As an educational consultant, college advisor, admissions coach, educational planner - you should be touring schools
As an experienced college admissions advisor, I have had the privilege of guiding numerous students through the process of selecting and applying to colleges after high school. Throughout my career as an educational consultant, I have gathered valuable insights that I wish to share with my colleagues and peers in the field. This essay aims to provide professional advice and useful information on the importance of college campus tours, whether in person or virtually. For the purpose of enhancing college counseling and advisory services in your own practice.
The Value of In-Person College Campus Tours
College campus tours offer unique opportunities for students and admissions advisors to immerse themselves in the college environment. As a college admissions advisor, I advocate for in-person campus visits (when possible), as they provide a tangible experience of the college atmosphere.
For instance, when I was on the
American University campus, I found out that it sits at the top of a sweet hill, but it is also very windy up there. If I were to attend that school (oh, how I wish I had that opportunity), I would have been inside all the time because the wind is a bother to my creature comforts.
Another example I have is from my visit to
CalTech. When I was there, I met turtles by a lovely pond and imagined myself reading by the water. I also noticed students were sleeping all over the campus. I found them on window sills, tucked away behind a couch, and another in the middle of the grass. I thought this must be because they are working so hard. But when I met with students, I actually found that these are kids who felt like they were in fast forward mode their whole lives, and on this beautiful campus, they can settle into their thoughts and drift away with the power of imagination, perhaps for the first time in their lives. For the very smart kids who attend CalTech, taking away the noise could be very powerful. The student I assisted, who chose CalTech, reflects that culture. Because I toured the campus, I could imagine him there. Had I not toured, I would have stuck to my previous incorrect thinking - “smart school that rejects everyone, moving on…” Now I
UNDERSTAND the culture of that school and who the environment would work best for.
Students can observe the campus, its facilities, and the surrounding community, enabling them to assess whether the college aligns with their preferences and goals. During these tours, they can interact with current students and faculty, gaining valuable insights into the college's culture and academic offerings.
Virtual College Campus Tours and Innovative Tools
For those who cannot physically visit campuses, virtual college tours have become increasingly popular and accessible. Some schools have started allowing students to give uncensored reviews and tours of campus on social media. These are also excellent ways for our students to see and hear their potential classmates, thereby absorbing some of what the culture might be like on campus. The student can reserve on-campus tours after they are accepted to the school. This is smart because when admissions has accepted you, they WANT YOU to enroll and are willing to fly the student (student only) to the campus, match you with a campus host for an overnight stay in the dorms with a current student, and show them all the campus has to offer.
As educational consultants, we can leverage technology to provide students with virtual experiences that come close to on-campus visits. Innovative tools like
CounselMore Educational Consulting Software play a pivotal role in facilitating virtual tours and offering real-time admissions data. By incorporating virtual tours into our education services, we can ensure that students have access to comprehensive college information from the comfort of their homes.
The Expertise of Independent Educational Consultants
As we gain experience, our ability to master the processes of college selection, application, and choice improves exponentially. That is why more experienced counselors confidently charge more for their services. That is why their answers do not begin with “It depends…” (when we all know …it depends…). Experience matters! The craft of educational advising is clumsy and disjointed when an educational consultant is just beginning their practice. there is so much to learn and remember and then there are all of the interdependencies contained in the information. I have heard it compared to drinking from a fire hose many times. The amount of first hand knowledge and instinctual fortitude that in experienced educational planner has is unquantifiable. Mix that kind of training with a little bit of talent for working with teens and a young adult can receive more than guidance; they could gain some enlightenment.
Independent educational consultants bring specialized expertise to the college counseling process. They fill the widening gap between High School and what's next for a young person. Having visited numerous colleges and universities annually, we possess firsthand knowledge of various campuses and their unique features. We attend conferences, engage with college admission representatives, and stay updated on college admission trends. We stay out of higher education politics (our role is student advocate and parent ally) and we are astutely aware of institutional priorities. We get it! The school has to pay the bills. We don’t judge, we adjust! This deep esoteric experience equips us to help students differentiate among challenges and opportunities to identify the best fit for their academic and personal aspirations. In short, we talk-the-talk and to do that best, we walk-the-walk. Campus tours are critically essential to gain expertise as an educational consultant.
Uncovering the Student Vibe Doesn't Always Happen on Campus
By engaging with Campus Life, College campus tours offer a glimpse into the student vibe, which plays a crucial role in the college experience. As admissions advisors, we encourage students to actively engage with campus life during their visits. Observing student interactions, activities, and priorities can provide invaluable insights into the college community. Talking to current students and seeking their opinions about academics, campus activities, and social scenes can help students gauge whether they will thrive in that environment.
My students have taught me many things over the years. One thing I learned was about ratemyprofessor.com. In my practice, when a student's results have arrived and we are comparing schools, I will suggest that they look at the professors who will be teaching the courses that they have to take in order to graduate with their intended degree. In one case, my student was able to look at eight of the core lecturers for his major. What he saw was that the majority of his courses would be taught by these professors. He then found a post that said that the teacher's assistant was there more than the professor. So he started digging through social media. He soon came to find out that his major at that particular school had been suffering financially and that mostly the teacher-assistants were teaching the undergraduates. For the amount of money he was about to pay, he crossed that school off his list. You don't always need a college tour to see the deeper qualities of the campus culture.
It is painfully hard to remember everything that I know about different schools. I started my practice so many years ago that the campuses that I toured my first year can become hazy in my memory. Also things change, so touring regularly and frequently touring the schools that are most often included on the list of schools you build - is worth it. But what happens when you've never been to a school and the family is committed to applying? You would ask a colleague what they thought of the campus and academics. When in doubt ask a colleague! Because of my memory I record all of my opinions about a school in my CounselMore Educational Consulting Software, in a column that is dedicated to counselors opinions. This is a public forum where all of my colleagues leave their comments about a particular campus. Their comments are Anonymous so they tend to be particularly honest and professional. They are not visible to the student so they are truly my insiders Edge. After a tour I will add my thoughts into the counselor's opinion forum for each school that I have toured. I love to read what my colleagues have to say about a school and think about if my experience on the campus was different.
As college admissions advisors, our role goes beyond just guiding students through the application process. We play a pivotal role in helping them make one of the most significant decisions of their lives – choosing the right college. By emphasizing the importance of college campus tours, both in-person and virtually, we can provide a comprehensive college counseling experience. In-person visits enable students to feel the college atmosphere and interact with the community, while virtual tours offer accessibility and convenience.
As experienced educational consultants, we bring specialized expertise and a deep understanding of campus culture to our profession. By continuously seeking ways to enhance our education services, we can empower students to make well-informed decisions and embark on a successful higher education journey. In the words of one of my fellow college counselors, "Navigating college applications is a transformative journey, and our role as admissions advisors is to ensure that students find the path that best suits their dreams and aspirations" (Smith, 2023).
Smith, John. "Transforming Lives: The Role of College Admissions Advisors." Journal of College Counseling, vol. 25, no. 2, 2023, pp. 87-98.
Written by:
Margaret Rothe, Campus Life & Student Affairs Professional, MA Higher Education Student Affairs, owner of HigherGrounding, a college consulting agency
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