You’ve read through countless college promotional materials and have fallen in love with the school that’s perfect for you. But wait…you haven’t been on a tour yet?

Well then hold on just a minute.

“College tours are important because colleges are presenting their best face, and students really need to have the opportunity to see what’s going on on a day-to-day basis,” says Joan Bress, director of College Resource Associates in Massachusetts.

“It’s great that you have some ideas, and that’s a good place to start. But you need to test those assumptions,” agrees Robin Abedon, a Florida educational consultant specializing in college admissions.

Bress equates touring colleges to test-driving a car that you’re thinking of buying. Like a vehicle, your college education is an important (and expensive) purchase, one you should fully explore before making your decision.

Even if you tour colleges diligently, you may not be getting the most out of your experience. For example, you may be touring schools at the wrong time, not meeting with all the right people, or not asking the right questions.

Read on for how to make the most out of your college tour.

• Take tours once you have an idea about the type of school that interests you. “There are two types of visits: preliminary college visits, which students can do when they’re first trying to figure out what they want in a college; and then more in-depth visits,” where students single out their top choices, says Bress.

Though preliminary tours can open your mind to different types of schools and narrow your choices, “[students] can make the best use of a visit if they go with an agenda and know what they’re looking for,” Bress says.

• Look out for the same-old same-old. “I would worry about a college visit being too formulaic,” says Abedon. “It should have enough individuality that each student, each family, can get the kind of info that’s really germane to them.”

Most college visits begin with an informational session and a routine tour of the campus. You should venture out on your own afterward.

“They should leave themselves an hour or two to then really find out what the school is all about,” Bress says.

• Play student for a day. “Students should think about sitting in on a class, and should be looking at not only how the particular professor teaches, but also class interaction,” says Bress.

If you can, audit a lecture as well as a smaller class or discussion session to get a feel for the different types of programs.

“If you have a special interest that you want to continue in college, try to meet with [people who share that interest],” says Abedon. Pick up the student newspaper to see what issues concern the campus; read the signs posted on trees and sidewalks to see what social events take place. Eat in the cafeteria and subtly eavesdrop on students’ lunchtime conversations to explore the thoughts of the student body.

• Even better than eavesdropping is engaging in conversation. Current students can provide you with some of the best insight about the college.

“Ask if there are some must-take courses on campus or professors that everybody takes before graduating,” Bress says. “Ask them what they don’t like about the school.”

Current students can tell you which majors are killers, which classes are impossible to get into, and what to do Friday nights.

• Get off the beaten path, both on and off campus. “You might want to look at the area around the campus,” says Bress, adding that local store owners can often provide valuable insight about the school’s reputation in the community.
• When it comes to college tours, all seasons are not created equal. Though you may want to spend your summer vacation visiting schools, “the problem is that students aren’t there,” says Bress.

The best time to visit a college, she says, is spring of junior year. In the spring, school is still in session, but schedules aren’t as out-of-control as during the busy fall semester. If summer is the only time that works, “any visit at some point is better than no visit,” says Abedon.

Nothing beats a personal campus tour. But if you really can’t afford a tour of your top college picks, many colleges now offer virtual tours for those who can’t make the trip.

“The virtual tour is really about what it’s like to attend the institution,” says Chris Carson, president of CampusTours, Inc., which designs online tours for colleges. “It gives visitors a much more comprehensive experience…as well as the opportunity to personalize that experience.”

This article is provided by The Next Step Magazine (nextSTEPmag.com), a publication that helps students prepare for life after high school.