You're tired of watching tour guides struggle to walk backward. You're tired of hearing tour guides rattle off how many things they have run into by walking backward: lamp posts, bikes, parking meters, flagpoles, staircase railings, campus statues, people, etc. You're tired of hearing the admissions officers tell you how the essays are the only things you still control; "If you write well and show a new facet of yourself, then they'll put you over the top for admission." You're not a diamond, for goodness' sake, how many facets can you possibly have? You think to yourself, "I'm not going to go on another college tour for as long as I live." That's what I thought, too, after driving up and down the East Coast and cramming in 12 colleges in one week. Four years later, however, I found myself walking backward. I was touring colleges again, and I was actually really enjoying it.
Now why was I touring colleges again? It was too late for me to consider applying to undergraduate colleges; I chose this university long ago. And it was too early for me to look at graduate universities; I don't even know what I want to be yet. I was touring colleges to appreciate them for what they are - institutions of higher learning that attract bright students, sport beautiful campuses and boast state-of-the-art facilities - something I missed under the pressure of visiting them as potential schools to apply to and attend. I toured Georgetown, UChicago and UPenn, in addition to staying at George Mason and George Washington this summer.
I felt above the system: By skipping the admissions information sessions, I was able to pick my tour guide. I didn't want to repeat the experience of ending up with a tour guide who continually lost her train of thought, told awkward anecdotes about her home state of Texas and talked about how much she missed her mom's Latino meals, none of which I could relate to. From then on, I have been picking my tour guides based on a major that seems close to my interests, or if there aren't introductions, whoever looks the most down-to-earth. It's not a time-tested system, but I have been very pleased with the results.
I will admit that it took the first several minutes of each tour to get past the fact that I was posing as a rising senior high-school student. The other students on the tour were concerned about the average GPAs and SAT scores for admission. The other parents on the tour were concerned about the cost of tuition and the safety of the campus. I was happily admiring the campuses: Georgetown's lofty clock tower and Gothic stone buildings complete with cross-topped spires and rounded windows; UChicago's immense chapel, letting in light through stained-glass windows and paths leading to grassy nooks perfect for studying; UPenn's wide balcony overlooking the center quad, a gathering place for students and light stone buildings enclosing each section of the campus.
I enjoyed listening to stories about student life at the colleges, information that had all sounded the same before but was actually of interest to me now. It was interesting to find out how many people live on and off campus after first year, how many people get meal plans and how many people study abroad. It was also fun to hear about these schools' equivalents to Block Party or Foxfield and their college traditions, since they don't have any lawns to streak. I also felt rather knowledgeable when I knew what "tabling and flyering," "plus points" and "JTerm" meant. And best of all, after the tour was over, my parents didn't make me introduce myself to the tour guides, as though they would have some say in the admissions process. I could simply wander by the shops in Georgetown, visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House in Chicago and eat a cheesesteak in Philly instead.
Sheila's column runs weekly Mondays. She can be reached at s.bushman@cavalierdaily.com.
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