesn’t mean they have to miss out! Below, 15 of the many virtual college campus tours available online right now.

University of Southern California

Get a glimpse of USC’s beautiful campus and historic University Park with this video that showcases the school’s classic architecture, park-like grounds, museums, cafés, entertainment, and more.

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Harvard University

Take a virtual tour of the oldest university in the United States. And even visit places you can’t even see during an in-person campus tour! Explore classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, and more.

Location: Cambridge, MA

This self-guided virtual tour of Penn State University Park gives students an insider’s view of classrooms, residence halls, athletic facilities, and much more. You’ll even learn about the school’s majors and vibrant student community along the way.

Location: State College, PA

College of William & Mary

The second-oldest school in the country invites you to a virtual engagement where you’ll learn about William & Mary’s academic programs, unique student research opportunities, study abroad programs, and supportive campus community of passionate students and faculty.

Location: Williamsburg, VA

Texas A&M

Get an up-close view of Texas A&M, the state’s first public institution of higher learning. This research-intensive flagship university is committed to sending leaders out into the world prepared to take on the challenges of tomorrow.

Location: College Station, TX

University of Miami

The University of Miami offers one of the most extensive virtual college campus tours on this list. Choose from many different locations including the main campus, library, Campus Arena, residential college, and more!

Location: Coral Gables, FL

Howard University

Tour the historic main campus, situated upon a hilltop in Northwest Washington just a few blocks from the storied U Street and Howard Theatre. Howard University is also located just two miles from the U.S. Capitol building where many students have both interned and gone on to shape national and foreign policy.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Vanderbilt University

The 10 schools at Vanderbilt University reside on a parklike campus set in the urban heart of Nashville. To explore, move along the tour route and then click the “360,” “photo,” and “video” icons to see even more.

Location: Nashville, TN

University of Oxford

Visit the oldest university in the English-speaking world. This 360° virtual tour offers views of facilities such as the dining hall, library, and chapel. Also find an example of a student room, garden or quad, and the porters’ lodge.

Location: Oxford, England

Hampton University

You’ll feel just like you’re strolling through campus with this very extensive virtual college tour. Explore many areas of Hampton University including the dorm courtyard, student center, library, and even Armstrong Stadium.

Location: Hampton, VA

Northwestern University

Take Northwestern’s online guided tour which offers an interactive 360-degree view of the campus including academic and residential buildings, dining halls, athletic facilities, and more.

Location: Evanston, IL

Boise State University

Boise is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. And this virtual college tour provides a view of the university’s state-of-the-art research labs, living and dining spaces, and brand new high-tech home for visual arts.

Location: Boise, ID

University of Nebraska

Enjoy an aerial view of the entire University of Nebraska (courtesy of drone footage)! Next, check out residence hall living spaces, the library, recreation, and wellness centers. There’s so much to see on this virtual college campus tour!

Location: Lincoln, NE

Duke University

There are several ways to enjoy this extensive online tour of Duke University. You can jump to recommended spots, click on the map to visit specific buildings, or simply “walk around” and take in the sights. Plus, you can click the interactive elements at each stop for more details!

Location: Durham, NC

Meredith College

Begin your tour of Meredith by the flagpole that marks the entrance to the school’s campus. From there, select any location by using the links on the page to see everything from the residence hall and courtyard to the Gaddy-Hamrick Art Center and athletic complex.

Location: Raleigh, NC

Did we miss a virtual college campus tour? Share them with us, and we might just add it to this list!

Also, view 15 Fascinating Aquarium Virtual Field Trips .

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What Questions Should You Ask when on a Virtual College Tour?

Not only are virtual campus tours a great way to see the campus and get a feel for the culture, but they’re also a great way to meet someone from the school, usually an admissions officer, a student, or an alumnus, and pick their brain. A virtual campus tour could be your one and only chance to speak to someone who will be living the life you’re looking at in a year or two, so make the most of it! So, what are the best questions to ask on virtual college tours?

1.   What is your usual daily schedule like?

2.   What is the average size of introductory courses and courses in your major? (Keep in mind that majors often have different size classes when you get to upper-level courses, but this could be a good benchmark)

3.   Ask about your particular hobbies. What’s the culture for x on campus?

4.   Why did you choose this school?

5.   How accessible are professors and administrators to students?

6.   What percentage of your courses are taught by professors vs. TAs?

7.   How easy is it to study abroad?

8.   What is the connection like with alumni network? Some virtual campus tours have an alumni ambassador present. Get to know their experience with a particular school or major.

9.   How is the food? Are there options?

10.  How long is a student required to live on campus? How difficult is it to get on-campus housing as an upper-classman?

11.  What are the best study spots on campus and why?

12.  How much time do you spend on classwork and how much on extracurriculars and socialization?

13.  How big are sports on campus?

14.  How diverse is the student body? The faculty?

15.  How safe do you feel on campus and surrounding areas?

16.  How easy is it to find and balance an on-campus job?

17.  What is the course-selection process like?

18.  How often are you fighting for spots in a class?

19.  How many options are there for courses within your major?

20.  How difficult is it to take classes outside of your major?

21.  How far are residences from classes on average?

22.  What are the best restaurants around campus, how far are they, and how late are they open (that last one is key)?

23.  How late are facilities like cafeterias, libraries, gyms, and study centers open?

24.  What are the places in the city/ town around campus that you HAVE to see?

25.  What are some quintessential parts of the culture on your campus? What are some hallmark experiences of attending that school?

26.  What are your favorite things about the school?

27.  What do you not like?

Now you’re all ready to go on your Campus 360 tour to explore your favorite schools from the comfort of your home! Keep in mind that the virtual tour guide has a job to do, so don’t pester them; pick a few questions that are most important to you, (see if you can find the information on the internet first), and if they don’t already cover them in the tour, ask! That’s what they’re there for.  And be sure to introduce yourself! You never know, they could end up being your TA next year!

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This 13-minute student-hosted virtual tour is best viewed at 1080s. For optimal experience, we suggest viewing on a mobile device or with cardboard or 360° glasses. Otherwise, you can navigate on a stationary monitor by clicking-and-dragging or by using the compass in the upper left. Welcome virtually to The Farm!

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What every parent should know about college tours

I f your child is growing up too fast and high school graduation seems to be approaching quickly, college tours might be on your to-do list. Although I don’t believe you have to visit college campuses before you apply, a tour can be very helpful when narrowing down the schools your  teen  will apply to.

Many families plan their college tours during senior year, especially in the fall semester, while others schedule them after the acceptance letters start coming in. It’s become more common to start earlier in the process, especially if Early Decision is an option and there’s a need to start narrowing down choices before November 1. If you’re a newbie in this college application process, like me, Early Decision is binding, and you sign a contract stating your child will attend if accepted. It improves the chance of getting admitted into the dream school but not all schools offer the option (for example, state schools don’t) and if you need financial aid, it can limit your options because you need to rescind your application from other schools if accepted. If you are considering Early Decision, then a campus visit might be just what your child needs to decide what their top choice is.

College tours are free, but it’s best to sign up in advance. Some schools do take walk-ins, but most require advance registration. 

If an in person visit is not a possibility for now, a virtual campus tour can be helpful. Some colleges offer video tours and virtual events, so make sure to check them out as well.

A college visit can be very useful. It’s the perfect opportunity to see if your child fits in the school you visit and gather materials and observations to answer school-specific application prompts. 

Top tips when planning a college tour

• Make a list of the schools your teen considers their top options.  Discuss whether they are a realistic choice, academically and financially.  Then narrow down the list to the ones you can and feel compelled to visit.
• If possible, include a mix of different types of schools.  Visit a state school, an urban school, a traditional campus, a big university, and a smaller college. See how your teen reacts. My son, for example, realized he prefers to be close to a big city rather than a rural area. My daughter also prefers urban settings to small college towns.
• Take advantage of any family trips you have planned.  Add an extra day so you can tour nearby colleges and universities. If you have more than one child, take younger siblings on the tour, especially if they’re close in age. 
• Schedule visits as soon as you settle on dates.  Tours can fill up quickly during certain times of the year, so make sure you book in advance.
• Check to see whether your child’s prospective major offers a school-specific tour . Register before or after the general campus tour. Some have very limited space and are in high demand.
• Familiarize yourself with the schools before your visit by using their website . All offer virtual tours and tons of information regarding their admission process. They also offer a cost calculator so you can see whether your family would be able to afford it. 
• Take notes.  Even better: make sure your teen writes down what stands out and what they like at every single college you visit. Those notes come in very handy when they have to write their college essays! If there’s something you dislike, it’s also important to jot it down. You might think you’ll remember each school but our memories tend to be fragile.
• Ask questions.  Some teens prefer to do the asking, while others are okay with parents taking the lead. Ask about the curriculum, teacher ratio, class size, and anything else that you consider important. Parents should inquire about campus safety measures and the accessibility of the campus for students with disabilities. However, be considerate of other families and don’t monopolize the questions.
• Make sure you speak to current students.  They give you a different perspective than admissions officials. Ask them about the food, safety, stress level, dorms, and their quality of life. I preferred my son to ask those questions because teens relate to each other more easily. Take advantage of the student-led campus tours to also get the perspective of somebody who already went through the process. My kids always ask why the tour guide chose that specific school and the answers can be very enlightening.
• Keep your eyes and ears open but don’t be afraid to stand back.  I observed everything, saw my son’s reactions to the schools we visited, and asked questions. However, I let my teen take the lead and tried to be as unobtrusive as I could be. 
• Don’t forget to sign in at the college tour meeting point, welcome center or at the undergraduate admissions office.  Although a visit won’t necessarily improve your child’s acceptance chances, it never hurts for that school to know that you made the time to be there in person. College counselors say it is extremely important to demonstrate interest in the school, so visiting in person can make a difference.

What to expect during a college tour

Parents can expect a variety of things when they go on a college tour with their child. College tours are typically designed to provide prospective undergraduate students and their families with a glimpse of campus life, academic offerings, and the overall atmosphere of the college or university.

Here is what to expect during a college tour:

• Information Sessions:  Most college tours begin with an information session led by admission counselors. Parents can expect to learn about the college’s history, mission, academic programs, admission requirements, financial aid options, and application process. This is an opportunity to ask questions and gather important information.
• Guided Campus Tour:  After the information session, parents and students are usually taken on a guided walking tour of the campus. This tour may include visits to academic buildings, dormitories, dining facilities, libraries, recreational areas, and other important campus locations. Parents can expect to see the physical aspects of the campus. Tip: get a campus map to help you identify what you are walking by.
• Interactions with Current Students:  College tours often include interactions with current students, like the student tour guide. Parents and students can ask questions to get a sense of what life is like on campus, including extracurricular activities, student organizations, and the overall student experience.
• Meeting Faculty or Staff:  Some college tours, especially if your child has been invited to a special event for prospective students, may include opportunities to meet with faculty members, academic advisors, or staff members from specific departments. This can be a valuable opportunity for parents and students to learn more about academic programs and resources. After the pandemic, these meetings need to be requested in advance unless they are a part of special programming. 
• Housing Options:  Parents can expect to see different types of housing options, including dormitories and residence halls. 
• Campus Facilities:  Parents should expect to see various campus facilities, such as the library, fitness center, laboratories, and recreational areas. This can give them a sense of the resources available to students.
• Admissions and Financial Aid Offices:  College tours often include visits to the admissions and financial aid offices. Parents can learn about the application process, deadlines, and financial aid options available to students.
• Q&A Sessions:  Many college tours include question-and-answer sessions where parents and students can ask specific questions about the college. It’s a good opportunity to seek clarification on any concerns or doubts.
• Free Time:  Depending on the length of the tour, parents and students may have some free time to explore the campus on their own, visit nearby attractions, or have meals in campus dining facilities.
• Next Steps:  At the end of the tour, parents can expect to receive information about the next steps in the application process, including how to apply, application deadlines, and important contacts. Tip: set a reminder on your phone if there are special scholarship application deadlines.

It’s important for parents to come prepared with questions and take notes during the tour to help their child make an informed decision about which college or university is the best fit for them. Additionally, parents should encourage their child to actively participate in the tour and ask questions that are important to them.

Is it worth doing a college tour before your child is accepted?

Yes, there can be value in doing a college tour before your child is accepted. Here are a few reasons why:

    1.     Exploring Options: College tours provide an opportunity to explore different colleges and universities to determine which ones align with your child’s interests, preferences, and goals. It allows them to get a sense of the campus environment and culture.

    2.    Motivation and Goal Setting: Visiting colleges can motivate your child and help them set academic and personal goals. Knowing what’s ahead can inspire them to work harder in high school to achieve admission to their preferred institution.

    3.    Understanding Requirements: College tours often include information sessions where admission requirements, deadlines, and the application process are discussed. This early exposure can help your child plan and prepare accordingly.

    4.     Financial Planning: College tours can also provide insights into the cost of attendance and available financial aid options. This information is crucial for financial planning and identifying potential scholarship opportunities.

    5.     Networking and Connections: Attending tours may allow your child to connect with current students, faculty, and admissions staff. These connections can provide valuable insights and guidance throughout the application process.

    6.     Demonstrated Interest: Some colleges track “demonstrated interest” as a factor in their admission decisions. By visiting a campus, your child shows genuine interest in the school, which can potentially enhance their application.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that visiting colleges before acceptance may not be possible or practical for everyone due to geographical or financial constraints. In such cases, virtual tours, informational webinars, and reaching out to current students or alumni online can also provide valuable insights and help with the decision-making process. Ultimately, the decision to visit colleges before acceptance depends on your family’s circumstances and your child’s preferences.

Are virtual college tours useful?

Virtual college tours can be useful and have their advantages, especially when visiting campuses in person isn’t feasible. Here are some reasons why virtual college tours can be valuable:

    1.     Accessibility : Virtual tours make it possible to explore colleges and universities from anywhere in the world, overcoming geographical barriers. This accessibility is particularly helpful for international or out-of-state students.

    2.     Cost-Efficiency : Virtual tours are typically free or low-cost, eliminating the expenses associated with travel, accommodation, and meals that come with traditional in-person visits.

    3.     Convenience : You can take virtual tours at your own pace and schedule. This flexibility allows you to fit college exploration into your busy life without disrupting work or school schedules.

    4.     Safety and Health : Online tours became even more relevant during times of health concerns, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They provide a safe way to explore campuses without risking exposure to illness.

    5.     Revisit at Any Time:  Virtual tours often remain accessible on college websites, allowing you to revisit and review campus facilities and information as needed.

    6.     In-Depth Exploration:  Some virtual tours offer interactive features, 360-degree views, and multimedia presentations that can provide an in-depth look at campus facilities, academic programs, and student life.

However, there are some limitations to consider:

    1.     Lack of Physical Experience:  Virtual tours cannot fully replicate the physical experience of being on campus. You won’t feel the college life atmosphere, interact with current students, or get a sense of the local community.

    2.     Limited Perspective:  Virtual tours may highlight the best aspects of a campus and omit certain drawbacks. It’s essential to complement virtual tours with additional research and possibly in-person visits if possible.

    3.     Technical Issues:  Technical glitches or limitations in the virtual tour platform can sometimes disrupt the experience.

So even if you are not seeing a beautiful campus in person, virtual college tours are a valuable tool for initial research and can help you narrow down your list of potential colleges. However, if you have the opportunity, combining virtual tours with physical visits when feasible can provide a more comprehensive understanding of a college or university.

Good luck with the college application process. Make sure to check on your teen to see how they are handling the pressure and stress. This is an important stage in their lives, but our children’s health is always the top priority, and not all schools or career paths are good for everybody.

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The post What every parent should know about college tours by Jeannette Kaplun appeared first on Hispana Global .

Campus Tours

Explore UCLA’s beautiful campus, tradition of academic excellence, vibrant student body and vast array of resources and opportunities.

We offer on-campus tours and online webinars hosted by UCLA students. 

A tour narrated by current UCLA student tour guides is offered online and on-campus. These tours are designed for students in 9th grade and above.

Spanish Language Tour

A tour narrated in Spanish by current UCLA student tour guides is offered online and on-campus.

Housing Tours

We are not able to offer on-campus housing tours at this time. 

Visit a Class

We are not able to offer the Lecture Experience at this time.

Self-Guided Tour

If you find yourself on campus, you can still have a great experience with a self-guided tour.

Cub Tours (K–8th Grade)

Cub tours are for groups of students in kindergarten all the way up to 8th grade. 

Virtual Tours

Virtual tours are immersive experiences complete with panoramic photos, videos and in-depth audio narration.

Virtual Campus Tour

Virtual Housing Tour

Professional schools tours.

The following schools provide their own information sessions and tours, highlighting specific programs, facilities and opportunities.

• School of the Arts and Architecture
• Samueli School of Engineering
• Herb Alpert School of Music
• School of Nursing
• Luskin School of Public Affairs
• School of Theater, Film & Television
• Graduate Student Tours

Other Tours

• Library virtual tours
• Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden self-guided tour
• Medical center virtual tours

Tour Questions

Campus tours (9th grade and over).

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Interactive Campus Maps

Our interactive campus maps will give you the opportunity to explore Mercy from wherever you are. Our new maps will be available in mid-July, so make sure to check back soon!

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EA Sports Reveals Top 25 Offenses and Defenses in College Football 25 Video Game

Patrick andres | jun 27, 2024.

The first time you break into College Football 25 upon its July 19 release, paralysis of choice is bound to set in.

Do you play with Georgia's experienced attack, led by quarterback Carson Beck? Or Ohio State's cadre of weapons? Or Notre Dame's shutdown defense? How do you pick?

This is a tradition as old as college football video games themselves. Early millennials had to choose between Nebraska's ground game and Miami's passing game, late millennials between USC quarterback Matt Leinart and Texas quarterback Vince Young, and Gen Zers between Alabama coach Nick Saban and Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer's brands of dominance.

Gen Alpha, to you passes this proud legacy. To help you in your search ahead of this historic season, here—unveiled by EA Sports Thursday morning—are College Football 25 's top 25 offenses and defenses.

Choose wisely, and don't neglect the UTEPs and Western Michigans of the world.

Top 25 Offenses in College Football 25

Top 25 Defenses in College Football 25

PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres has been a Staff Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated since 2022. Before SI, his work appeared in The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword, and Diamond Digest. Patrick has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University.

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Newsroom / Maryville College Admissions looks ahead to another banner year

After successful SOAR weekend, Maryville College looks ahead to August for another banner year for admissions

July 1, 2024

Yet again, Maryville College is on track for a banner academic year as administrators and staff members roll out a summer of programming to welcome new first-year and transfer students to campus.

Friday and Saturday, staff members from Admissions and the Division of Student Affairs presented a “get acquainted” weekend, of sorts, for new first-years and their family members. The SOAR event – Summer Onboarding, Adventure and Readiness – was designed as a prelude to new student orientation activities, which begin in August and lead up to the first day of classes on Aug. 21.

For the fourth year in a row, according to Dr. Alayne Bowman , vice president of Admissions and Financial Aid , enrollment numbers have blossomed at Maryville College even as similar-sized smaller, private liberal arts schools have struggled.

“Applications are up by 5%, and our deposited students are up 10% from pre-pandemic numbers,” Bowman said. “We are anticipating another large class, possibly the second largest in recent years. There’s a lot of uncertainty out there right now in higher education, especially given the fumbled rollout of the new FAFSA ( Free Application for Federal Student Aid ) last fall, and many of our sibling institutions have seen reduced admissions as a result.

“At Maryville College, the efforts we undertook last year in anticipation of potential FAFSA difficulties have meant minimal disruption in the enrollment process. I can’t say enough about our Admissions and Financial Aid staff, but it’s also a credit to efforts that have been made College-wide to appeal to students who are seeking an education that allows them to capitalize on numerous opportunities for hands-on experience, class work and fieldwork, and one-of-a-kind initiatives, all while feeling supported by faculty and staff members who go above and beyond to meet their needs.

“It’s one thing to say that we encourage our students to study everything because it prepares them for anything; it’s another thing entirely to create a transformational journey for them that begins on day one and continues all the way through graduation,” Bowman added.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of first-year and transfer students has risen steadily every academic year, and last year, those numbers jumped dramatically: A 14% increase at the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year over the year prior, and MC administrators heralded the arrival last year of the largest incoming Maryville College class in recent history. While this year’s first-year class is on track to be the second largest, the numbers are still impressive, especially given how much the delays in FAFSA created an enrollment nightmare for colleges and universities around the country.

Normally, the FAFSA application for each academic year opens up in October of the year prior, meaning that families seeking financial assistance to pay for the 2024-25 academic year could have begun applying as early as Oct. 1, 2023. However, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would make changes to the FAFSA process to streamline it and make it more effective, but the end result was the exact opposite.

“Ideally, the changes would have made it easier for more families who needed financial aid to get Pell Grants and other assistance, but those changes meant that the new application wasn’t going to be ready until December of last year,” said Kelly Massenzo , director of undergraduate admissions at Maryville College. “When it did finally come out, there were issues month after month. For example, if you needed to make a correction, you couldn’t go back and do so, whereas in years past, you could, so a lot of families were in limbo and had no idea what financial aid, if any, they were going to get. Needless to say, deciding on college without that knowledge is almost impossible.”

Bowman, Massenzo and the rest of the Admissions team, however, anticipated those problems and began working with an outside vendor, as well as Maryville College’s Office of Financial Aid and Information Technology team , to develop a student aid index estimation tool in early fall of 2023, Massenzo said. The online calculator mimicked FAFSA, and the answers parents gave helped create a student aid index that gave those parents an estimation of the amount of financial aid their students would likely receive.

“Based on our calculations, we were able to generate high-level costs for families to give them a sense of what their costs would be, and we shared those in the fall,” Massenzo said. “We were one of the first colleges and universities to give families some financial numbers, and we continued to send those until actual FAFSA packages were released to families in April.

“For the most part, those estimations were pretty accurate as long as parents filled out all of the information needed to make the calculations, and we believe that’s what led so many families to make deposits for their students to come to Maryville College, because they had tangible numbers to work with.”

A multi-pronged strategy for sustainability

That’s a stark difference from other higher education institutions, according to a June 10 report in The Washington Post: “I have spoken to a few presidents who said they are between 20 percent and 30 percent below their anticipated enrollment target,” the newspaper quoted Angel B. Pérez, chief executive of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, as saying. “That’s devastating for an institution. But of course, you’re not going to see that at the big flagship publics or the wealthiest institutions. But you will see that at regional colleges.”

Admissions shortcomings don’t just jeopardize an institution’s ability to grow and thrive, Pérez added: It also means that “hundreds of thousands of students will not be in college, and that has devastating impacts for the economy in the future.”

The success of Maryville College in overcoming those challenges, said MC President Dr. Bryan F. Coker , is why he’s proud of and grateful for the foresight of the Admissions staff, combined with a number of exciting initiatives, achievements and plans in all areas of the College, which have allowed MC to not only weather the FAFSA debacle, but to continue to thrive in these dynamic times for higher education.

“Maryville College is thriving in many ways, and that is obviously being noticed by prospective students and their families,” he said. “We offer one of the world’s greatest natural laboratories for learning, at the doorstep of America’s most-visited national park. With the Maryville College Downtown Center ready to open and new academic and athletic programs recently introduced, we have a great deal to offer and provide generous assistance in making a Maryville education accessible and affordable.”

Case in point: The Downtown Center will serve as an embassy, of sorts, to the greater Maryville community. Classes in two of the newest programs of study — the Hospitality and Regional Identity major, and the Fermentation Science minor — will be held there, and the long-term goal is to use the building as both an event space for local organizations and as a center for lifelong learning classes, open to the public.

As for overall institutional health, Maryville College recently received its 10-year reaccreditation visit from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The review team had no recommendations for improvement: “In other words, a perfect score. This is extraordinarily rare, and even for a well-run institution,” Coker said. With the arrival this week of Dr. Elizabeth Perry-Sizemore , the newly appointed vice president and dean of the College, work toward an MC degree will continue to reflect prestigiously on those students who choose to enroll here.

Along the way, they’ll receive support through initiatives that push them to excel but provide them with the tools to do so: During the 2023-24 academic year, Maryville College received a $2.25 million Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant that will establish the “‘Building an IDEAL Community Project,’ with IDEAL an acronym for inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible learning,” Coker announced last fall. “This program will meet the needs of our students by creating a student success model with a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) focus. The funding will allow for the hiring of seven critical new staff positions, first-year experience programming, and renovations to create a one-stop shop student support center on campus.”

In addition, the College received in May a $776,000 Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development grant that will establish the Maryville College Digital Edge Program , which will be administered through the MC Career Center and assist students in discovering and enrolling in courses to strengthen their digital skills and allow them to complete micro-credentials — qualifications that focus upon specific technological disciplines through one or more accelerated educational training programs.

“It’s such an honor to be a part of an institution where everyone labors to go above and beyond for our students — both those who have been Scots for several years now, and those who are still deciding whether to become a part of our family,” Bowman said. “I can’t say enough good things about the ways in which our Admissions and Financial Aid teams navigated the problems with FAFSA, but I’m also confident that the appeal of Maryville College — all that it offers today, and all that it will offer in the years to come — plays a large role in the decision of transfer students and rising first-years to commit to MC.”

“Since first being introduced as the College’s president in 2020, I’ve stated, ‘keep an eye on Maryville College,’ and I hope that many heeded that advice,” Coker added. “Our progress and success over the past four years has exceeded even my expectations. And we’re not slowing down anytime soon — our supporters should continue to expect more bold and strategic moves in the coming years.”

Maryville College President Dr. Bryan F. Coker welcomes potential Scots and their families to SOAR Weekend.

Both students and family members were welcomed to Maryville College during the weekend's SOAR activities.

Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development Doniqua Chen '15 (top right) and the MC Peer Mentors helped shepherd SOAR participants over the weekend.

An immersive weekend of activities, SOAR — Summer Onboarding, Adventure and Readiness — gave future Scots an opportunity to experience life on campus, including meals in Pearsons Dining Hall.

Excursions up the Mountain Challenge Alpine Tower were a part of Friday evening activities.

A bonfire gave rising first-years and transfer students an opportunity to enjoy the amenities of Mountain Challenge and the Crawford House.

Volleyball matches on Lloyd Beach were enjoyed by SOAR Weekend participants.

The weekend of June 28, Maryville College opened its doors for Summer Onboarding, Adventure and Readiness, a weekend of activities for Scots still making a decision about 2024-25 college attendance.

A twilight dance party gave SOAR participants an opportunity to dance under the stars on Lloyd Beach.

Saturday morning began with an excursion to the Maryville Farmers Market, within walking distance of campus.

A trek to downtown Maryville meant an inevitable stop at Vienna Coffeehouse, a favorite gathering spot for MC students.

Saturday afternoon sessions include financial aid seminar to explain to potential students and their parents the assistance that Maryville College offers.

Saturday afternoon, potential Scots and their family members had an opportunity to explore the academic divisions of Maryville College.

Dr. Angela Sebby (left), coordinator of the Hospitality and Regional Identity program of study, speaks with a SOAR participant.

Admissions for the fall semester are already looking excellent, and the SOAR weekend helped more potential Scots find their forever college home at MC.

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John Deere Classic: Luke Clanton devoted to college years, professional golf waits

Clanton’s focus remains on college golf despite recent success on PGA Tour as he gears up for first John Deere Classic.

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Luke Clanton played phenomenally, finishing tied for 10th at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. The Florida State golfer is back on the PGA Tour for the second consecutive event as he is in the field for the John Deere Classic .

Heading into the final day of play, Clanton sat two strokes off the lead. Many felt he could join Nick Dunlap and become the second amateur golfer in six months to win a PGA Tour event. Instead, he shot an even-par 72 on Sunday.

Despite that level of success against PGA Tour players, the rising junior is not worried about professional golf just yet.

“I want to win a national championship with the team,” Clanton said ahead of the John Deere Classic.

“That’s been my number one goal in college, and we came pretty close this year. All of us back home are very driven this year to do it. Again, I think whatever happens happens. I’m still 20 years old. I’m still learning the ropes as much as I can. I’m going to do what I do.”

Clanton finished as the second-lowest amateur to Neal Shipley at Pinehurst in the U.S. Open and kept the momentum going in Detroit with a 14-under total score. His driver was his best club , as he was No. 2 in strokes gained off the tee at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

20-year-old Luke Clanton ranks fourth in Driving Distance this week. He's averaging 319.2 yards in his second career TOUR start. pic.twitter.com/XijzxwIj7y — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 30, 2024

Clanton is a rising junior at Florida State University and helped the Seminoles get to the national title match against Auburn. He fell 2 & 1 in his final match to J.M. Butler.

However, the 20-year-old had one of the most impressive spring runs. He won three consecutive events, was runner-up in the NCAA Individual tournament, recorded 10 top 1s in 14 starts, and finished with the lowest single-season average in FSU history at 69.33.

He likes to keep it simple on the golf course. Regardless of what he has won in his young career, it is all about golf.

“I’m out here to play the best I can. Simple as that,” he said. “If I put four days together and it gets me more accelerated points, awesome. Number one goal is to play as good as I can.”

Even though he could have won over six figures last week, the youngster is determined to finish school. Clanton knows that professional golf will be there when he accomplishes the goals he set for himself in college.

“I would say I’m probably pretty close to where I wanted to be,” Clanton said. “I would say I think I had pretty big goals growing up, a lot of expectations for what I wanted to do. There is one thing I want. I think that’s pretty obvious of course. I think we’re just going to see what happens in the next couple of weeks.”

Luke Clanton has big dreams and aspirations The 20-year-old will tee it up this week @JDClassic , coming off a top-10 finish in just his second TOUR start @RocketClassic . pic.twitter.com/iTCEvHbnRq — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2024

That goal is not a PGA Tour victory but an individual and team national championship with Florida State.

For the first two rounds of the John Deere Classic, Clanton is paired with Pierceson Coody and Joe Highsmith. They tee off at 2:44 p.m. ET on Thursday and at 9:24 a.m. ET on Friday.

The youngster’s next tournament will be the ISCO Championship in Nicholasville, Kentucky, from July 11 to 14. Clanton received a sponsor’s exemption. It is the opposite field event to the Genesis Scottish Open. He will also play in the 3M Open on an exemption at the end of July.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

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