Part of high school is deciding what the next chapter in your life will entail. For some, college is where they’re headed after WA, and the process of applying and choosing the right fit for you can be extremely stressful. A way to narrow down what colleges you want to apply to, and get a feel for the process, is to go on a tour of the colleges you are interested in. Here are some important things to keep in mind while touring a school:

1. Look at the schools surroundings:

As you arrive at the school you’re touring, take in what the atmosphere around the school feels like too; how do you feel about the people you see? what are your thoughts about the towns surrounding the campus? Once on campus, a school can seem really nice and safe, but if you really want to experience what life around there is like it’s a good idea to note things you see outside campus. Especially when it comes to touring a city school, it’s good to acknowledge what part of the city the campus is in. If you find yourself unsure of how safe you feel outside campus, it may be a good idea to look more into what kind of place feels like home to you. Even after you’ve finished your tour of the college, if you are seriously interested, you may find that driving around the town or city it’s in afterwards can help you.

2. Go prepared with questions to ask:

Visiting colleges can be very intimidating, whether or not the school you’re touring is your dream school. No matter where you visit it’s important to get the most out of the tour as possible. You can do this by preparing questions you have on certain subjects. Typically, the tour guide is a student currently attending the college, so for more in depth questions on curriculum, financial aid, et cetera., it may be a good idea to visit the main office of the school. However, a student tour guide is still a great resource for the questions about what life will be like there. They can help you determine whether you would fit in with the lifestyle of a student by telling stories about their experience at the school. This direct insight of what life is like at the school can really help to determine whether or not the school is right for you.

3. Talk to students:

No matter the amount of research or questions you have about a school, to get the full view of a college, you should talk to the students. Only the students can really tell you what life there is like so you should make an effort to ask them about their experiences. If you also have a friend attending the school, it’s smart to spend the day with them, going to their classes, and hanging out with their friends. This allows you to experience an actual day at the school would feel like. Even if you don’t have a friend on campus, eating in the dining hall after your tour is a great way to get a feel for what kind of people go here, and what the atmosphere of the social aspect of the school is like.

No matter how you feel about a certain school after a tour, it’s good to expand your options and keep your eyes open to different places that you might not have thought to look at. College tours are extremely helpful in this aspect, so going on as many as you can be of great help to your decision making. The most important thing to keep in mind though is: does this place feels like home? If the tour of the schools makes you think that the college will feel like home, then that school could be for you.