A Tour Can Help You Make Your College Decision
Taking a campus tour is an essential step to help your students decide where they will make their home for the next four years. Some students like to tour before they apply, while others tour schools after they have been accepted. When my daughter was applying to schools, we did both; however, the tours after the acceptance letters were received were very different from the initial visits. Taking the tour after being accepted helps to pinpoint the pertinent things that will help your student make their final decision as to which school to attend. Of course, my daughter loves being a Dawg, but your student may have specific things that will help them weigh out the pros and cons of each college.
Go with a list of questions, but not the kind of questions that you can just google an answer to. Don’t be shy about asking questions to tour guides, financial advisors, specific departments, or even students hanging out on campus. They can be your greatest resources.
Some of the more common questions our interns found important to prospective students are:
- Are you glad you chose UGA? Why did you choose it over other schools you were looking at?
- What is the size of the overall campus?
- What is the size of the dorm rooms and how many people live in each room?
- What food options are available to a freshman?
- What does the meal plan cover and will it fit your diet?
- What are the locations of your “majors” classes?
- What type of technology is used or available in the classrooms/libraries?
- How many printing locations are available? Is it free to print or does it cost money?
- How clean is the campus/restrooms?
- How many gyms are on campus and where are they located?
- How safe are the campus and surrounding neighborhoods?
- How long did it take you to get involved? Have you found places you love being apart of?
- What is the transportation system like? Are there frequent bus stops? Available parking spaces?
- What safety precautions are on campus?
Perhaps Greek life is important to your students. UGA has gorgeous fraternity and sorority houses located mostly on Milledge Avenue and Greek Park Circle, driving up and down these roads can give your student a glimpse into Greek life housing. Perhaps you have a friend who’s son or daughter is a member of a Fraternity or Sorority Life, reach out to them before going, and maybe you can get a tour of their house and a rundown on the membership requirements, involvement, and lifestyle. You can also stop into the Greek Life Office which is located in the Tate Center and there is always someone available who will be happy to answer any and all questions.
If your student has a health condition that makes having specific Health Center capabilities nearby of great importance; go check it out, there are plenty of people who will answer your health-related questions there. Call in advance to tour the facility. PS. There is a pharmacy there as well, so you can transfer your student’s prescriptions and they are available right on campus.
A UGA campus tour is broken up into two different sections, the first part is a 20-minute information session regarding campus, classes, and admissions. Then you participate in almost an hour-long tour on campus that consists of both walking time and bus time. If you do not want to take a regular tour, UGA offers a self-guided option with a UGA designed map to help you see everything you want to see on campus. You cannot walk into dorms during these tours, so it is best to take advantage of the dorm tour option during orientation as well as the virtual dorm tours online. Take a virtual campus tour.
You may want to visit the registrar’s office located in the Holmes-Hunter Building on North Camps to be sure that your credits would transfer from any AP, IB, or dual enrollment classes too. Perhaps the honors program is more your student’s interest, definitely be sure to ask about this at UGA, if that is the case, try to plan your tour around attending an information session.
The UGA Athletics department is a huge part of campus life. From football to basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, track, volleyball, swimming, and more, UGA has it all. Simply by walking around campus, your student should be able to see Sanford Stadium, Foley Field, and Stegeman Coliseum, which are all major sites for sports at UGA. And, if your student is interested in competing but at the club or intramural level, there are tons of different teams for both boys and girls. Overall, there really is no better way to get a sense of how you truly feel about a college until you step foot on campus.
Finally, while I loved UGA as did my daughter, it is important that your student loves UGA. Have them make the most out of their campus tour by asking the necessary questions, visiting places you’re going to be, and getting a feel for your life as a future Dawg!
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