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Taking part in a  

campus tour

 , students and experts agree, can really help you get a feel for which schools are right for you.

It's hard enough trying to figure out what you're looking for in a College, let alone which schools have it. And while campus tours may seem about as appealing to a high school student as third period calculus, seeing the school up close and personal can reveal answers to questions you didn't even know you had.

"When high school students come for a campus visit, they get an unmatched opportunity to decide if they can envision themselves on that campus being part of that environment," said Sara Snyder, a former student tour coordinator at Penn State (State College, PA). "Students have the chance to observe everyday life at that school."

Not every campus tour a student takes will be a positive experience, but it's important not to get discouraged. Crossing a school off your list may not seem productive, but knowing where you don't belong is important in making a decision, too.

"[Campus tours] can either solidify or completely cancel out your ideas about a school," says Bill Koellhoffer, a Penn State student tour guide. "You can only get so much by taking a virtual tour. [A campus visit] can also help you narrow down your selection in terms of type of school. Do you want a city school or a school in the suburbs? A big school or a small school?"

The process may seem monotonous, but it's important to find the right fit. While the education a student gets in college is important, college also becomes home for four years.

College is more than class; it is where you sleep, eat, study and have fun eight months a year. How comfortable you are with those facets of a school can't be learned by looking at statistics.

"Prospective students who don't come for a campus visit can still learn a lot via the Internet and college publications, but the campus tour cannot be replaced," says Julie Bialkowski, assistant director for visitor and student programs at Penn State. "Once a student is on campus, there is a gut feeling that often kicks in that lets them know whether or not that college is a good fit; that's not a feeling you can get from a brochure or Web site."

While students don't need to see every school in the country, visiting several campuses can offer students a way to compare colleges. Often, by seeing many schools, the things a student is looking for become clearer and the process of choosing the right shool becomes a bit easier.

"One college tour, even if you really think that is your first choice, is not sufficient to make such an important decision," says Jessica Jennings, a former Penn State student tour coordinator.

Visiting schools may seem daunting, but preparing for the visit is essential for everyone. Tour guides love answering questions, and while their answers may sound promotional, the information they can offer is crucial in helping make your own college decision.

Use your questions to learn about the lives and experiences of your tour guides; five people may give five different answers to the same question. Remember that their answers are just that -- their answers.

"One question I love getting -- and I hardly ever do -- is to ask your tour guides what they did today and what they're doing after the tour," Bill says. "Ask them what their average day is like. Statistics can say a lot, but a current student's real outlook on life at a school is much more valuable."

When visiting schools, tour guides often Work from a script. While they don't repeat the information back to their groups verbatim, they do serve as a basis for the guides to work from. If there is something prospective students want to know, then they need to be sure to ask it. If you take the time to visit a campus and leave with unanswered questions, then the trip has been a failure.

"The most important part of the tour is to ask questions that reach beyond the common talking points of the university," says Pranav Saha, a former student tour guide at the University of Maryland (College Park, MD). "I highly recommend talking with the tour guide for a few minutes after the tour to ask any questions that haven't been answered. Guides are always happy to share, as long as people ask."

Students may sometimes be uncomfortable asking questions in front of their Parents or a group of other students. Feel free to ask for the guide's e-mail address after the tour if you'd like to ask questions in a more private setting. Kristen Fahnestock, a Penn State student tour guide, even recommends taking a few tours without parents.

"I don't know if it's necessarily good advice, but [taking tours without my parents] helped me," she says. "It felt like it was a good way to feel things out because it gave me another perspective on it."

Developing a list of questions and concerns that are important to you can also help. Many questions can be answered by doing a little research, and if the answers don't work for you, the campus visit may not be worthwhile.

Choosing the right school can translate into incredible friends and experiences for a student. Taking and being prepared for a campus tour can go a long way in helping students make that choice.

"I think you can hear as much as you want about a school, you can listen to what other people say and take their word for it, but if you don't see it, then you don't get to experience the atmosphere of the campus," Kristen says. "How can you know if it's right if you haven't been there and haven't seen it?"

Kevin Flintosh recently graduated from Penn State and spent two-and-a-half years giving tours to prospective students.


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Amanda Fornecker is a staff writer at The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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