I hope this is an appropriate place to post this. Over spring break my twins and I did virtual experiences at 10 colleges and thought others might like to know what we learned about this method of “touring” colleges.
First, even the best info sessions/tours were not an ideal substitute for in person visits. But it was a good way to get them thinking about different types of colleges without traveling and spending money. We were also able to eliminate some potential future visits entirely. They are sophomores so we have time to visit in person still, but with two of them we can’t possibly cover both of their lists entirely.
Several schools only have pre-recorded content so we skipped those for now. We preferred live content as they feature live Q&A. When available we tried to schedule both information sessions and tours when those were separate events. Many schools have more events like ‘chat with a student’ or live and recorded overviews of specific programs but we didn’t attend any of those yet.
Univ. Wisconsin: (live info session 1 hour, “tour” was just a map with points you could read about.) A potential great choice for both my kids but their virtual experiences were simply awful. I would suggest skipping it entirely for fear of turning your kids off this amazing school.
Univ. Michigan: (live info session total 1 hour joint with U Michigan, recorded tour ~25 min). A good intro to college facts and figures and admissions details, but no students were featured. Definitely piqued my students’ interest though and we will visit F2F eventually.
Univ. Virginia: (live info session which included a recorded tour of sorts-- all in 1 hour). Good basic info, but the vibe and quality of the academics didn’t really come through. Worth doing, but unlikely to make your student fall in love.
Univ. Georgia: (live info session and student-led tour-- all in 1 hour) Very well done and covered all the pertinent info. Student participation was great. One of my son’s faves now.
Georgia Tech: (1 hour live info session, 1 hour live student-led tour) Great virtual experience. Really walked away with what makes Tech different. Kept my son’s attention for 2 hours straight which is a feat. Unseated Duke as my son’s #1 pick.
Macalester: (1 hour live info session) Not the best virtual experience but we can’t put our finger on why exactly. Seemed extremely unremarkable and repetitive. Crossed off my D’s list. She decided she’s not a LAC person.
Boston College: (1 hour live info session, we didn’t book the separate live tour). Well done with lots of student participation. Not the right school for my D but a good virtual experience.
Emory: (1 hour total live info session, joint with U Michigan.) Very informative and good sense of vibe even though no students were featured. Liked it much more than expected and very high on D’s list now.
Brown: (1 hour live info session, 1 hour live tour.) The info session was very good with lots of students. The tour was a little disappointing-- the single student tour guide was not engaging at all. We still plan to visit in person, but somehow we had higher expectations.
Univ. Chicago (1 hour live info session, 1 hour live tour.) Very nicely done. Lots of student involvement and covered programs, facilities, student life, admissions… My D’s #1 pick. Go figure, 6% acceptance rate.
Hope this helps others trying to make the most of online college resources.