Are College Tours Necessary? How to Decide Which Campuses to Visit

College tours are a classic part of the college admissions process. Although often very informative for students, they can be expensive and require a substantial time commitment. Depending on how much travel is required, costs could be over a thousand dollars and trips could take several days. For example, when I toured Northwestern University and the University of Chicago the process took 4 days including travel. Now, not all students will be considering colleges that are thousands of miles from home, but for those who are, the pros and cons of touring must be weighed carefully. In some aspects, college tours are not necessary due to virtual tours offered online as well as a plethora of other information and content. However, in-person college tours do allow students to get a feel for campuses through a genuine experience. Also, information sessions held during tour dates often include discussions with admissions officers and current students. These are all major benefits that may outweigh the costs.

Regarding local or in-state colleges, students should take time to tour any institutions that pique their interest. As can be seen with the Chicago example above, finding colleges located near each other will allow students to see additional colleges while saving time and money.

If students cannot visit, many colleges offer virtual tours and live online information sessions. Some colleges also offer ways to connect with current students, so students can ask the admissions office what is available. Talking with a current student can provide valuable information about daily life at the university.

If students want to tour during or before the college application process they must consider that they might not get accepted if a college is a mid or reach school. This can make college tours ultimately seem like a waste of time and money, and may cause more devastation if a negative decision comes. I would caution against touring reach schools, unless applying early decision, because there is a good chance that students will not be accepted. Touring mid and safety schools is better as students have a higher chance of being accepted and potentially attending the schools. Keep in mind that colleges differ on "demonstrated interest": some consider contact such as a campus visit when reviewing applications, while others, including Cornell, Penn, and Princeton, say they do not track it. A college's Common Data Set (section C7, "Level of applicant's interest") shows how much weight it gives this factor.

Students should also consider touring colleges after they have been admitted instead of before or while applying. That way, tours are focused on a real choice and give students the information they need to commit to a university.