As you all know – it’s 2020. In-person college tours are pretty much off the table. But it’s difficult to pick a college without visiting first; how will you know which campus has the best dorms? Or the most trees? In 2020 (and probably 2021, too) virtual college tours are the solution.
Many colleges have created virtual campus tours through the site YouVisit, an online database of virtual college tours. You can take a tour of the Harvard quad, see inside the Air Force Academy’s famed chapel, and even tour the 40 acres (or at least a few of them) of the University of Texas at Austin. We’ve gathered 20 virtual college tours you can take in 2020 and 2021 without leaving your couch.
3 Tips for Deciding Which College to Attend
20 Virtual College Tours for 2020 and 2021
University of Pennsylvania
Affectionately known as “Penn” to students, faculty, and alumni, the University of Pennsylvania is an elite private university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It’s a competitive school, with ACT scores ranging from 32-35 and SAT scores ranging from 1420-1550.
Take a virtual tour of the University of Pennsylvania here.
Auburn University
Auburn University, located in Auburn, Alabama, is a public 4-year university. On the larger side, more than 22,000 undergrad students call Auburn home. Average SAT scores range from 1150-1310 and ACT scores range from 25-30.
Take a virtual tour of Auburn University here.
UCLA
The University of California – Los Angeles is one of the top public universities in the United States. Admissions is competitive, with a 14% acceptance rate. The average SAT range is 1290-1520 and the ACT range is 30-34.
Take a virtual tour of UCLA here.
Emory University
Emory University is a competitive, private Christian university located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school is mid-sized, with about 8,000 undergraduate students. Emory student’s average SAT score range is 1350-1520 and average ACT score range is 31-34.
Take a virtual tour of Emory University here.
Oregon State University
The number 1 public university in Oregon, Oregon State University is a large public university (almost 20,000 undergraduate students) located in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU’s average SAT range is 1080-1310, and average ACT range is 22-28.
Take a virtual tour of Oregon State University here.
United States Air Force Academy
USAFA, the United States Air Force Academy, is a small yet prestigious military academy located in Colorado. Admissions is competitive, and average SAT scores range from 1230-1410 and ACT scores range from 28-33.
Take a virtual tour of USAFA here.
Columbia University
Columbia University, located in New York City, has a long history of excellence. Did you know that 5 founding fathers (including Alexander Hamilton) attended Columbia? The university is one of the most selective in the Ivy League, with an acceptance rate of 4%. Columbia student’s average SAT scores range from 1450-1560 and ACT scores range from 33-35.
Take a virtual tour of Columbia University here.
Harvard
Perhaps the Ivy League’s most famous member, Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside Boston. We don’t have to tell you that this school is competitive; student’s average SAT scores range from 1460-1580 and ACT scores range from 33-35.
Take a virtual tour of Harvard University here.
Yale
Harvard or Yale? If you find yourself making this decision (share your study tips with us!) in 2021, a virtual campus visit may help you decide which school is best for you. Yale is just as competitive as other Ivy League schools, with an average SAT score range of 1460-1570 and an average ACT score range of 33-35.
Take a virtual tour of Yale University here.
Princeton
Princeton University in New Jersey is another Ivy League school you can tour virtually through YouVisit. Take a peek at life as a Princeton Tiger by touring campus dining, lecture halls, and more. Princeton’s average SAT scores range from 1440-1570 and ACT scores range from 32-35.
Take a virtual tour of Princeton University here.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University is one of the most competitive schools in the south, located in music city – Nashville, Tennessee. This prestigious university has an average SAT score range of 1450-1560 and an average ACT score range of 33-35.
Take a virtual tour of Vanderbilt here.
University of Missouri – Columbia
The Mizzou tigers are well known for their journalism school and competitive academics. This mid-sized school has an average SAT score range of 1090-1290 and an average ACT score range of 23-29.
Take a virtual tour of the University of Missouri here.
University of Colorado – Boulder
Picturesque University of Colorado – Boulder is a large university located in the Denver area of Colorado. Admissions is moderately competitive. SAT scores range from 1150-1360 and ACT scores range from 25-31.
Take a virtual tour of the University of Colorado – Boulder here.
University of Virginia
Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 and a UNESCO world heritage site, you can take a tour of the historic University of Virginia through YouVisit. UVA is a competitive school with an acceptance rate of 26%. Average SAT scores range from 1330-1500 and ACT scores range from 30-34.
Take a virtual tour of the University of Virginia here.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a large, highly-rated public university. For this competitive school, average SAT scores of incoming freshmen range from 1390-1540 and ACT scores range from 31-34.
Take a virtual tour of Georgia Tech here.
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas, in the western part of the state. This large public Texas university is moderately competitive, with SAT scores ranging from 1070-1240 and ACT scores ranging from 22-27.
Take a virtual tour of Texas Tech here.
Purdue University
Indiana’s top public university, Purdue is a large school with more than 31,000 undergraduate students. Purdue is also fairly competitive. SAT scores range from 1180-1410 and ACT scores range from 25-32.
Take a virtual tour of Purdue University here.
University of Arkansas
Located in beautiful Fayetteville, Arkansas, the University of Arkansas is a large public university. Admissions is moderately competitive, with SAT scores ranging from 1100-1290 and ACT scores ranging from 23-29.
Take a virtual tour of the University of Arkansas here.
The University of Texas Austin
Nearly 40,000 students call the 40 acres of the University of Texas – Austin campus home. One of the top public universities in the state of Texas, UT is located in the state’s capital of Austin, Texas. Admissions is competitive, with SAT scores ranging from 1230-1480 and ACT scores ranging from 27-33.
Take a virtual tour of UT Austin here.
Trinity University
Trinity University is a small, highly-rated private university in San Antonio, Texas. Admissions is competitive. SAT scores range from 1260-1430 and ACT scores range from 27-32.
Take a virtual tour of Trinity University here.
How to Prepare for a Virtual College Visit
Choosing where to go to college can be overwhelming. Brainstorming some important and some more superficial characteristics you value in a college can help narrow down your search.
Before you begin your virtual college tours, create a list of important and more superficial (but still important to you!) characteristics you’re looking for in a college. Important characteristics include cost of tuition, if they offer your major, and the location. Superficial characteristics could be the feel of campus (are there enough trees?), what Greek life or sports are like at the school, or how nice the dorms are.
Before you begin your virtual college tours, create a list of important and more superficial (but still important to you!) characteristics you’re looking for in a college.
As you take your tour, take notes specifically on the characteristics you determined were important to you. Then when you review your tours, you’ll have a clear picture of which schools check all your boxes and which schools don’t.
If it’s safe, you may want to consider touring your top two schools before picking one, because an in-person experience can provide new insight to the feel of campus and what the students are like. But no matter what, if you’re choosing between two schools you’re excited about, know that you can’t make a wrong decision.