The first part of the college process is touring and interviewing. With interviews, eye contact and good questions are important. Stay away from “Do you like the this school?” because yes or no questions make for a short awkward conversation. Ask more questions that are major specific such as “How early until I am in the classroom student teaching, and what are some ways you engage students in a class?” You want to be prepared, and give a good first impression, but you are new to this and don’t really know how to prep. Don’t sweat the small stuff on your college road trip; focus on the more important things like what sweatshirt you’ll get in the bookstore.

Tips:

• Ask questions:  A lot of kids feel intimidated on college tours, and while shy away from questions. In order to be remembered by admissions counselors and tour, guides think of a good question that sets you apart of the group.

• Dress nice and presentable: A cute shirt or a flowing dress for the girls, and khakis and a nice shirt for the guys. Anything but workout clothes are acceptable. You want to put your best foot forward and look like you would be a good fit to the campus environment.

• Go to the bookstore: Let’s face it, besides academics and environment, school mascots and colors are the next most important thing.  You’d be lying if you said you didn’t favorite a specific school sweatshirt because of the colors or mascot. Getting a t-shirt from each campus is an essential.

• Put your phone on SILENT: Yes, use it for picture taking but keep the snapchat selfies on hold. You never know who sees you on your tour and seeing you on your phone could send a bad message of you not being able to pay attention.

Essentials:

• Camera/ phone: Take pictures of the campus and you in your favorite parts, this is both good for instagram with the cliche “future home??” caption on instagram, and for seeing yourself in the environment during decision time.

• Water bottle: No, not for bottle flipping, but to keep you hydrated during the tours especially if it’s a hot sunny day, passing out due to dehydration is quite a way to make an impression, but not the one you may want for your upcoming years at the school.

• Snacks: No, It’s not the same as the dining hall and that all you can eat goodness, but it’s something. Little snacks like trail mix, or almonds, or pretzels will keep you tied over until after touring when you’ll then be able to explore the town your college is in and all the mouth- watering restaurants surrounding it.

• Map of the School: Yes, you’ll be with a tour guide, but getting lost happens to the best of us. Spending one minute too many scoping out the student center and all that happens within,and your group is already across campus in the library. In midst of your panic and yelling at your parents for not telling you the group left, you remember you have a map to see where the group was headed next.

• Handbag or Backpack: Unless you’re a world class juggler you won’t be able to hold all this during your tour. Either bring something you can contain it all in or rely on your amazing mother and put it in her purse she seems to always have by her side.

• Follow- Up: At the end of touring, you’ll want to take a contact card of an admissions counselor. This way, you can schedule a one on one tour, thank them for the previous tour, and ask them to reach out to current students you can talk to about questions you want a student perspective from.