Virtual College Visits: Making the Best Choice for You

Deciding on a college is an important milestone for those pursuing higher education. There’s a lot to consider such as cost, location, program availability, extracurricular activities, etc. However, there’s nothing like the feel of a campus which is pivotal when deciding on a school. With most campuses across the country closed for tours and orientations, hopefully these resources will help make your decision easier.

Virtual Tours

YouVisit is a website where you can virtually tour 600+ colleges for free. You can explore major Ivy League schools such as Brown University; junior colleges like Triton College; HBCUs like Howard University; and Illinois schools including Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Eastern Illinois University and others schools across the country.

CampusReel is another resource that allows you to search from over 300 college campuses through videos about academics, dorms, dining, social life and sports all uploaded by students serving as campus ambassadors.

While you may not get to see inside every building, Google Maps will allow you to see college campuses and the surrounding community. It’s a good tool to determine your route between classes or if you’re trying to decide between a rural or urban campus.

Connecting via Social Media

Social media can be a valuable tool to connect you with schools instantly. The University of Illinois has a new YouTube series that takes you all around their campus in Champaign, Illinois and offers a virtual reality tour. Some colleges, like the University of Virginia are even expanding to platforms like TikTok, allowing current students to share short video clips about their campus experiences.

If the digital content still leaves you with questions, try reaching out to the admissions office of your potential school. College Board organizes contact information for every school you might be considering and has tons of online college planning resources available.