Hot Topics     Home and Family     K-12     Education Guide    

Virtual college tours become an important part of the search



Take the first steps for beginning the college choice process

Find out how you and your teen can tour colleges virtually


I remember when my son was a junior in high school, the dinner table was the time we talked about what classes Paul, my older son, liked and what colleges that could lead to. The only problem was that he really liked fishing, (In fact, that still is his first love. Check out his Thrill Fishing website.) When he looked up professions he was enamored with being a forest ranger until he realized that it was a difficult way to earn a living.

We visited colleges, he spoke to professors and met with his school advisor before making a final decision.

With college campuses closed because of the pandemic, things are so different now. Like with many programs this has become the time for visiting colleges virtually.

At this point we have no indication when college campuses will be open for visits, so use this time to search for virtual visits.

READ MORE: Beware of scammers targeting your college student

If you are just getting started on the college admissions process visit the sites below:

The National Association for CollegeAdmission Counseling with its 14,000 member colleges. Click away and view everything from college admission requirements to locating its sponsored virtual college fairs

If you are ready to start touring:

There are several websites that allow students to tour and compare schools. These sites offer interactive maps, photos, videos and testimonials.

Coronavirus Schools Briefing: It’s back to school — or is it?

CampusTours offers tours of more than 1,800 schools in the United States as well as tours of schools in the United Kingdom, Canada, China and France. Its advanced search feature allows students to fine-tune details they are searching for, such as how much tuition they want to pay. About 100 schools offer insights from enrolled students during parts of the tour on campus life, the company’s president, Christopher Carson, said. CampusTours is also working on a feature to allow students to ask questions while they are on the tour that are sent to college officials, he added.

YouVisit offers tours of more than 600 U.S. schools. The tours offer prompts that pop up asking students for input that is sent to college officials to respond, an attempt to replicate the questions and answers that come up during in-person tours. YouVisit also offers students to tour using “virtual reality” tools. “There is nothing that replaces that in-person experience that makes a student fall in love with a campus, but the goal of a virtual tour is to do as much as it can to replace those moments,” said Emily Bauer, vice president for agency services for EAB, the education research and technology company that owns YouVisit.

If you want to attend a Historically Black College or University:

The Chicago HBCU Alumni Alliance is offering virtual fairs in which nearly 50 H.B.C.U.s give students information on admissions, programs and scholarships. Videotapes of the events will be available on the alliance’s website in the coming weeks. The alliance’s president, Danielle James, said more virtual fairs are planned for the summer.

StriveScan also featured presentations from several H.B.C.U.s.

Other virtual tour sites include:

YoUniversity: Students can click on tabs such as “safest campuses,” “most diverse campuses” and “top academic colleges,” as well as “best campus food” and “coolest dorms.”

CampusReel: Students enrolled at colleges can upload their videos to this site for sharing, after being vetted. Students or parents must register to join.

READ MORE: Weighing college costs

If you want to take a gap year:

The Gap Year Association offers videos on what it means to take a gap year and is building a new student membership platform — a nominal fee will be required to join — that will give students access to weekly calls to learn about gap year opportunities, said the association’s executive director, Ethan Knight. The website also offers information on accredited gap year programs and counselors.

If you want to play sports in college:

Virtual tours, like the ones at YouVisit, can put students in the stands or on the playing field to get a simulated experience of being an athlete there. CampusTours has a feature that lets students find sports offered at various schools.

After you’ve narrowed down your list:

This is the time to start making personal outreach to schools, Mr. Carson of CampusTours said. “You can’t rely on virtual tours to tell you everything about the institution, you need to reach out to the schools themselves.” 

Traditionally, students have been told that some colleges rank in-person visits as a show of “demonstrated interest.” This year that could take different forms, like emailing professors and admissions officers or attending Zoom meetings. 

“Demonstrated interest is very valuable,” Mr. Carson said. “Make personalized phone calls and write emails.”



Other articles by HVP News Reporters


  • What parents should know about Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency (PGHD)

    Pediatric growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a relatively rare condition, affecting an estimated 1 in 4,000-10,000 children. read more »
  • Simplify summer with light lunches

    Bright, crunchy cucumbers are the star of this sammy

    Take the hassle out of lunch with these Cucumber Sandwiches that can be made in advance for afternoon pick-me-ups. read more »
  • Thinking about renovating?

    Check with your building department first

    From updating an outdated kitchen to adding a home office, home renovations can be exciting. Before you dive in, it’s critical to understand the local safety requirements that impact your projects. read more »
  • Your home safety checklist

    Simple steps to keep a safer, happier space

    Your home is more than just a place to live, it’s where you create memories, unwind and feel most comfortable. Yet, many household items and systems can hide potential safety risks. read more »
  • 4,000 reasons to love bees

    These little pollinators are essential to our food supply

    While most people picture the beloved honeybee when they think about bees, North America actually has 4,000 species of native bees, many of which are busy right now. read more »
  • Laying the foundation for writing

    What you can do to get them started

    Learning to write is one of the defining milestones of early childhood, but it doesn’t happen all at once. read more »
  • Choose play every day

    How to transform everyday activities into playful learning opportunities

    Play is a universal language spoken by people of all ages. Through play, children learn to forge connections with others, build a wide range of leadership skills, develop resilience, conquer fears and navigate relationships and social challenges. read more »
  • Find Your Adventure - June Outdoor Happenings

    Celebrate Get Outdoors & Get Together Day!

    Free events across the state to try a new skill and enjoy the outdoors at Get Outdoors & Get Together Day, a day of inclusion for all people at New York’s accessible Parks and DEC lands. read more »
  • Save a life from stroke

    Tips from the American Stroke Association

    Strokes can happen to anyone, at any age – even young people. Despite being one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the United States, strokes are largely preventable, treatable and beatable – if you can control your risk factors. read more »
  • Take steps now to protect your vision

    Regular eye exams are the best thing you can do

    Your quality of life and overall well-being depend on developing healthy habits. These practices are essential to your eye health. read more »