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Guide to Virtual College Tour Websites

The college visit is a longtime tradition where rising sophomores and juniors get in a car or board a plane with their parents and visit prospective college campuses. Since the outbreak of COVID, virtual college tours have become more prominent. Today, they continue to stay relevant as students who can’t travel to colleges for reasons such as distance, finances, or illness can easily access college tours virtually.

Virtual college tours help you decide which universities you want to apply to when it’s time. They also allow you to eliminate schools which might not be a good fit. To guide you through the journey, we’ve provided information on why virtual college tours are important and where to find virtual campus visits.

Why Are Virtual College Tours Important?

To make sure you don’t make a rash decision and apply to a college that won’t support your interests and goals, you need to get a sense of a campus’ setting, its resources, faculty, major offerings and more. Through a virtual visit, you can not only see the different parts of campus and its academic and recreational facilities, you can also learn from a virtual tour guide—usually a current student—about what makes each of the resources unique, and why their school might a good one to add to your list.

Websites That Offer Virtual College Tours

If you’ve decided that you do want to attend virtual college tours but you aren’t familiar with how to get started with attending a campus visit, don’t panic. You don’t have to contact every single school’s admissions office and ask them how to arrange for one. There are several websites that allow you to tour and compare almost every college and university in the United States. These tour sites provide you with interactive maps, photos, videos, and testimonials so that you don’t miss out on any of the experience of a real life tour. Some of the most effective and popular places for virtual college tours are:

• YouVisit: Arguably the most popular virtual tour site, YouVisit ’s interface is aesthetically pleasing, user friendly, and packed with 600 campuses for you to visit. Each campus features a current student as your online guide who walks you through what makes the different parts of campus unique to that particular college. YouVisit tours also offer prompts that pop up asking students for any input or questions that are then sent to college officials directly. This helps the website improve and add more information on what students would like to know and want added to future tours.
• CampusTours: CampusTours is one of the most popular sites for visiting a campus from the comfort of your home. Its advanced search feature allows students to specify exactly what they’re looking for out of the college experience, such as their desired tuition amount or location. Most campuses you can visit through this website also give you access to insights from current undergraduates. Like YouVisit, CampusTours offers a feature that enables visitors to ask questions while they are on the tour that directly go to college officials to provide you with a similar experience of an in-person visit.
• Appily: If you have a list of specific criteria that you want the schools on your list to match, Appily offers a useful tool. The site allows you to narrow your searches according to different criteria that you might prefer such as location, major, and student body size. You can eliminate schools you wouldn’t be interested in by applying filters like “suburb,” “midsize” and “computer engineering” and tour campuses that include exactly what you are looking for.
• CampusReel: Although not exactly a virtual tour site, CampusReel is a good place to check out during the college search process, as its database contains over 15,000 student-generated videos offering you multiple perspectives on campuses. Each school’s page is divided into different categories, such as “dorm room tour,” “weather and seasons,” and “social life.” While you won’t be controlling the visit with the click of your own computer, these students will take you on personal tours of their residence halls and academic buildings in order to give you a picture of what campus life is like.

As you build your college list and visit campuses virtually, make sure you take notes of what stands out to you, as well as ask questions to campus representatives so that you can gain a better understanding of whether the school is right for you. You can also take advantage of online tools and screenshot, bookmark, and screen record different parts of the tour. Happy touring!

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How to Make the Most of Virtual College Tours

Virtual college tours can be a useful tool for weighing options or previewing a campus.

Virtual College Tour Options

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Virtual reality is one way colleges offer students a glimpse of what to expect when they arrive on campus.

Virtual campus tours, which many schools implemented initially as a way to keep up with the technological times, proved a necessity once the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normal flow of the college-seeking process.

Now, college admissions and marketing professionals say virtual campus tours are a vital component of the college search. Using 360-degree video and virtual reality, colleges are able to welcome students to campus from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

"I think virtual tours can be a great pre-screen or preview for students who have maybe never seen campus," says Kristi Lafree, director of enrollment marketing at Butler University in Indiana, which offers a 360-degree video tour alongside supplemental videos. "They maybe want to get a gut check. They want to make sure that if they do come visit that it will be worth it.”

Hundreds of U.S. colleges now provide prospective students with web-based virtual tours, complete with interactive photos and videos designed to be compatible across all devices. Some schools are even using virtual reality, though VR headsets are required for those experiences.

University officials say they hope virtual tours give students a sense of what college life at the school looks like, from the architecture to the activities. Students can dive into exploring buildings and parts of the campus that might not be covered as deeply on a standard in-person campus tour, says Joffery Gaymon, vice president for enrollment management at Auburn University in Alabama, which has a 360-degree virtual tour on its website as well as a video of a student-led tour.

Through a virtual tour, students can hop from the business building to the student union, or from athletic facilities to residence halls. A general in-person tour might not include a visit to the student newspaper building, but an aspiring journalism major may be able to tour it online.

Virtual tours have become a critical tool for attracting international students who might not be able to visit the campus in person, Gaymon says. Auburn has about 2,500 international students, visiting scholars and employees from 100 different countries each year, according to the school.

“It’s a way for them to dive a little deeper and to have a greater sense of familiarity with the university while they’re exploring options,” she says.

The University of California—Berkeley also offers 360-degree virtual tours for prospective students. Previously, the school was posting YouTube videos and virtual question-and-answer sessions, but it has since moved to a platform called YouVisit, which is used by about 700 schools across the country. Virtual tours proved to be a game changer for admissions, says La Dawn Duvall, executive director of visitor and parent services at Berkeley.

Students visiting Berkeley can start in the center of campus with a virtual tour guide providing information about the school while they explore at their own pace. In the last year, Duvall says more than 22,000 unique visitors have taken a general virtual tour of the school with about 3,000 more touring specific locations around campus that are available on YouVisit, including residence halls and academic buildings.

Auburn averages nearly 30,000 virtual visitors, including students living in India, China, Canada and Brazil, and about 25,000 in-person visitors per school year, Gaymon says.

These numbers suggest how important virtual tours have become for schools across the board, Duvall says. In a matter of minutes, students and families can visit a school in California, then zip to one on the East Coast, saving hours in the car or thousands in airfare and hotel bills, which may allow families to plan other visits .

Lafree says she expects these trends to continue, even as in-person visits resume.

“The demand for that virtual admission visit has really hardly decreased at all, so there’s no going back to pre-COVID for college admissions,” she says.

Well-produced virtual college tours also offer pizzazz that experts say prospective students may not see in other marketing materials. For schools that use VR, it provides an immersive experience; users have the sense that they're in that environment.

Prospective college athletes don’t have to visit an actual campus to get a good idea of what the school and its athletic facilities look like, says Zvi Goffer, a co-founder of CampusVR, the platform a number of universities and college athletic departments use for VR tours. This has been especially beneficial for schools and athletes as National Collegiate Athletic Conference transfers have become more prevalent, since it allows athletes to take an unofficial visit of a school without having to leave their living room, he says.

“This is going to become the norm,” Goffer says. “Visualization, as much as some people want to fight that trend, there’s just no substitute for it.”

But universities are also aware that prospective students are craving authenticity, even through virtual experiences and in social media, says Alexa Heinrich, social media manager for St. Petersburg College in Florida.

Lafree says high school students are cognizant that virtual tours and other school-produced content are intended to be marketing tools, so they're also looking at a school's TikTok, Instagram and YouTube pages to find first-person, user-generated content from other students.

Many students have begun to use social media apps the same way they might use a search engine, Heinrich says, and experts say visiting social media channels is a good way for students to make the most of vetting a school virtually. With this in mind, Heinrich says some schools have started to do “student takeovers” on their social media pages, where students show what a typical day is like on campus for an average student.

Potential students are craving something "that feels a little less robotic," she says.

“Social media plays a huge part in showing what student life and campus life is going to be like for them,” Heinrich says. “We can put out emails and tell you about the affordability of our college, but social media is going to do its best work when we’re showing students enjoying their experience at our college.”

Prospective students are applying to more schools, according to a March 2022 Common Application report , which showed the number of submitted applications rose by 21.3% between 2019-2020 and 2021-2022. (That includes data from 853 member schools.) With shortlists now longer than ever, students can use virtual tours to weigh options.

Campus officials advise prospective students to use the virtual tour as a jumping-off point and then to weigh academic programs, admissions requirements and other factors that will shape student experiences at the school. If students have interest in a specific program or activity, they should follow up directly with the school to gather more information.

“I would recommend taking their time and not just using just the tour, but using the larger campus website, the websites of your department or academic area of interest – supplementing those together,” Duvall says. “Take information from all of those places, because there’s not one that’s going to give you everything you need to represent the experience."

While college officials praise virtual tours as an option, they also encourage students to visit campus if possible. Gaymon says the function of a virtual college tour is to get a look at campus life. Other questions are best reserved for the admissions office.

“The virtual tour does not replace the traditional visit,” she says. “For us, it truly enhances it.”

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How to Make the Most of Touring Colleges Virtually

Now that COVID-19 has closed college campuses, experts walk us through how to choose a school online.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Right now, in an alternate universe, high school students are traveling the country looking at prospective colleges. In any ordinary year, juniors would be touring schools over spring break and seniors would be preparing for admitted students weekends. Even admissions officers would be flying around the nation, attending college fairs and speaking to high schoolers unable to travel. But in the era of COVID-19, these journeys are some of the millions that have been cancelled.

Colleges and students alike are now trying to adapt to a new normal : virtual tours have replaced in-person ones, information sessions are held over Zoom, and students will likely have to make difficult choices about the next four years of their educations without ever setting foot on a campus or meeting a representative in person.

In a recent Scoir survey , 80% of high school juniors and 84% of parents surveyed reported that campus visits are extremely or very important to their college selection process—so, what now? T&C spoke with college admissions experts to get advice for students and parents alike on how to virtually visit and choose a school.

Evaluate Yourself Before Evaluating A School

Before scheduling a virtual tour, it's important to figure out what kinds of colleges you may be interested in. Jennie Taylor Tucker is the CEO and founder of Pointer , an app designed to inform students about the admissions process and help them customize their search to fit their needs. Her biggest piece of advice for prospective students is to use this time at home to self-evaluate.

"This moment actually provides an opportunity to take pause and reflect on who you are as a person," Tucker suggested. "This is such a challenging process under normal circumstances, and in this moment, so much of what I think students should be doing is thinking about who they are and what makes them tick. The more self-aware they are, the better their college exploration will be."

Many college counselors ask students to make lists of qualities they'd value in a school. Aaron Fulk, director of college counseling at Marin Academy, a prestigious independent school in Northern California, asks students to take this questioning a step further.

"I think this is an opportunity for our students to actually do the search process in a more thoughtful way," Fulk said. "An important thing for our students is to articulate why they want to go to college. Many of our students and parents often scoff when we ask, but a lot of students can't answer that."

From there, Fulk asks students to figure out what they want out of college, and then explore online resources through that lens. This is also how students should be approaching the task of putting together their wishlist of schools.

Adam Lips, Director of College Counseling at Stanford's Online High School, does not see virtual counseling as an impediment to the process, having worked with students via video conference even before the pandemic.

"Initially, it’s finding places that are a good fit for the student, and then when they're applying, it’s helping them put together a strong application," Lips said. "I think that all of that can be done extremely effectively in an online environment. I don’t think you have to give much up at all. "

Where To Look

Once you've listed a few schools of interest, the next step is to go to a college's website. While these websites are large and overwhelming, there are specific areas targeted to prospective students.

Whitney Soule, Dean of Admissions and Student Aid at Maine's Bowdoin College, suggests beginning with the school's admission requirements. She also noted that many schools that usually mandate standardized testing are relaxing those requirements this year (Bowdoin, for one, is test-optional).

"It's very important to be looking to see how colleges are responding to what would normally be their admission requirements, both curriculum-wise and through standardized testing, so students can feel secure about what they’re going to have available at the time they apply," Soule said.

Financial aid is another incredibly important factor to consider as you're researching your potential schools. Most institutions have a calculator online where students can input their information and get an estimate about the cost of attendance. Soule noted, "[Students] really should be exploring financial aid as much as they should be exploring what the college is like."

Next on the website, take a look at the school's curriculum. Especially for seniors trying to decide between schools, Fulk asks his students to dive deeply into requirements and course offerings: "[What] always shocks me, the longer I do this job, is the number of students that are going to leave for college in five or six months and have not looked up the curriculum."

Finally, investigate what's important to you. Look at the website pages and social media accounts for potential majors. Research extracurricular options that interest you. Explore housing options. Make sure you're thoroughly examining whatever aspects of college you, personally, value.

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Feel (almost) like you're on campus.

There are a number of ways to explore campus or speak to students and admissions officers online. From online campus tours to Zoom information sessions, colleges are more virtually accessible than ever.

Though this year may be disappointing for some students, Soule noted that tens of thousands of students nationwide each year are unable to visit colleges before attending, so schools have already been trying to provide more virtual options. "It’s important to keep in mind that the lack of opportunity to visit is a new issue for some families and a familiar issue for a lot of families," she pointed out.

When looking at schools virtually, first join the mailing lists of colleges of interest. That way, prospective students will learn about upcoming virtual programming and options via email, which is particularly crucial in this admissions cycle.

"Recognize that college admissions are creating a lot of content very quickly to try to accommodate the lack of in-person exposure," Soule said. "The best way for students to have access to that content is to get onto the mailing lists of colleges they might be interested in."

Once you're informed, there will likely be plenty of virtual options available. YouVisit offers free virtual campus tours of over six hundred colleges and universities. All of our experts advised that students attend online information sessions through the schools' admissions offices. And many schools are offering live chat services on their websites, where prospective students can be connected with an admissions officer or student, similar to a customer service experience you might find while online shopping.

Our experts also recommended a number of other online resources and websites, including Niche , College Confidential , Campus Reel , and individual schools' social media accounts. All of theses sources will provide more information about each school, and many also feature photos and video which enable students to get a sense of the campus. Students can also use Google Maps to look at a school's surrounding area, Tucker says: "Are there things in your day-to-day now that you want to carry over to your college experience? Does that environment have similar things?"

Experts' Picks: Online Resources

YouVisit offers virtual campus tours of over 600 colleges and universities. Many tours are accompanied by student guides, providing their commentary on the school.

This site allows you to search colleges based on the qualities you value like cost, major, selectivity, or religion. Niche also provides student reviews and comments.

Google Maps

Tucker recommends students use Google Maps to explore the area surrounding a school of interest. Use the satellite view to explore a college's landscape, especially if you can't get there in person.

Pointer helps students take control over their college process and find a school that is the right fit for them, through school profiles, personality quizzes, scheduling help, and self-reflection.

Information sessions with admissions officers should also be a part of your virtual college visit. Knowing the constraints of social distancing, colleges are giving students greater access to their faculty and staff than ever before.

"Schools are trying to be mindful of this moment and be as flexible, adaptive, and empathetic as possible to students," Tucker said. "So, there are resources on a school-by-school basis that are available in a way that they wouldn’t be normally."

All of our experts agreed that the best way to get a real sense of a school is to talk to as many people as possible, whether you connect with alumni from your high school or ask a school's admissions office to connect you with current students and faculty. "It’s not just browsing a website. It’s interactive; it’s a human being who has a personality and a smile and gestures and is answering questions in real time," Soule said.

Students can tell a lot about a college based on how they're treated, Lips noted. He asks his students to "make direct contact with people who will give you a good sense of what’s going to be available to you [at this school], and then also how helpful and welcoming the people from those offices are, too."

A major part of the college search has always been finding a school you connect to personally, as well as academically. That does not change, even though today's search process is different.

Keep Some Perspective.

Make no mistake—this is an incredibly difficult time to be applying to college. With mounting uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus, colleges are unsure how and in what form the fall semester will take place, and some current seniors are considering taking a gap year to avoid the possibility of beginning college online.

"I’ve definitely had many more students thinking about delaying," Lips said. "In any year, I think it’s a great idea. Particularly this year, if the college gives that option."

While 89% of Scoir survey respondents said they had no intention of delaying enrollment, those figures may change as we learn more about the impact of COVID-19. Lips also noted that possible deferrals could have rippling consequences, including lower college admittance rates for the class of 2021, since fewer spots will be available if many current seniors defer admission.

With standardized test dates being cancelled and high schools moving to pass/fail grading systems, there are numerous other complications to consider. But despite all of these hiccups, it's important for students to keep everything in perspective.

To that end, Fulk recommended students put more of an emphasis on wellness in their college plans—for instance, an incoming freshman might plan out five things they will do to build community once the semester begins.

"Wellness is actually a far better indicator of success and persistence and graduation than even standardized testing or high school GPA," Fulk said. "We’re trying to talk to our students... more about how you are going to find your community as quickly as possible, and how are you going to find people that you can connect with and trust."

"Your primary concern needs to be your personal health and well-being. You need to do what’s best for you," Lips said. "Even though people are skeptical of the colleges and cynical about the admissions process, I think [the colleges] try to be reasonable and are going to be accepting and understanding."

Finally, remember that you are not alone. The whole world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus and everyone is handling it in their own way. Students will react differently, but remember that everyone applying to college right now is going through the same problems.

"I try to remind our juniors that every junior in the country is going through this," Fulk said. "They shouldn’t feel like they're behind—certainly they can have all sorts of emotional responses to this. They can be frustrated or angry or disappointed, but it should be unifying. Everyone is experiencing this together."

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YouVisit Colleges 12+

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iOS 14 Optimization YouVisit Colleges contains 500+ college campuses to explore and allows for you to experience these amazing places immersively and in Virtual Reality. Get fully immersed with or without a headset! See whats so special and download now! The experience is so immersive, it's second only to experiencing it in real life. Using the app you can: • Explore in 360° VR with a fully immersive cinematic experience • App works with or without a VR headset

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Can’t achieve it’s primary function.

Would easily be a 5 star app if it worked. I can’t even view the colleges I want to see because it won’t let me past some blank “locations” screen it gets stuck on. So much for using Google Cardboard. The app honestly has so much potential and from what I see, the only thing standing in between a really successful app and it’s consumers is crappy execution, coding and bugs that need to be worked back. I’ll be a five star reviewer when these issues are fixed.

Not user friendly. This is not your usual virtual tour. You’ll be looking more at the floor or ceiling while trying to navigate through. Will look for another option.

It won’t stop spinning

This app was OK a couple of months ago but now it’s completely unusable. No matter if I try to open this on my iPad or my iPhone and no matter the school, the slides are just spinning like crazy. I feel like it’s going to make someone sick. Given that prospective students and their parents can not tour schools due to Covid, this app should be incredibly useful. Instead it’s a complete waste of space on my devices. Please fix this!

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How to Choose Colleges With Virtual Tours

A guide to some of the tour sites that aim to help students feel as if they are walking around campuses without leaving home.

By Donna De La Cruz

With college campuses closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, free virtual tours have grown in popularity . High school juniors hoping to begin college in the fall of 2021 are not able to visit campuses in person, but they and their families have many ways to explore their options while staying safe at home.

Here is a guide to some of the tour sites that aim to help students feel as if they are walking around campuses. They can visit as many colleges as they like, without the cost of a road trip or the aching feet.

If you are just getting started on the college admissions process:

The National Association for College Admission Counseling provides information from more than 1,000 colleges and universities on changes to admissions processes resulting from the pandemic. The tool lets students get an overview of resources available at each institution, including links to virtual tours offered, said the association’s president, Jayne Caflin Fonash. “If someone only wants to know about schools in a certain state, or is only interested in finding out about standardized testing policies for the fall, they can drill down to get that information,” Dr. Fonash said.

StriveScan is offering the Strive Virtual College Exploration program through May 8 to take the place of in-person college fairs. Students get advice on how to write a college essay, apply for financial aid, and the chance to ask questions to officials from more than 450 colleges from 45 states and 13 countries — Canada, Britain, Ireland, Italy, France, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Australia and Mexico. All sessions are taped, allowing students to download them. StriveScan’s president, Dan Saavedra, said more presentations will be held in the coming weeks, including one focusing on STEM schools and another on small, private liberal arts schools.

If you are ready to start touring:

There are several websites that allow students to tour and compare schools. These sites offer interactive maps, photos, videos and testimonials.

CampusTours offers tours of more than 1,800 schools in the United States as well as tours of schools in the United Kingdom, Canada, China and France. Its advanced search feature allows students to fine-tune details they are searching for, such as how much tuition they want to pay. About 100 schools offer insights from enrolled students during parts of the tour on campus life, the company’s president, Christopher Carson, said. CampusTours is also working on a feature to allow students to ask questions while they are on the tour that are sent to college officials, he added.

YouVisit offers tours of more than 600 U.S. schools. The tours offer prompts that pop up asking students for input that is sent to college officials to respond, an attempt to replicate the questions and answers that come up during in-person tours. YouVisit also offers students to tour using “virtual reality” tools. “There is nothing that replaces that in-person experience that makes a student fall in love with a campus, but the goal of a virtual tour is to do as much as it can to replace those moments,” said Emily Bauer, vice president for agency services for EAB, the education research and technology company that owns YouVisit.

If you want to attend a Historically Black College or University:

The Chicago HBCU Alumni Alliance is offering virtual fairs in which nearly 50 H.B.C.U.s give students information on admissions, programs and scholarships. Videotapes of the events will be available on the alliance’s website in the coming weeks. The alliance’s president, Danielle James, said more virtual fairs are planned for the summer.

StriveScan also featured presentations from several H.B.C.U.s.

Other virtual tour sites include:

YoUniversity : Students can click on tabs such as “safest campuses,” “most diverse campuses” and “top academic colleges,” as well as “best campus food” and “coolest dorms.”

CampusReel : Students enrolled at colleges can upload their videos to this site for sharing, after being vetted. Students or parents must register to join.

If you want to take a gap year:

The Gap Year Association offers videos on what it means to take a gap year and is building a new student membership platform — a nominal fee will be required to join — that will give students access to weekly calls to learn about gap year opportunities, said the association’s executive director, Ethan Knight. The website also offers information on accredited gap year programs and counselors.

If you want to play sports in college:

Virtual tours, like the ones at YouVisit , can put students in the stands or on the playing field to get a simulated experience of being an athlete there. CampusTours has a feature that lets students find sports offered at various schools.

After you’ve narrowed down your list:

This is the time to start making personal outreach to schools, Mr. Carson of CampusTours said. “You can’t rely on virtual tours to tell you everything about the institution, you need to reach out to the schools themselves.” Traditionally, students have been told that some colleges rank in-person visits as a show of “demonstrated interest.” This year that could take different forms, like emailing professors and admissions officers or attending Zoom meetings. “Demonstrated interest is very valuable,” Mr. Carson said. “Make personalized phone calls and write emails.”

25 Virtual College Tours Worth Taking

Virtual college tours are considered one of the easiest, most accessible ways to learn about a school. While a more typical college tour may still be conducted in-person, the reality of that is changing. With the technological advances of the last 10-15 years, virtual tours have become a new, affordable possibility. Indeed, a virtual college tour can be an excellent way to learn about a school’s campus, programs, student life, clubs and activities, and much more.

You might be curious, how exactly do virtual college tours work? The answer depends on the school. Some virtual tours are live streams or recordings of in-person campus tours. Others are interactive maps where you can click on buildings and see what happens inside. Some will even include Q&A sessions with students. These are just some of the many ways schools show prospective students what life is like on campus. However, not all virtual college tours are created equal.

In this article, we’ll explore the world of virtual college visits, including:

• Benefits of engaging in college tours
• Similarities and differences between in-person and virtual college tours
• Different formats of virtual tours
• Top 25 virtual tours worth taking
• How to plan and make the most of your college visits
• What comes next after a college tour 

Without a doubt, college visits will play an integral role in your college journey. So, let’s dive into why college visits are so important to the application process. 

Why College Visits?

Before we explore virtual college tours in greater detail, let’s discuss why college visits are important to begin with. First and foremost, college tours are a way to learn about schools before you apply or even attend. Attending college is a big commitment. Therefore, taking the time to learn more about each school will allow you to feel more confident in deciding where to attend. 

Secondly, the college admissions process is a time of self-exploration. By engaging in college tours, you can learn more about yourself just as you do about colleges. Maybe you will notice you like smaller campuses that aren’t in bustling cities. Or perhaps you will realize that having a lot of cultural diversity on campus is important. By learning these facts about yourself, you will contribute to your overall personal development as well as create a holistic college list.

Lastly, college visits for juniors help to put together a strong application. Many colleges request that you write a supplemental essay about why you want to attend their school. Through a visit, you can gain knowledge about the school and be able to speak passionately and specifically about why you wish to attend in your essays. This is more critical than ever since the number of applications has skyrocketed at many schools. As such, you’ll need to make sure your application demonstrates why you are a clear fit.

College visits and the admissions process

As you may have already gathered, there are two times when you might find it most valuable to visit colleges:

Before applying

Virtual college tours and in-person campus tours can help you narrow down your college list. In doing so, you will only spend money and time applying to colleges that you would really love to attend. College visits for juniors can also help them write stronger essays.

After admission to make a final matriculation decision

If you are admitted to multiple schools, a campus visit can help you feel more confident in your final decision. As a senior, you also might have more specific questions about certain activities or campus life. Getting to know the campus more can also help ease the transition into your first year. Since you’ll already know where important buildings and resources are located, your first day may not be as overwhelming!

Now that you understand the importance of college visits, let’s explore what goes into planning a college visit.

Planning your college visit

As we shared, college visits are an important part of the admissions process. However, planning in-person campus tours can be time-consuming and expensive. To begin, you and your family will need to explore what times of year are best to travel. Some common times to visit schools are during school breaks or summer vacations. However, if you hope to see more activity on campus, then try to plan your visit when classes are in session. 

Next, we recommend setting up a visit with the admissions office. While you can, in most cases, visit a campus without an appointment, the appointment helps you gain access to a tour. It may even allow you to speak with an admissions officer. Ideally, you will book this appointment a few months before the visit. If you find yourself running short on time, you can also show up on campus and take a self-guided tour. Occidental College , Haverford College , and Claremont McKenna College all offer self-guided tours, whether using a printed map or a downloadable app. 

The cost of college visits

Regardless of whether you pre-schedule your visit, you will need to pay for your travel including transportation, hotels, and meals. Many students try to see multiple schools in one visit to save money and time.

For some students, setting up in-person visits is difficult. Beyond the expensive nature of travel, parents or guardians may not be able to take off work or find childcare. Some high schools organize college visits for juniors, or even sophomores, where adult chaperones take large groups of students to visit schools. However, this may not be an option at your school.

If the cost and logistics required to attend in-person college tours is prohibitive, don’t worry! In the next sections, we’ll discuss the many similarities, as well as the unique benefits, of virtual college tours.

COVID-19’s Impact on College Visits

While virtual tours existed pre-pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic made them a necessity as college campus tours were canceled. Since then, virtual tours have become more advanced and more widely available. In some cases, college virtual tours can offer as much, or more, than an in-person campus visit.

While many students still prefer in-person visits, virtual tours can be used as a tool to explore colleges earlier in the application journey. Virtual tours can also be useful to prepare for an in-person visit. If a student can spend 15 minutes taking a virtual tour and noting what buildings or parts of campus interest them most, then they can focus their in-person tour on those aspects. 

Overall, virtual tours are an excellent way to visit schools that are completely inaccessible, such as ones that are too far away. Many international students use virtual college tours to explore campuses they wish to attend. Indeed, the fact that virtual tours exploded during the pandemic has raised several questions about accessibility, including the need to make more tours available in multiple languages or geared towards low-income families.

Coming up, we will explore more about the similarities and differences between in-person and virtual college tours. 

In-person vs Virtual College Tours

Luckily, visiting colleges today does not require you to go to a campus. Indeed, the number and quality of virtual campus tours for students have skyrocketed in recent years. Undoubtedly, there are similarities and differences between in-person college campus tours and virtual college tours.

Similarities between In-Person College Campus Tours and Virtual College Tours

• They provide a layout of the campus.
• They allow students to get a sense of the campus architecture, including the inside of academic buildings and dorms. For example, UT San Antonio offers special housing tours for students to see where they might be living.
• Students can learn about specific academic programs. For instance, Harvard offers a specialized in-person tour for engineering and applied sciences students in addition to the Harvard virtual tour.
• They offer insight into student life on campus. Emerson College , for example, offers videos of students talking about their transition to life in Boston and co-curricular activities.
• Tours allow students to explore the available clubs and activities on campus.
• They are opportunities to hear directly from actual students about their experiences. Colgate , Princeton , and Barnard all offer virtual conversations with students.
• Students can get some of their doubts answered. Many tours offer a live Q&A with current students. Pomona ’s live virtual sessions include this offering.

Differences between In-Person College Campus Tours and Virtual College Tours

Note that depending on the school, you may or may not receive information about that school’s admissions process during a tour, whether in-person or virtual. Several schools, like Spelman , encourage students to schedule separate webinars to learn more about the admissions process, as this is not a topic covered in their campus tours. 

Now that we have explored the similarities and differences between in-person college campus tours and virtual college visits, let’s look more deeply into when and how to use virtual college tours.

Understanding Virtual College Tours

When first hearing about virtual college visits, many students and families are skeptical about how useful they can be. However, college virtual tours have advanced so much in recent years that many offer a similar, if not enhanced, experience to an in-person visit. 

As we discussed, there are several obvious reasons why college virtual tours are easier than in-person, including the fact that they are free and require little to no planning. In the following sections, we will discover more of the benefits and uses of virtual college tours. We will also discuss how they work and explore some of the best virtual college tours that exist today.

Are Virtual College Tours Worth It?

Yes—college virtual tours are absolutely worth your time! Indeed, virtual college tours can be a very good investment of time depending on where you are in your college admissions process. Let’s explore some ways that you can use virtual college visits to aid you in your college decision-making process:

Initial exploration of schools

As a freshman or sophomore in high school, you might not know how to prepare for the college process. Using virtual college tours, you can begin to explore schools and learn about what you like and don’t like in a college. This process can help you stay motivated to work hard as you will visualize your goals with greater clarity. You will also begin to learn what types of schools you are drawn to, which can help you build a college list faster in your junior year.

Exploring more and different schools

In the past, many students were limited to only visiting schools they could travel to. In some cases, leaving their state or country was impossible. Virtual college tours offer much more accessibility for students who cannot travel large distances. Also, since they can be completed in much less time than in-person college campus tours, virtual college visits may allow you to explore schools you had never considered. Perhaps you were only considering applying to big public schools. With virtual college visits, you can branch out and easily explore small, liberal arts colleges as well.

Narrowing down the list of schools you might want to visit in person

You might have a long college list. Ideally, you’ll want to cut it down when considering which schools to visit. This is where virtual college visits offer a unique opportunity to make the most of your time and resources. Before you get on the road, you can do a virtual tour to see if you like the campus enough to visit. Or perhaps the virtual tour helps you see which parts of campus you want to explore further, or which buildings you want to enter.

Alternatively, maybe your virtual college visits give you the confidence to know you like the school enough that you don’t need to spend lots of money on a flight in your junior year. Perhaps you will wait and see if you are admitted and visit the school afterward to decide if you want to attend.

Certainly, we can agree there are many benefits to virtual college visits. However, some virtual college tours are more interactive, engaging, and informative than others. Later, we will explore some of the virtual college tours that are worth taking.

While the quality of the tour may depend on the schools you’re interested in, how much you get out of them ultimately depends on you. We will explore how to make the most of your college virtual tours later. 

What Are Virtual College Tours Like?

Now that we have convinced you that college virtual tours are beneficial, let’s look at what you can expect from them. Most virtual college tours for students have some combination of the following offerings:

Guided tour of campus

This can include a combination of interactive maps and pictures, embedded videos, informational text, and voiceovers describing what you are seeing. Some college virtual tours offer 360-degree views that allow you to click around and move through campus as if you were there, such as the University of Tampa ’s tour. Even more advanced tours offer immersive virtual reality (VR) technology which allows you to put on a headset and bring the campus to life in front of your eyes. However, VR campus tours typically require you to have your own equipment at home.

Campus highlights

Most virtual college tours for students will highlight important buildings or landmarks. These can include academic buildings, monuments, libraries, dining halls, residence halls, and the student union. By showing you these buildings, schools hope to give you a sense of what your day-to-day life may look like as a student there.

Student testimonials

Another helpful part of college virtual tours is student testimonials. Sometimes, this looks like students leading a campus tour while sharing their own experiences. Other times, schools will offer webinars for prospective students to ask questions of others. More common these days is the use of social media to share student experiences. Some schools will allow students to “take over” their social media accounts and post about their day so that prospective students can see what a day on campus is like. Consider following schools of interest on social media so you can get an insider’s perspective.

Now that you know what you can generally expect from college virtual tours, let’s explore the differences between college campus tours across schools.

How Do Virtual College Tours Work?

As the name suggests, virtual tours happen via a computer, phone, or other piece of technology. However, that can look very different depending on the school you are investigating. As we shared above, many virtual college tours for students include some kind of guided tour of campus, a list of highlights, and student testimonials. However, these items can come in very different formats.

Here are some of the formats you can expect:

Pre-recorded videos.

These can look like videos of a student giving a tour or a video of activities happening around campus. Since these are the simplest version of virtual college tours for students, they are the most common. Schools like Dartmouth , CalPoly , and Vassar all offer pre-recorded tours. 

Interactive videos

Some videos let you click on buildings or landmarks as you watch to learn more. In some cases, you can even enter buildings. For example, the Harvard virtual tour lets you click through photos of the athletic center, dorms, libraries, labs, and quads. The Harvard virtual tour also includes a voiceover that provides additional information as you scroll through images. 

Interactive map s

Here you’ll have a map of campus, whether flat or 360 degrees, that lets you click on landmarks to gather more information. Cornell , Bucknell , Wesleyan , and Pace all have online maps you can explore.

Live streams

This is a video that is being filmed at the same time you are watching it. Live streams sometimes offer a chance for Q&A with the student hosting. To take advantage of this, you will need to be present at the exact time the live stream is being shared. In some cases, you may need to register ahead of time to receive the link. An example of a live tour is at the University of Pennsylvania , where students register ahead of time for a one-hour, live, student-led virtual campus tour.

Live Virtual Tour vs. Pre-Recorded Tour

Take special note of the distinction between live virtual tours and pre-recorded virtual tours. Live virtual tours are being streamed as you watch them, which means you will get a better sense of what is happening right then and there on campus. Sometimes, live virtual tours include a Q&A section where you can ask questions. Meanwhile, pre-recorded virtual tours are less interactive but offer the flexibility of watching them whenever you can.

A common platform for many of these virtual college tours is YouVisit . YouVisit specializes in making virtual experiences as interactive as possible. For that reason, you may notice that many of the online virtual college tours you discover are similar in format. YouVisit’s tours tend to include interactive 360-degree maps, voiceovers, videos, and photos.

As you can tell, there are many formats and options for virtual tours. Indeed, the menu of options has exploded in recent years, in part due to the necessity created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, we will look more closely at when to take a virtual tour and explore some of the most helpful virtual tours worth taking.

When is the right time to take a Virtual Tour?

Virtual college tours can be useful at any stage, whether you’re already working on applications or just starting to build your college list.  No matter where you are in the college admissions process, remember: it’s never too early to take a virtual tour! However, before you start exploring virtually, it’s useful to know how virtual college tours can benefit you.

Tours for sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Virtual college tours will look different for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As a sophomore, a virtual tour might be a way to dip your toes into the world of college admissions. Since you can take virtual college tours from the comfort of your own home, this is a low-stakes way to get a feel for which colleges you’re interested in applying to. 

College visits for juniors are a bit more meaningful. You may be starting to create a college list, so you’ll want to pay close attention to the different parts of the virtual tour. Consider taking notes as you go, so that when you start applying to schools you have observations from your virtual tour to look back on. 

If you’re a senior, there’s another important aspect of virtual college tours to keep in mind: demonstrated interest. When colleges read your application, they often look for “demonstrated interest,” which is a way that you demonstrate that you care about the school. Colleges want to admit students who will ultimately choose that college, and one way to show that you care about a school is to attend a tour. 

What Colleges Offer Virtual Tours?

In general, virtual college tours make tours accessible for people who can’t travel to the school for whatever reason. Most schools understand that not all students can visit in person and will offer some type of virtual tour—whether it’s a recorded tour, a video of the campus, or another interactive option. 

So, how do you decide which ones to take? Up next, you’ll find our list of the best virtual college tours that we think are worth your time.

25 Virtual College Tours Worth Taking!

As we’ve discussed, virtual tours are a great way to get a feel for a school’s campus without having to make the trip to visit. You can take a virtual tour at almost any time—you can even take one more than once!

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 25 great virtual college tours that you can embark on in lieu of a traditional college visit. 

Top 25 Virtual College Tours

1. princeton university.

First on our list of virtual college tours worth taking is Princeton University. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton is ranked #1 in National Universities. Princeton’s virtual tour consists of a live-streamed Zoom webinar, where one of their tour guides will take you along with them on their campus tour. You can even ask your guide questions in the Zoom chat!

2. Harvard University

Next on our list of best virtual college tours is Harvard University, located in Cambridge, MA. The Harvard virtual tour is self-guided, meaning that you can click around the Harvard virtual tour to see panoramic views of Harvard’s classic New England campus at your own pace. Plus, if you’re interested in Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, there’s a separate Harvard virtual tour that goes into even more detail on that school’s offerings.

3. University of Pennsylvania

If you’re interested in UPenn but can’t make it out to Philadelphia, you can explore UPenn’s campus with virtual college visits. You have to sign up online to take one of Upenn’s virtual college tours since they’re led live by Penn’s student tour guides. With these live tours, every tour is different. Since different students give them each time, if you decide to take the tour more than once, you’ll likely learn something new! 

4. Cornell University

The virtual college tours at Cornell are self-guided. This means that you can take yourself around Cornell’s beautiful campus in Ithaca, NY, at your own pace. At each location, Cornell supplies fun facts and details about the campus that can help you get to know the school better. 

5. Dartmouth College

With Dartmouth’s virtual college tours, you can get the best of both worlds: a live-streamed campus tour and a self-guided tour. If you’re just beginning to think about Dartmouth as an option, watch their video of a pre-recorded tour to get a feel. If Dartmouth is your dream school, get to know their campus in bucolic Hanover, NH, by taking a live virtual tour led by a student—that way, you can ask all of your questions and feel more like you’re really there!

6. California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) – San Luis Obispo

If you want to know more about Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, they provide a wealth of virtual college tours that you can take. Not only does Cal Poly offer the classic student-led virtual tours and prerecorded tours. They also have virtual tours of their housing and of each academic college. Even if you can’t make it out to this coastal California city, you’ll have a great feel for the Cal Poly campus. 

7. Barnard College

Curious about college in the Big Apple? Take one of Barnard’s virtual college tours. Once you register for Barnard’s virtual tour, you gain access to spaces in Barnard that aren’t even available on the in-person tour. Barnard also offers an audio tour, where you can listen along to a live tour guide.

8. Pomona College

At Pomona, a college located in Pomona, California, you can explore in a multitude of ways. Pomona offers a pre-recorded virtual tour, as well as info sessions and webinars that you can attend from home. 

9. University of Texas – San Antonio

Located in San Antonio, TX, the University of Texas campus at San Antonio offers a self-guided virtual tour. At each location on the virtual tour, UT offers a video accompanied by written information to help you get to know the campus better.

10. Wesleyan University

If you’re looking for an idyllic New England campus, you’ll find one with Wesleyan’s virtual college tours. Wesleyan is a small liberal arts school located in Middletown, Connecticut, and you can follow along with a current student as they “walk” you through different locations on campus. 

11. Colgate University

Located in Hamilton, ME, Colgate’s beautiful campus is just a few clicks away. Colgate’s college virtual tours let students make their way through the campus on their own time, and you can supplement your virtual college visit with webinars and online info sessions. 

12. Washington State University

Though Pullman, Washington would be beautiful to see in person, WSU’s college virtual tours will make you feel like you’re right there without ever leaving your house. WSU offers a personal tour, where you can direct yourself around the Washington State campus. 

13. Bucknell University

At Bucknell University, you can take college virtual tours by navigating through their virtual campus map. Though you might not get a feel of Bucknell’s location in Lewisburg, PA, you’ll come away with a great understanding of their campus—they even have a specialized map for prospective engineering students. 

14. Vassar College

Next on the list of college virtual tours worth doing is Vassar. Vassar is located in scenic upstate New York, but if you don’t want to make the trip, you can easily get a feeling for the campus with their many options for college virtual tours. Vassar offers an interactive campus tour, a 30-minute preview video of the campus, and even sample classes and recordings of past events. 

15. Claremont McKenna College

The second of the Claremont Colleges after Pomona, Claremont McKenna offers recorded video tours and self-guided college virtual tours. Claremont McKenna is also located in Pomona, CA. So, if you’re virtually touring Pomona, you might as well give Claremont McKenna a look as well!

16. Haverford College

If you’re interested in living in Pennsylvania, you can give this lovely campus located just outside of Philly a look. Haverford offers live virtual tours where two students will take you on a “stroll” across campus, giving you advice and answering questions along the way. 

17. Harvey Mudd College

If you love Pomona, CA, but Claremont McKenna and Pomona weren’t your vibe, give Harvey Mudd a try. Harvey Mudd’s college virtual tours consist of separate videos for each stop along the tour that take you through all of the most important buildings on Harvey Mudd’s campus. 

18. Middlebury College

For your Middlebury College virtual tours, you get all the benefits of variety. Middlebury College, located in Middlebury, VT, has a wealth of options for students who don’t choose to do college campus tours in person. This includes virtual tours in English and Spanish, self-guided interactive maps, recorded information sessions, and more. 

19. Pace University

If you want to get to know Pace University, the college offers interactive maps for both of its campuses—one in NYC and one in Westchester, NY. Using Pace’s maps, you can make the most of New York City college campus tours without ever having to navigate the subway. 

20. Occidental College

Next on our list of virtual college campus tours worth taking is Occidental College. Located in sunny Los Angeles, CA, Occidental offers a self-guided virtual tour, where you can click through 360 views of the campus and hear from Occidental’s student tour guides along the way. 

21. Furman University

Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Furman University also offers stellar options for their virtual college campus tours. Furman gives you the option to explore individual campus buildings with interactive and immersive technology, which includes videos from their tour guides to give you insider knowledge about each location. 

22. Spelman College

If you want to tour Spelman, you don’t have to go all the way to Atlanta, Georgia. You can take one of their virtual college campus tours, where you can take your time looking at each of their buildings. Spelman’s virtual map lets you see inside and outside of many different campus locations, and get a better feel for the vibe of the campus as a whole.

23. Emerson College

Located in Boston, MA, Emerson offers lots of options for students who want to take college virtual tours. Using an interactive map , prospective students can make their way around Emerson’s campus to explore different buildings and facilities. The Emerson campus map also includes some city landmarks, like Boston Common, that are close to campus and part of the Emerson experience.

24. University of Tampa

At the University of Tampa, students can take college virtual tours to get a feel for the beautiful Tampa, FL campus. The University of Tampa offers tour videos, 360 interactive campus tours, as well as virtual visits. If you register for a virtual visit, you’ll also be able to attend a 30-minute info session hosted by an admissions counselor. 

25. Texas State University

For the last school on our list of college virtual tours worth taking, we visit (or more accurately, don’t visit) Texas State. Texas State offers a virtual interactive map, a video tour led by student tour guides, and also provides a presentation where you can learn more about the academics and admissions policies at the school. You can tour both of Texas State’s locations, one in San Marcos and one just north of Austin.

As you can see, not all virtual college visits follow the exact same format. However, there are certainly many opportunities to “visit” a school without ever stepping foot on campus. Next, let’s talk about scheduling and making the most of your college visits.

How To Schedule Virtual College Visits

Now that we’ve gone over some of the best virtual college tours that you can take, let’s talk about some logistics. 

For most virtual college tours, you can take them whenever you want—that’s part of why they’re so great! Whatever your schedule is, you can slide in a college visit on your own time. You could even do a bit of a virtual college visit, take a break, and come back and finish later. It’s totally up to you. 

Schools may ask you for your name and email when you click on their virtual college visits. This is totally fine, and also can work to your advantage. Remember demonstrated interest? You want the college to know that you’ve taken their college campus tours, whether it’s a virtual college visit or in-person. This is especially meaningful in college visits for juniors or seniors.

Even though many virtual college visits can be done on your own schedule, some schools offer live virtual tours. If you want to take one of these college campus tours, you’ll need to sign up in advance. Even though these virtual college tours for students require a little bit more planning, it can be helpful to be in a Zoom with other prospective students and tour guides so that you can ask questions in real time. 

Making the Most of a Virtual College Visit

Even though you might be taking your virtual college tours from your bed, it’s important to still make the most of it. While a virtual tour might not feel the same as in-person college campus tours, there are some things you can do to make the most of the experience. 

Block out dedicated time

At first, virtual college tours for students might not seem very outwardly engaging. However, you should try and make the most of your experience. Don’t multitask, or do college campus tours while you’re watching TV. This is still a college visit, and you want to treat it as such. Immerse yourself in your virtual college visit—you want to get as close as you can to experiencing it in person! 

Consider your priorities

Virtual college visits can serve different purposes for different students. Some students have no idea what they’re looking for from their college campus, and others are already set on what they want their college experience to look like. On the virtual tour, make sure to look at the school’s housing, academic facilities, recreational facilities, and transportation. If there’s a must on your list—for example, if you want a school with a main quad, or a school that’s integrated into a city—see if the school has it! 

Ask questions

If you’re taking a tour on your own, think about the questions you’d have for a tour guide if there was one present. What can you learn from virtual college tours for students, and what do you still have questions about? These are the kinds of things you could ask in an information session or research after your tour.

Next Steps after your Virtual Tour

Once you’ve finished your virtual tour, there are some next steps you can take to make the most of it. 

If you’re just starting to build out your college list, think about what stood out most from your campus tours. Write down some big takeaways from the school, or a list of pros and cons, so you can start comparing schools that you want to put on your college list. These can be informal—something like “huge library,” or “weird vibe” is totally fine—just make sure you write down enough to remember how you felt about the school so you don’t have to take the virtual tour a second time.

If you’re ready to apply, reach out to admissions with any questions you have after the virtual college tours. Explore the application requirements at the schools you’re most excited about. See if the school has any supplemental essays that ask you why you’re interested in the school—these virtual tours can give you great talking points about the school that you might want to include in an essay.

Sometimes after a virtual tour, you might still not know how you feel about a school—that’s okay! Virtual tours are just one way to get to know a college. You can keep doing research, and take advantage of other virtual resources offered by the school. 

Even More Virtual Opportunities

So what are the other ways to learn more about a school from the comfort of your own home?

Along with the virtual campus tour, many schools also offer virtual information sessions. These are Zoom calls with admissions officers who are there to provide information on the school and answer applicants’ questions. Attending information sessions can also be a way to show demonstrated interest to a school that you want to attend. 

Some schools also have student testimonials, or other videos with students who can answer questions about the school. These are a great way to see what actual students think about attending the school. Many colleges also provide a way to reach students at the school with questions—email the admissions office and ask if there are students you can talk to about their experience. 

Virtual College Tours – Final Takeaway

College visits for juniors, seniors, and sophomores are an important part of the college admissions process. Since the pandemic, you can go on amazing virtual college visits from the comfort of your own home. On a virtual college tour, you can get to know the campus, and see what kinds of resources the school has to offer.

There are a few different types of virtual college tours for students. Some are interactive maps, where you can click on different buildings and explore. Others provide a 360 view of various parts of campus. Some are live Zoom meetings led by student tour guides, and some schools provide pre-recorded videos that you can watch. All of these virtual tours are great options to learn more about the school, and if a school provides more than one, they’re all worth doing!

When you’re taking a virtual college tour, make sure to make the most of it. Set aside some time to really focus on the tour, keep your priorities in mind, and take notes on things that stick out to you and questions you have during the tour. 

If at the end of your virtual tour, you’re sure that you’ve found your dream school, don’t hesitate to reach out to CollegeAdvisor for application guidance. Our team of experts is always here to support students in navigating the admissions process. Happy (virtual) exploring!

This article was written by senior advisor Courtney Ng and advisor Rachel Kahn . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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YouVisit is a virtual reality platform that allows users to explore a variety of immersive experiences, including college campus tours, travel destinations , and events. By using YouVisit, users can virtually visit a location from the comfort of their own home, getting a feel for the atmosphere, culture, and facilities of a particular place.

One of the main benefits of YouVisit is that it allows users to experience a location in a way that is not possible through traditional means. For example, users can visit a college campus and walk through residence halls, academic buildings, and other facilities , getting a sense of what it would be like to attend school there. This can be especially useful for students who are unable to visit a campus in person due to distance or other constraints.

YouVisit also offers a variety of travel experiences , allowing users to virtually visit destinations around the world. This can be a great way to explore a new place and get a fee l for what it’s like before deciding to physically travel there.

In addition to college campus tours and travel experiences , YouVisit also offers virtual reality experiences for events and conferences. This can be a great way for attendees to get a sense of the atmosphere and layout of an event, and can also be useful for event organizers looking to showcase their offerings to potential attendees.

Overall, YouVisit is a valuable tool for anyone looking to explore new places and experiences in a virtual setting. Whether you’re a student considering college options, a traveler planning your next vacation, or an event organizer looking to showcase your offerings, YouVisit can provide a unique and immersive way to learn more about a particular location or experience. Contact us today to get a quote on our virtual tour services all across the United States!

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YouVisit uses Oculus Rift to bring college campuses to prospective students

“welcome to college” kegger not included. .

Allen Weiner

The money train that leads from high school to college begins long before the first day of class. Prior to even paying that first tuition bill, traveling to campus tours and application fees easily mount up. Plenty of students and parents have become bullish on the idea of college tours entirely.

But what if you could dramatically cut that cost? What if you could preview everything a college has to offer—from dorms to dining halls—with 360-degree views? What if virtual reality could bring a campus to you? New York and Florida-based YouVisit has been in the virtual college tour business for five years, and the company believes its work with the Oculus Rift platform (which is not yet available for general consumer use) will take the experience to a new level.

The VR version of YouVisit will allow students to go even further into their pre-college exploration while allowing colleges to market themselves in a new, differentiated way. YouVisit has made 1,000 of its tours available for viewing via Oculus Rift which schools use as a replacement for handing our glossy brochures. College recruiters take the Oculus Rift headset on the road to high schools and other marketing events and give students and parents the opportunity to put on the headgear and be taken away to the ivy-covered walls of Ohio State, Stanford University, or thousands of other schools around the world.

“The VR technology and interface are so novel and intuitive that the headset itself is exciting, regardless of the content,” Mark Dunn, Director of Outreach & Recruitment, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Yale University, tells the Daily Dot. “Matching up such a cool, seemingly futuristic technological experience with Yale’s neo-gothic campus might seem like a strange combination, but I found they fit.”

“We go into the areas students don’t have time to visit or access to on a typical college tours, YouVisit founder and CEO Abi Mandelbaum tells the Daily Dot. “Students today want more of the real experience. The virtual experience not only takes prospective students through the usual campus landmarks such as the student union and football stadium, it goes inside a dorm room and dining hall—two things high schoolers want to see before they click to schedule a physical on-campus visit.” YouVisit’s CEO says company data reveals 30 percent of those who take the virtual tour schedule a trip to see the school up close and personal. “The augmented reality version of YouVisit will take those tours to an entirely new, immersive level,” adds Mandelbaum.

Mandelbaum, a native of Colombia, and his cofounders from Jordan and Albania, were students at Brandeis University when they had their “had to be a better way” moment. The trio realized it was difficult for international students to get the information needed to make the right decision to inform their choice to study abroad. As a result, Mandelbaum saw that many of his international student peers were transferring to other schools in search of a better college experience.

In the course of the year after their “aha” moment, Mandelbaum and his colleagues built a virtual walking tour, which they pitched to a number of schools that were taken with the idea. As with many other businesses, colleges are trying to do more marketing on tighter budgets, so the idea of showcasing their institutions in a visually rich, highly scalable manner is appealing. The schools partner with the YouVisit team, collaborating on everything from scheduling the shoot to analyzing results from those who “visit” using the technology.

For higher-education institutions, wanting to capitalize on areas of specific specialty (for example, an engineering school whose chemistry lab has conducted some well-known research) can be a focal point of the tour, or in Yale’s case, create a separate tour for five different schools within its university system. For coaches of university sports teams, providing a YouVisit tour can be a recruiting tool, helping them show off what their campus has to offer (i.e., multimillion-dollar training facility or dorms with en-suite bathrooms). Danielle O’Banion, Kent State University basketball coach, uses Twitter to invite student athletes (and others) to see what her school has to offer.

Take a tour of @kentstate by clicking here: https://t.co/VgKpwKav5i . It’s the perfect virtual workout! #GoFlashes — Danielle O’Banion (@DJOBanion) July 17, 2014

To create marketing efficiency, Minnesota Online , which represents 31 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, embeds a tweet to its feed, allowing students to tour a diverse set of in-state schools.

Did you know you can take full virtual tours of @MSUMoorhead , @stcloudstate & @SMSUStangs ? https://t.co/GHzY8urDnx #YouVisit — Minnesota Online (@MinnesotaOnline) July 14, 2014

Perhaps what makes YouVisit most attractive is that it can cheaply help revolutionize a market that is suffering. The budget crises for colleges is very real, and asking students to invest more in up-front costs is nearly impossible, and it’s creating a vicious cycle that hurts the university system. For instance Wisconsin is unable to meet the needs of 41,000 aid-eligible students due to budget shortfalls. The pressure grows for marketing departments at colleges and universities to attract more students using new tech-enabled tools can scale at a lower cost. YouVisit’s ability to inform prospective students while allowing higher education institutions to efficiently showcase their wares could be a win-win for everyone involved.

Illustration by Max Fleishman 

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Allen Weiner has been a market research analyst in the area of new media and technology since 1994. He’s worked as writer, publisher and newspaper executive. He is the co-founder and publisher of Kombucha Network and the former managing vice president of Gartner.  

• Explore Our Region

Campus Tours

Go on, take a look around.

The Vassar campus comprises over 100 buildings in architectural styles ranging from modernist to collegiate gothic and 1,000 picturesque acres ranging from the sweeping lawns of the main campus to the meadows and woodlands of the Vassar Farm. Main Building, designed by James Renwick Jr., and the Maria Mitchell Observatory are both National Historic Landmarks.

360° Video Tours

Explore our campus with these 360-degree videos—the next best thing to being here (especially if you wear your VR goggles)!

Living: Dorms

Cushing House

Davison House

Josselyn House

Lathrop House

Main Building

Noyes House

Noyes House Field

Raymond House

Residential Quad

Strong House

Living: dining.

Gordon Commons

Tour the New Dining Center

Living: athletics.

Squash Courts

Tennis Court behind Josselyn House

Vassar Athletics and Physical Education Overview

Athletics & Fitness Center/Walker Field House

Learning: academics.

Blodgett Hall

Bridge for Laboratory Sciences

Biology Greenhouse

Chicago Hall

New England Building

Rockefeller Hall

Sanders Physics Building

Learning: libraries.

Van Ingen Library

Thompson Library

Learning: arts.

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

Vogelstein Center for Drama & Film

Casperkill Creek

Outdoor Amphitheater

President’s House

Shakespeare Garden

Vassar Ecology

Sunset Lake

View from above.

Load the Map

Via Taconic State Parkway

• Exit at Route 55 westbound (6 mi.)
• Turn left onto Route 376 Extension/Van Wagner Road (which becomes Raymond Avenue <1 mi.)
• Main Entrance (gothic stone archway) on left

Via New York State Thruway

• Take exit 17 for I-84 East toward Newburgh across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
• Take exit 13 onto Rt. 9 North (9.59 mi.)
• Turn right onto Spackenkill Rd. Rt. 113 East
• Turn left at second light onto Wilbur Blvd. (0.5 mi.)
• Turn right onto Hooker Avenue (<1 mi.)
• Turn left onto Raymond Avenue (<1 mi.)
• Main Entrance (gothic stone archway) on right
• Take exit 18 for Rt. 299 toward New Paltz/Poughkeepsie
• Turn right onto Rt. 299 East (5.1 mi.)
• Turn right onto Rt. 9W South (2.3 mi.)
• Take the exit ramp onto Rt. 44/55 East (<1 mi.)
• Cross the Mid-Hudson Bridge and continue on Rt. 44/55 East(2.0 mi.)
• Turn right onto Raymond Avenue (<1 mi.)

Via Route 9

• Head east onto Spackenkill Rd. Rt. 113 East (0.7 mi.)
• Turn left at the second light onto Wilbur Blvd. (2 mi.)
• Turn right onto Hooker Avenue (0.6 mi.)
• Turn left onto Raymond Avenue (0.4 mi.)

Metro-North Commuter Railroad connects New York City’s Grand Central Terminal with Poughkeepsie. For timetables, call (800) 638-7646 or visit their website. Poughkeepsie is also served by Amtrak. For schedules, call (800) 872-7245 or the Amtrak website . Taxi and bus service is available from the Poughkeepsie train station to campus.

Service is available from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City via Short Line Bus , (800) 631-8405 .

The Dutchess County L Bus picks up at the train station and drops off on Collegeview Avenue, which is directly next to campus— the L bus’s schedule and route .

For travelers flying into a New York City airport, the easiest way to get to Vassar is by Metro-North Train to Poughkeepsie from Grand Central Station. To get to Grand Central Station from the metro area airports, take the Newark Airport Express (Newark).

Scheduled passenger service is available from Stewart International Airport (SWF) in Newburgh, New York, 35 minutes from Vassar.

Other nearby airports include: Westchester County Airport in White Plains, Albany International Airport in Albany, and the three major airports in the New York City metro area (LaGuardia, JFK, Newark Liberty).

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Achieve Your Goals

Virtual tours created with the YouVisit platform are a premier experience. It's no surprise they get over 10 minutes of engagement, increase leads by 18%, and physical visits by 27%.

Ignite Wanderlust

By transporting your audience to new places and offering a glimpse of what awaits, our virtual experiences inspire them to choose your destination as their next adventure.

Recruit Better

Immersive corporate recruitment tours go beyond showcasing workspaces; they delve into the vibrant culture, dynamic teams, and unique mission and values of businesses and corporations. Show your prospective employees a company where they can thrive.

Craft Bespoke Experiences

At YouVisit, we redefine virtual tours beyond the conventional point-to-point journeys. Our curated experiences are meticulously designed to showcase the most compelling aspects of your brand, unveiling its essence and values to your audience.

Show Your Audience More

In a marketplace overflowing with options, consumers crave comprehensive insights before making commitments. Virtual experiences offer your audience an immersive preview of your offerings, allowing them to explore before visiting in person.