With spring around the corner, many families are busily planning out their college visits. So, what should you ask at a college information session or on a campus tour, either in-person or virtual? In reality, there are no “right” questions, and no one will be tracking who asked what — this is an opportunity to really ask about what you want to know! That will vary student to student, so you’ll want to base your questions around your own interests and preferences.
That said, your tour guides are, of course, going to say great things about their school — that is their job, after all — so it can be helpful to be prepared to dig a little deeper with the questions that you ask. Here are some possible questions (co-written by a real-life high school student!) that might be helpful to ask your tour guide or other students you meet on campus.
Academic Experience:
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- How intensive are the general education/distribution requirements?
- What is the class registration process like? Have you been able to take classes you wanted to take?
- How has your experience with your advisor been?
- How big were your classes freshman year? Later in your experience?
- How many of your classes were lecture-based vs. conversation-based?
- How well do you know your professors? How accessible do you feel they are?
- How often do students use the library? Where do most students do their work?
- Would you describe the atmosphere as competitive, supportive, or both?
- How heavy is the workload?
- Do you feel challenged enough?
- What’s your perception of the level of academic support available? (tutoring, writing center, academic success coaching, etc.)
Social & Campus Life:
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- Do most students live on campus?
- Do freshmen all live together or are they spread out?
- Is Greek life a strong presence on campus? If so, is it inclusive?
- Is social life mostly on or off campus?
- What do students do on weekends?
- What do students do on weeknights?
- How important are sports/athletics as a part of campus culture?
- Do you think students here have a lot of spirit?
- How is the food? What do you think of the dining options?
- How often do you leave campus? When you do, where do you go?
- How would you describe the typical student here and the vibe or culture of the student body?
- How diverse do you think the school is?
Overall experience:
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- Why did you choose this school?
- If you could change something about your school, what would you change?
- What kind of student do you think thrives here?
It’s unlikely that you’ll ask this many questions—and that’s okay! Before you go on your visit, just try identifying a few that feel most important to you. You don’t always have to ask your questions in front of a whole tour group; you can steal a moment with your tour guide as you walk from place to place, and many tour guides are happy to stay after to chat or to share their contact information. Don’t be afraid to approach other students on campus, too; they’ve been in your shoes before, and more often than not they’ll be happy to answer a few questions about their own experiences.
Have more questions about college visits? Check out our blog post on how to make the most of your trip, or reach out for individualized support. Happy visiting!
