VISITING COLLEGES IN THE ERA OF COVID-19
Elton Lin
In the same way many colleges admit students based on “intangible” factors, a college’s atmosphere also has an intangible aspect that seems difficult to capture until you actually step onto the campus. Here we’ll talk about a couple of considerations and questions you should be asking in regards to choosing a college given the fact that we are not able to visit schools at this time.
Virtual Tours
On the surface level, virtual tours are helpful in becoming more aware of the environment you’ll be in for the next few years. YouVisit is one the most comprehensive in regards to college tours. Google Maps of the university campus and nearby areas can pair nicely with a virtual tour to get a bird’s eye view. With Google Maps, one should also consider proximity. Consider questions such as:
Where’s the nearest supermarket? Ice cream parlor? Bubble tea store? Whatever else you can’t live without?
How far is the furthest on campus housing from the university commons? This number represents what a “reasonable” commute is.
What’s the geography of the area? Are there any large hills or valleys (that might be potentially dangerous when it snows and freezes over)?
That said, it’s a stretch to say that a virtual tour can replace an in-person tour. Whereas you’ll be able to see buildings, libraries, and learn facts about life on campus, the virtual tour often fails to capture the energy of the campus environment. Thus, we consider other elements beyond a virtual tour.
Intangible Elements
Since we are considering other factors beyond location and buildings, let’s define what we mean by intangible elements. Intangible elements relate to the campus culture and energy of the school; younger people may ask “what’s the vibe” of the campus. Trying to understand the campus culture and energy is difficult as it is not something you’ll be able to Google and immediately find. For example, imagine trying to research and understand the energy and culture of a sports team, say the Chicago Cubs. Wikipedia might give you a nice overview, but it wouldn’t be able to tell you how a fan felt when they won the World Series in 2016.
In that same way, you may be able to research facts and points about the school, but it is difficult to explain what makes the community values or prides itself in. While you may know generalizations or a few major moments about particular colleges or even majors within colleges, it’s difficult to pinpoint how a campus culture feels without being on the campus or knowing someone who will describe it to you. To that note, having an alumni or current student to talk to is extremely important, and asking questions that can help them describe the campus to you is incredibly important. Consider these questions if you do have an alumni or current student to chat with:
What do students and the campus community take pride in? Is it sports? Academics? Something else?
If you could show a student to one place on the campus, where would it be and why?
Were there any recent scandals? What do students complain or criticize about their campus?
Where do students go to relax? Where do you go to eat out?
Without an alumni resource, these questions can help guide your own research. And again, this is a difficult task because it is not something that you would easily find via Google. Instead, you will need to peer into the campus community and find small fragments that capture the campus culture online.. Some resources to consider include:
The campus newspaper - Even if it is not often read on campus, it is the best documentation of what is happening on campus and student viewpoints
Official social media - This includes college Instagram pages, YouTube accounts, etc.
Campus groups, activities, clubs - They will have their own independent Facebook groups or Instagram accounts. These groups will give you a more genuine, on-the-ground look of what students are passionate about.
Hopefully, this advice will help you find more nuances between the schools that you are considering going to in the fall. If you have any more questions, regarding this article, feel free to reach out to me, Anthony Su; all comments are welcome!
Best of luck!