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Make the most of your college campus tour by asking the tour guide about their experience. It is tempting to spend college visits daydreaming about spending your days in impressive Collegiate Gothic-style buildings. But you are not there for the architecture tour. Don’t miss the chance to ask the campus tour guide about the academic side of their school, especially if you are planning to major in a popular subject, like business. Tour guides, whether they are paid or volunteers, usually sign up for this job because they love their school. Often, they are trained to answer general questions about the college. They will probably be happy to talk about their personal experience, as long as you ask politely as you are walking along. Here are five things you might bring up conversationally with a current student as you make your way through scenic yards, sample classrooms, dormitories and dining halls. What’s Your Major? “Did you change your major?” According to an article in the Winter 2025 Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, almost half of U.S. college students change their major. This is your chance to ask a student what they had thought they would major in when they applied, and why they changed their minds. Some reasons are negative. Perhaps they had started as a pre-med biology major and discovered that organic chemistry just wasn’t for them. This is a not-uncommon development in college, especially for students who felt they just had to come up with something to say when well-meaning relatives asked them to name a future profession. MORE FOR YOU Some reasons are positive. Colleges offer many fields of study that are not part of a standard high school curriculum. Students may discover new interests by taking elective courses in college or even by simply showing up at a campus event. Maybe your tour guide signed up for a midnight session at the college astronomical observatory and loved it so much that they are now majoring in astrophysics. Perhaps they are looking forward to visiting the world’s most powerful telescopes at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Some changes are more about focus. A business major might decide to specialize in accounting or shift to a related field, such as data science. Ask the tour guide what it was like to change majors. Were they able to fit in the required classes for their new major and graduate on time? Learning what it’s like to discover your academic direction in college can be especially helpful for students who are unsure of their major. It can be reassuring for parents, as well, to learn that there are ways for students to grow and thrive in unexpected ways. “What’s the biggest class you’ve taken?” Ask your tour guide about class size, especially in popular majors like economics or business. What are introductory lecture courses like? Not all lecturers are boring and you may hear praise for the small discussion groups that meet weekly to discuss what was presented in the lecture. If your prospective major includes science classes, ask whether the laboratories seem up to date. If your tour guide didn’t take lab science classes, they may have heard about them from friends. Although safety protocols may require that you make an appointment, you may be able to at least peek into a couple of laboratories. Some schools are proud to show you their facilities. You might ask your tour guide how much smaller the class sizes became—or didn’t—as they moved into upper division classes. Your guide might have something to say about how difficult it was—or wasn’t—to enroll in the classes they needed or wanted to take in order to graduate in four years. This can be critical in popular majors, such as economics or business. Opportunities For Business-Minded Students “Are there extracurricular opportunities for students to gain business experience?” Not all students who dream of a successful career in business will sign up for a degree in business administration. Many students, whatever their major, enjoy the excitement of entrepreneurship. You might hear that the office that helps students find internships always has hundreds of openings on file. Some schools have a lively start-up culture, Ask whether there is a center for entrepreneurship. If it’s not on your tour, try visiting on your own. If the building is open to visitors, look at posters and message boards to get a sense of student projects and upcoming events. Career Preparation “May I ask what you are planning to do after graduation?” You might start with an open question. Take care that it does not sound like you are grilling the tour guide, in case they are not sure what they will do. Even if your tour guide’s plans are very different from what you envision, the tour guide may have examples of interest to you from their circle of friends. The college admissions office is a better source of statistics about the college’s record of employment among its graduates. But the tour guide might be willing to give you more personal insights into how they are preparing for life after college. Comparing Schools “It’s clear that you love it here, but could I ask what other colleges you considered when you were applying?” While you are in the emotionally-charged throes of applying to colleges, you might think it is too personal to ask the tour guide about other schools to which they applied. But tour guides, whether they are paid or volunteers, usually sign up for this job because they love their school. They will probably be happy to talk about their reasons for choosing their college. You might ask them what they expected when they first applied, and if there were any surprises. They may be willing to compare their school with similar schools. Use this occasion to ask about qualitative comparisons, such as the size of the college. Don’t expect an answer in terms of “better than” or “worse than.” Keep Walking Remember that your college tour guide is just one person. Nevertheless, they volunteered to take you around, so ask questions to make the most of your time together. College tour guides are more than enthusiastic signposts, possessed of an uncanny ability to lecture while walking backwards. As long as you are mindful of their responsibility to shepherd everyone through a series of campus highlights, they are often happy to share their college experience with you. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
