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.