It's college tour season!

Hi, parents! It's college tour season and if you didn't go through it with your teen last year, here's what we know about visiting potential schools. The late summer and early September before senior year are convenient times to visit, since many colleges begin their fall semester as early as mid-August. Normally, it's good to go when classes are in session, but these are not normal times. We like to plan for a pandemic-free future and make concessions to keep everyone healthy.

Visiting a college campus is one of the most exciting steps in choosing a college. It’s best to visit colleges before applications are due so your kid can be confident about the colleges to which they want to apply. Some schools have opened up for tours and some are doing it virtually. We're concentrating on six California universities, but most schools have similar resources and guidance on visits.

Stanford:

Stanford University has restored access to outdoor campus spaces for visitors, but guided tourse will not resume prior to September. They have a self-guided tour ready to launch, but you can check out their virtual information sessions, student forums and panel discussions. They also have a 360° tour that is really great: https://visit.stanford.edu/ (Get out your 360° VR Headset for this walk-and-talk).

UC Berkeley:

Berkeley's campus is open to visitors. The Koret visitor center will open in August, but you can visit the campus virtually with a 360° tour and register for a virtual campus visit via Zoom. They offer visits in English, Spanish and Chinese, student panels, and engineering-specific visits. https://visit.berkeley.edu/

USC:

USC offers a variety of tours to acquaint you with diverse aspects of the campus and the university. Our Admission Center Tours introduce you to campus via a guided walk, or you are welcome to explore on your own with the help of our self-guided tours. https://visit.usc.edu/

Pomona College:

Pomona is planning for a full return of students in the fall. https://www.pomona.edu/admissions/connect is the place to find information about campus tours and information sessions, live virtual tours, information sessions and webinars.

UCLA:

Visit UCLA virtually with a tour narrated by a current student, or visit the camput and go on a self-guided tour. You can also launch virtual tours of the campus and housing and check out professional schools tours if your student has a specific academic program in mind. Check out https://admission.ucla.edu/visit to check out the most up-to-date information.

CalTech:

Prospective students and their families are encouraged to take part in student-led tours as well as information sessions with admissions counselors that detail undergraduate academic and student life. They also have a self-guided walking tour. https://www.caltech.edu/about/visit/tours

What if my student isn't ready? What about a gap year?

If you haven't heard about it, a gap year is a period of time that students take between high school and their career or post-secondary education to experience the world, travel, volunteer, and gain an understanding of how to live on their own. Study abroad gap years are common, but work experience programs and gap years in America are growing in popularity. A life-changing gap year experience can be the answer for a teen who asks, "What should I do after high school?" After taking a gap year, students go into college better prepared for success and for life in general. There are many programs available if you are interested that are just a Google search away.

(PS. Adult gap years are a thing, too!)