Campus Visit Options
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – there’s no better way to decide whether or not a particular college is a good fit for you than making a campus visit. You can study the school’s website, email current students, and browse through campus pictures until you’re blue in the face, but it’s nearly impossible to get an accurate sense of a campus’s community without coming to see it for yourself.
Here at the Vanderbilt OUA, we try to provide as many diverse campus visit options as possible, to make sure that all of our prospective students have the chance to experience our own unique community. For the sake of convenience, we have listed below the visit opportunities that are available throughout the remainder of the school year:
Information Session and Campus Tour: On most days during the school year and throughout the summer, we host one or two of these basic prospective student programs. One of our 27 admissions counselors leads an hour-long information session that covers academics, student life, the admissions process, and our financial aid policies. Then a current student takes you on a 90-minute walking tour of campus. These sessions are perfect for students and families who have never visited campus before and would like to get an overall view of the university.
‘Dore for a Day: Through this program, high school juniors and seniors can be matched with current students who can give an insider’s view of what a typical day is really like for a Vanderbilt student. The afternoon includes one class visit and lunch at one of our many campus dining options. ‘Dore for a Day is a great option for students who want a more personalized campus visit experience. Because it is an afternoon program, it can be paired with a morning information session, though it is important to note that these programs must be registered for separately. ‘Dore for a Day will resume for the spring semester in January 2014.
Global ‘Dore for a Day: International students can register for a student shadowing opportunity similar to ‘Dore for a Day that is tailored to help these students explore the international experience at Vanderbilt. Contact Jan Deike to register for this program, and be sure to give us as much notice of your visit as possible.
Black and Gold Days: This one is hot off the press, as our registration for Black and Gold Days just opened last week. On five separate dates throughout the spring semester, we will host a half-day open house that gives high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors the opportunity to tour campus, attend sessions on admissions and financial aid, and hear more about the Vanderbilt experience from a student panel. These dates typically fill up extremely quickly, so students are encouraged to register as soon as possible!
Visiting on your own: If you do not have the opportunity to participate in one of our official campus visit programs, you can still make the trip and do some exploring on your own. Browse through our class visit options to see if there are any sessions you would like to attend while you’re here – just make sure to contact the professor ahead of time to let them know that you’re coming. You can also download our campus tour app for iPhone or Android or our self-guided tour materials, which you can use as a guide as you move around campus.
Virtual tour: If you simply cannot make it to campus, or if you would like to do some preliminary exploring before you arrive, check out our virtual tour. This online tool allows you to explore all corners of our 330-acre campus while listening to our current student tour guides elaborate on what you’re seeing.
It is important to note that online registration is required for all of the above programs (except for the independent visits and virtual tour), so please make travel plans after you have made reservations. As always, feel free to contact your admissions counselor if you have any questions, and happy visiting!