Tips for making the most of a university tour

Whether they’re described as fly-ins or bus tours, organised tours of universities are one of the greatest perks of being a college counsellor. Getting to visit universities, often at their expense, and talking to their representatives and students can help you reach a new level of understanding of the institutions beyond clicking through drop-down menus in websites.

University tours can be invaluable, but also overwhelming because of the sheer amount of information and observations you will take in on a single trip. Here are some tips and advice to make the most out of your university tours – before, during and after.

Before the tour: applying for them

Prior to or after major summer conferences, many university tours take place. There are, of course, also tours that happen during the school year, but it’s likely that the summer ones will be easier to take time off for.

However, the benefits of a university tour are countless, so if you find a great one during the school year, pitch its value for your student body to your school admin early and often enough so that they have time to consider the request.

What are some ways to get in on these? You can check on the International ACAC official website (scroll down to the bottom https://www.internationalacac.org/counselor-bus-tour) well before the conference to scope them out. You can also ask university representatives during conferences to learn about upcoming tours the following year.

Asking your college counsellor colleagues is another way to find out about tours. If you don’t know a lot of counsellors yet, throw questions about upcoming tours in counsellor Facebook groups, and friendly virtual colleagues will chip in with information.

Keep in mind that your chances of getting on a tour are higher if you have students applying to or attending the university. From the university’s side, these tours are great marketing opportunities. Thinking about how your school’s students are (or aren’t) the target audience for the university might help you choose tours in a more strategic manner.

During the tour: making the most out of them

Congratulations, you’ve been selected for a tour! What are some ways to make the most out of this amazing experience?

Research the university before you visit: Understanding the university before you visit in-person can really help you ground your observations on important aspects of the institution. For example, if you’re visiting Canadian universities, reading their summaries on Maclean’s can be very helpful.

Take photos of campuses and organise them: You’re going to take a lot of photos. After a series of visits, there is a high chance you might start getting them mixed up, so be sure you organise them by date and location. Some apps allow you to timestamp the photos as you take them, or you can look back at the details in the default camera app to see their dates. I like to paste all the photos next to my notes at the end of the day so that it doesn’t become a chore later.

Actively think about students who would fit the university: Different universities suit different types of people. Connecting the institutions you are visiting to your current students will help you to better remember the universities, and will be more useful when you’re back at school and you can pitch the schools right away.

Connect with fellow counsellors: You’ll likely be hanging out with a fantastic group of counsellors with diverse experiences, so get to know your tour buddies. So much of the learning can and will take place in between the visits to the universities in your conversations with fellow counsellors.

Prepare to ask a lot of questions: Unlike clicking around on websites or having a single rep come to visit your school, these tours will provide the opportunity to meet many people who are part of the institution. Take the chance to ask questions, especially to students, as they may reveal insights that are not available through any other channel of information. Perhaps even asking the same question to the different universities can help you compare their approach to a single topic.

After the tour: organising and sharing your notes

Organise your notes after the trip: Tours can be busy and tiring. During your travels, it may be difficult to find the time to organise your notes. However, organising your notes as soon as you can afterwards can allow you to process the experience better.

Share your experience: Sharing all the valuable knowledge you gained through a social media post can help both you and other counsellors. Creating content is a natural way of processing information, so it’s a benefit for you, and for fellow counsellors, as they can get a glimpse into these institutions they would not have otherwise considered.

Concluding remarks

University tours are a fantastic way to spur your professional growth and enrich your guidance for students. I hope these tips can serve as a helpful way to start incorporating such experience in your college counselling career.

Credit for some of this amazing advice goes to Jennifer Cheong, who was part of the IACAC 2024 Ontario bus tour.