The College Campus Tour Checklist

Visiting a college campus is a great way to get more information about a school and help you decide if it’s a good fit for you. A campus tour helps you get a sense of what a college—and life at that college—is like.

Things to Do Before a Campus Tour

•  Before you visit a college campus, call the admissions office to make a reservation for an information session and/or a guided campus tour
  • Ask if the school has recommendations on what to wear for your visit
•  If the school you’re interested in touring is far away, you can ask about hotels in the area and parking passes
•  Think about the best time to visit a campus—late summer and early September before senior year, and/or summer and spring breaks

Things to Do on a Campus Tour

Gather Important Information

•  Pick up brochures, financial aid forms, and the campus map.
•  Try to sit at the back of a classroom that interests you. If classes aren’t in session, you can still stop in a classroom or lecture hall to get a sense of the environment.
•  Meet a professor who teaches a course you’re interested in.
•  Talk to students about their experience.
•  Take part in a group information session at the admissions office, or if possible, schedule a one-on-one meeting with an admissions officer.
•  Talk to admissions officers, tour guides, professors, or current students.
  • Ask them to share their contact information so you can send follow-up questions.
•  Take lots of notes and track your visits with this campus visit scorecard:

Get a Feel for Student Life on Campus

•  Visit the dorms, dining hall, fitness center, library, career center, bookstore, and other campus facilities
•  Talk to current students about their transition from high school to college, college courses, and life outside the classroom
•  If you’re planning to play sports in college, try to meet with coaches for the sports you’re interested in
•  Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus
  • Check if there’s on-campus or off-campus transportation available to students
  • Ask current students how they travel home for breaks
•  Learn about campus services for students, which may include:
  • Residential services
  • Counseling
  • Health centers
  • Religious centers
  • Financial aid office
  • Information technology support
  • Career centers
  • Commuter services
  • If you’re an Indigenous student, you can download the College Board Indigenous College Planning Guidebook to find out about:
    1. Indigenous clubs/organizations
    2. Native centers
    3. Tribal liaison office
•  Hear what’s happening on campus and what’s on students’ minds via campus media outlets
  • The college’s social media accounts
  • Student-run newspaper, other publications, and blogs
  • College radio station

Questions to Ask on a Campus Tour

•  What are the best reasons to go to this college?
•  What’s it like to go from high school to college?
•  What do you do in your free time? On the weekends?
•  What do you love about this college?
•  Why did you choose this college?
•  What is it like to live here?
•  What does the college do to promote student involvement in campus groups, extracurricular activities, or volunteering?
•  Are there special interest student organizations?
•  What are the housing options?
  • Are first-year students required to live on campus?
•  Do professors, graduate students, or juniors and seniors mentor students?
•  Are there research opportunities for students to work with professors?  
•  What’s the graduation rate?
•  For the majors I’m interested in, how many years do students usually take to get their degree?
•  Are there work-study programs and part-time jobs available?

You can read more on why students should consider visiting colleges, and use this campus visit checklist to help you find a college that’s a good fit.

If you can’t visit a college campus in person, there are many ways to learn about schools online:

•  Check the school’s website to see if virtual tours are available online
•  Watch college tours led by our partner, College Advising Corps, on College Board Instagram highlights

Remember, you don’t need to check off everything on this list to decide if a school is a good fit—focus on what’s most important to you to find a college that fits you academically, financially, and socially.

Visit bigfuture.org for more free, comprehensive college planning resources.