Top Questions For Your Tour Guide, Admissions, Financial Aid Office And More
Touring college campuses is a great way to identify your top college priorities, as well as determine ideal college fits. But in order to make the most of your visits, you'll need to be sure to take some time before your tours to prepare and develop a thorough list of questions you want answered from each school.
But what answers should you be looking for from colleges? We'll make it easy for you. Here's our list of top questions to ask before, during and after your college tours.
Questions to get answered before you sign up for a tour at any school
Truly, there are no dumb questions. But, there are definitely questions you should get answered before you make a decision to tour any college. Getting these answers will help you: 1. Determine if the college might be a possible fit for you, and 2. Get some basics out of the way so you can spend the majority of your visit diving deeper. These questions include:
Does this school offer the major(s) I'm interested in?
What is this college's admissions rate?
What are the average GPAs, ACT scores and SAT scores of the latest admitted class?
How many students go to this school?
How diverse is this school?
Are most students from in-state or out-of-state?
Is this a 2-year or 4-year institution? Is it liberal arts?
Is this school private or public?
How does this school rank nationally compared to other schools?
How do the programs/majors I'm interested in rank compared to other schools?
What is this school's current average annual net cost (all costs after scholarships and grants, including tuition, books and fees?)
What is the average amount of debt that students graduate with?
To find the answers to the questions listed above, take some time to investigate each school's website, Common Data Set and rankings on US News or Niche.
Questions to get answered prior to the day of your tour
At least a few days before your tour, check your tour confirmation email or call the admissions office for the answers to these questions.
What time do I need to arrive for my tour?
Do I need to fill out and submit any forms or health data before the day of my tour?
Where should I meet for the start of my tour?
Where should I park?
How long will the tour take?
What will the tour include? (Be sure it's all of the places on campus that you're interested in seeing.)
Questions to ask your tour guide and other students
Your student tour guide will no doubt be great source of information. But keep in mind that they offer only one perspective, and often times are instructed to stick to a script or are encouraged to refer difficult questions back to the admissions office. So in addition to asking these questions of your guide, be sure you take the time after your tour to ask a few other current students as well.
Why did you choose this college?
What do you like best about this school?
How hard is it to get into the classes you want?
How much access do you have to your professors?
Where do you and other students typically study?
Which student support services do you use?
Which dorms are the most popular and why?
Do you enjoy the food here? What do you typically eat every week?
How did you - and most other students - make friends here?
What words or phrases would you use to describe students who best fit the culture at this school?
What kind of formal and informal social activities do students actively participate in at this college?
What do you and your friends like to do on the weekend?
Additional questions (by topic) to ask your guide, admissions counselor or financial aid officer
Academics
What are the most popular and least popular majors?
How challenging are the academics at this school?
How many hours do you spend studying every night? On weekends?
What does the curriculum look like for the major(s) I'm interested in?
Are classes at this college typically lectures? Discussion-based? Project-based?
How many students are in the classes for the major(s) I'm interested in?
How often are TAs teaching undergraduate classes vs. professors?
Will my high school AP or college credit courses be accepted at this college?
What is the 4, 5 and 6-year graduation rates?
Can you switch majors and still graduate on time?
Does this college offer an honors program?
What research and other hands-on opportunities exist for undergraduates?
What study abroad opportunities are available? How competitive is admissions into the programs?
Cost and financial aid
What will tuition likely be the first year I attend this college?
What expenses outside of tuition and room and board should I expect?
How much should I expect tuition, room and board and other expenses to increase each year?
How much do students spend on books, materials and fees for the major(s) I'm interested in?
What types of scholarships are offered to first-year students, including merit and need-based scholarships?
What are the criteria for the different scholarships?
Are the scholarships four-year scholarships? One-year? If only one-year, can students reapply more than once?
What percentage of students receive scholarships?
What other forms of financial aid are offered?
Do outside scholarships impact any scholarships the college offers?
Does the college offer a work-study program? Who can participate?
Campus life
How many students live on campus Freshman and Sophomore year?
Where do most students live Junior and Senior year?
Are Freshman dorms located all together or scattered throughout the campus?
What safety and security measures are in place to keep students safe around campus and in the dorms?
What meal plans are required for students living on or off campus?
What kind of different options are available with each meal plan?
What fitness programs and facilities are available to students?
What are the hours of the fitness facilities?
What intramural and club sports programs available? How many students participate in each?
Student support services
How often are students required to meet with academic advisors? How often can students set up additional meetings?
What kind of tutoring or other academic and learning support services are offered at this college?
What kind of health services are available to students? How much do health appointments cost per visit? How long does it take to get an appointment?
What kind of emotional and wellbeing services are available to students? How frequently can students use these services? How much do they cost? How long does it take to get an appointment?
What kind of IT assistance and digital services are offered?
Careers and jobs
What services are available through the school's career center for both students and recent graduates?
What kinds of formal internships or co-ops are available through the college?
How many students participate in internships or co-ops?
What kind of connections with jobs (local vs. national) have students secured through the college?
Does the school offer any networking or job fair opportunities?
How involved are alum in career placements and networking?
What is this school's job placement rates before and after graduation?
Where have recent graduates been hired?
Looking for more personalized advice for college tours and beyond? Set up a free 30-minute consult and get started with a RingTrue coach today!
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