virginia tech university tour

Visiting Virginia Tech

Fall open house.

Our Open House dates will be October 7th or 8th, and November 11th or 12th. Registration for Open House is now live.  Click here for more!

Register for your Visit

Please register online for your upcoming visit to Virginia Tech. After you register, you can print your ticket, which you will bring with you when you visit campus. If your party size is greater than nine, please register for a group visit.

High School Spring Break

From  April 10, 2017 - April 21, 2017 , Undergraduate Admissions will offer expanded information sessions and tour times as well as a College and Departmental Information Fair to accommodate a high volume of visitors during the period when many high schools are on spring break. To make the most of your day on campus, we encourage visitors to plan to attend an admissions information session, a campus tour, and a college or departmental information session relevant to your academic area of interest. Admissions information sessions will be held at the Inn at Virginia Tech. Tours will meet on the front steps of Burruss Hall and will leave promptly at the designated tour times.

Hokie Preview: Junior Open House

Hokie Preview is designed specifically for  high school juniors  to provide a comprehensive look at life as a Virginia Tech student. We invite high school juniors and their families to visit our campus on  Saturday, March 24, 2018 , and learn about Virginia Tech through an admissions information session, college information session, and a campus tour. We will answer your questions about our university and how to become a Hokie!

Group Tours

If you plan to bring a group of 10 or more students to campus, visit our group tours section so we can make special arrangements for your group.

Directions and Parking

Our Directions to Campus page provides detailed driving directions. For other modes of transportation, see Directions to Virginia Tech .

On weekdays, you will need a visitor's parking permit from the Visitor and Undergraduate Admissions Center . See Parking Services' visitors page (and parking maps in the right sidebar) for details.

On Saturdays, visitors do not need parking permits for most lots. Refer to this list for the exceptions. Be sure to check signs for any 24-hour faculty-staff notations before parking.

Requests for Accommodation

If you are a person with a disability and desire assistance or accommodation, please notify the Admissions Office at (540) 231-6267 during business hours, Monday through Friday.

Information Sessions and Tours

Below is a general information session and tour schedule.

• Check out our information session calendars for specific information about sessions and tour times. (Please see links at right for upcoming information session and tour times.)
• Please register for your information session and/or tour (unless part of a 10 or more person group visiting campus).
• Please see College and Department Information Sessions for specific department information session times and registration requirements.
• If you are planning on bringing a large group (10 or more prospective students) to campus, visit our group tours section to register in advance.
• Please note that the schedule is subject to change , so be sure to verify the dates and times before your visit.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions, located at 925 Prices Fork Road in the Visitor and Undergraduate Admissions Center , is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and many Saturday mornings, 8:30 a.m. until noon, unless the university is closed. Our office is closed on Saturdays in May, June, and other select weekends.

Information Session and Tour Schedule

•   September 2017
•   October 2017
•   November 2017

College/Department Information Sessions

Many of our various colleges and departments offer information sessions that are more-specific to their areas of study.

•   Schedule of college and department information sessions

Make the Most of Your Visit

Below are some suggested ways to get the most out of your time on campus and in Blacksburg.

• Attend an admissions or departmental information session.
• Schedule an appointment with a faculty member in the department of the major in which you are most interested.
• Inquire about entertainment (plays, concerts, speakers, etc.) or athletic events that are taking place on campus. You can find more information on the  Virginia Tech Calendar .
• Talk with Virginia Tech students you encounter during your visit. Find out why they chose Tech and learn about their experiences as Hokies.
• Plan to have a meal or snack in one of our award-winning on-campus dining facilities. Be sure to have cash on hand and bring your appetite – menus are available to please every palate.
• Go exploring! In addition to a tour, make sure you see as much of campus and the surrounding area as possible.
• Investigate local hiking, biking, canoeing, and more, or take time for a leisurely drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Tour our Residence Halls!

Prior to visiting our campus, please check this page for the most up-to-date information related to cancellations and closings for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Quick Resources

• Directions to Campus
• Self Guided Tour
• Area Accommodations
• Campus Maps
• All About Blacksburg
• Local Weather
• Virginia Interstate Traffic Information

Spanish Information Sessions Available

To reserve a spot, email  [email protected]

Visit VT App

The Visit Virginia Tech Guide to Campus is designed for prospective students, their families, friends, and anyone planning a visit to Virginia Tech. App on iTunes » App on Google Play »

Want to learn more about our college? Come for a visit.

If you're interested in one of our programs in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, the best way to learn more and get a feel for our culture is to come for a visit. Take the time to look around, talk with faculty, and connect with current students. We'd love to meet you! 

Visiting the School of Architecture and the School of Design

The Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, and Landscape Architecture majors offer their own weekly tours during the fall and spring semesters.

Registration for  School of Architecture  and the  School of Design  information sessions is required. Tours begin in the school's administrative office, located in Suite 201 of Cowgill Hall, 1325 Perry Street in Blacksburg. 

All Other Majors

Visits for all other majors in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design can be arranged by Katy Miles ( [email protected] ), director of undergraduate student recruitment.

We offer college-wide information sessions and meetings by appointment, and we can also connect you with faculty, advisors, and current students in specific majors. Just let us know which program you'd like to know more about!

University Information Sessions and Campus Tours

While you're here, you can also take advantage of campus tours and broader university information sessions , hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Check out options for on-campus experiences as well as online tours, virtual facility visits, and more.    

Schedule a tour with us

Tours are offered Monday, Thursday, and Friday at 10 a.m. and on Tuesday and Wednesday at 2 p.m. Visit our tour scheduling page to see when we have dates available. When you find a date that works for you, click on the date and "Graduate School Tour.

If you are interested in scheduling an in-person tour of the Roanoke campus, or the Falls Church campus, please email us at [email protected].

Self-guided Tour of Blacksburg Campus

Virginia Tech has developed a self-guided tour of the Blacksburg campus with guidebook.com. Undergraduate tour guides provide the narration. Users can choose form a 30-, 60-, or 90-minute tour, available on the downloadable guide, which can be found here . 

Virtual Tour

Watch the following video to learn more about the Blacksburg campus.

Virginia Tech Visitor’s Center

Contact the university visitor center for information about parking passes, maps, accessibility, where to stay, and sights to see while you’re here.

Extended Campus Locations

In addition to the main Blacksburg campus, you can also visit our extended campuses, where we offer certain degree programs and graduate certificates. You'll find information about them here .

Meet Your Department

Contact the department or departments that you’re interested in to set up a meeting. They can introduce you to faculty members you’d be studying with and give you details about what it’s like to be a student in their programs.

Visit our  degrees and programs page  to learn more about your program of interest. We also offer a wide range of graduate certificates. You can learn about them  here .

You can contact your department directly using the  contact information by department  listing information.

General Resources

• Student Services
• Financial Information
• Transportation
• Local Attractions

Inclusion and Diversity Resources

• Graduate School  Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• University Cultural and Community Centers
• Graduate School  Diversity Scholars program

Campus Community Information

• Graduate Student Organizations
• Graduate and Professional Student Senate
• Roanoke Graduate Student Assembly
• Greater Washington D.C. Metro Area Student Assembly
• GobblerConnect  (list of all registered student organizations)

Follow Virginia Tech Graduate School

Visit the School of Design at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia

The School of Design offers weekly tours of the School and its Programs every Friday during Fall and Spring Semesters.

Tours are led by faculty members and often include student leaders. Visitors will tour our design studios and other instructional spaces. Tour leaders will discuss the program, curriculum, and answer visitor's questions. Each tour lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. You may schedule more than one tour or attend the multi-program tour at 1pm. 

• Industrial Design: Monday 10:30 a.m.
• Landscape Architecture: Friday 11:00 a.m.
• Interior Design: Friday 12:00 p.m. 
• School of Design (multiple programs): Friday 1:00 p.m.

Tours begin in the School of Design lobby: 121 Burruss Hall, Industrial Design tours begin in 201 Cowgill Hall. Office staff and tour guides will meet you at the scheduled time to begin the tour. 

The School of Design offers biweekly tours of the School and its Programs every other Friday during the Summer Break. The multi-program tour begins at 1:00 pm and includes tours of Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture.

Tours begin in the School of Design lobby: 121 Burruss Hall. Office staff and tour guides will meet you at the scheduled time to begin the tour. 

Undergraduate Tours

Tours are always held on Fridays during the academic year. Times vary based on degree program.

Register  here  for tours during the Fall and Spring Semester. Register here for Summer Tours.

For more information email:  [email protected]

The Undergraduate Admissions Office offers general university  information sessions and campus tours  as well.

Graduate Tours

Prospective masters and Ph.D. students should email  [email protected]  to schedule an appointment and to tour the School's facilities. The Virginia Tech Graduate School also offers  campus tours  for prospective graduate students.

Weekly tours of the School and its Programs are every Friday during the academic year. Can't attend a Friday tour? Are you visiting during summer or winter break? Please email us at  [email protected]  to request a tour, we're happy to find an alternative time for your tour.

Questions about visitor parking? Visit this page .

Grab our FREE PRINTABLE PACKING LIST !

Grab our  FREE PRINTABLE PACKING LIST !

Virginia Tech: College Tour Tips and Itinerary

Planning to take a tour of Virginia Tech with your child this summer? Learn what to expect from your time on campus and discover fun ways to make your day trip to Blacksburg, VA one to remember.

This summer my oldest daughter and I are hitting the road to visit college campuses throughout the south east.

While we live in Charlotte, NC, we are considering schools both in and out of state.

Our first trip of the summer was a day trip to visit Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA–an easy 3 hour drive from Charlotte.

I’m sharing all my tips and tricks and a peek inside the tour to help you and your student navigate a college tour of your own. But don’t miss my general college tour tips here, too!

Getting There

Virginia Tech For parking for your college tour, you’ll add this address to your GPS: 901 Prices Fork Road Blacksburg, VA

For more general directions on how to get there, Virginia Tech has a very helpful page here.

If you’re starting from the south side of Charlotte, NC like we did, plan for about 3 hours in the car. The worst traffic we hit was just getting over the north side of Charlotte by Huntersville. It was smooth sailing after that.

Register for Your Tour Before You Go

Virginia Tech offers virtual tours, like so many colleges and universities now do.

However, if you want to see campus in person, take part in an information session with an admissions officer, and get a guided tour with a student guide, you’ll want to register for a campus visit before you go.

Be sure to sign up with one of their open dates, you can find all the information you’ll need to register here .

Once you’ve registered as an official visitor, they will send you all the details you need once you arrive on campus.

During our visit, we were asked to park at the The Inn at Virginia Tech and sent a printable parking pass to put in our car dashboard so we didn’t have to pay a parking fee.

You’ll park near the Visitor and Undergraduate Admissions Center which is up a small hill. You’ll spot the staircase next to this statue of the Hokie Bird:

Our Itinerary

We left home in Charlotte at 8 am so we could arrive in Blacksburg, VA by 11 am.

We drove through downtown Blacksburg and past the university so we had a better sense of where we’d have to park for the tour.

Then the rest of the day went as follows:

• Buy Donuts at Carol Lee: Save them for the drive home.
• Have Lunch in Downtown Blacksburg
• Campus Tour at 1:30 pm
• Visit the Bookstore After the Tour
• Take Pictures
• Drive Around Campus
• Head Home: We got home around 8pm

Information Session

Be sure to arrive at your parking spot early so you are not late for your information session and tour.

Once you’ve parked, head up to the Admissions center and check in with the team at the front desk.

The lobby is filled with interesting displays of the historical facts about the university.

You’ll be assigned an information session with an admissions officer who will present the basic information you need for applying to Virginia Tech.

This is an excellent place to ask any general questions you have about the admissions process. The presentation lasted about 30 minutes.

Walking Tour

After the information session, you’ll be lead down the hill towards a campus tour guide for your walking tour of the campus.

During our visit, the walk was gentle and easy and did not involve any stairs or difficult inclines.

There is a spot on the website to request an accessibility-friendly tour when you register if that is a concern for your family.

The walking tour lasted for about an hour and a half and covered about 1 mile on campus.

NOTE: If you visit campus during summer, be prepared for construction projects throughout campus. They expedite these “spruce-ups” during the times when students are home for the summer.

We walked through the heart of the university past major landmarks on campus including:

• Burruss Hall
• Torgersen Hall
• The Pylons and War Memorial
• The Drill Field
• Newman Library
• The Bookstore

The only buildings we entered during the the tour was a peek at the lobby of the chemistry building, the Newman library, and a brief hallway tour of Torgersen Hall.

Our guide pointed out the dormitories and dining facilities along the way.

If it is important for you to see the inside of these things, be sure to ask your tour guide about how to make that happen.

Our tour guide was an extremely recent graduate (she just graduated 2 weeks ago) and so very helpful during our tour.

She wore a microphone headset so that the entire group was able to hear her narration and she stopped for questions every several minutes.

We ended the tour at the Pylons, in the center of the campus, and she stayed for 30 more minutes to answer any additional questions and offered suggestions for where to head next on our own.

Where to Eat

If you plan to eat before or after your tour, there are several places to eat near the university.

I wanted to share a special meal with my daughter somewhere just off campus since it was our first college tour together but it could make for a really interesting experience to eat like the students do right on campus.

We chose to visit The Cellar which is in Downtown Blacksburg, a very easy 8 minute walk from the university bookstore.

The menu had a little something for everyone: pizza, sandwiches, salads, fresh specials, and tons of appetizers.

We arrived starving and every plate of food brought out from the kitchen looked amazing .

Our server recommended the pesto chicken pizza as one of their more popular dishes. (See photo above.) My daughter picked that and I was extremely jealous. I’d definitely order that next time. My gyro pizza was good but didn’t come close to hers.

As luck would have it, our server was also a very recent graduate of Virginia Tech. Once she heard we were going on tour, she bubbled over for 10 minutes about how it was the best experience of her life and she just wanted to spend one last summer there before heading on to graduate school in the fall.

She was a fountain of great advice, so be sure to chat up to the people you meet around campus!

On-Campus Dining Halls

If you really want to get a feel for student life, our tour guide mentioned it was possible to eat in one of the student dining halls during your visit.

Be sure to ask them for more information if this is of interest to you!

8 Things to Do During Your Visit

The 2 hours of your information session and tour are just 1 part of your day at Virginia Tech. Be sure to plan for some extra time before or after your tour so you can experience more than the area offers your student.

1. Visit the Bookstore

If your teen is anything like my kiddo, a visit to the campus bookstore is a Must-Do. We purchased a t-shirt for her to enjoy wearing between now and her final decision, it will also possibly come in handy for our decision day announcement in the spring.

2. Check out Lane Stadium

If you have a student athlete or marching band kid, you’ll want to make time to drive or walk over to the football stadium on campus.

While not part of the official tour itself, Lane Stadium is easy to find and very impressive to see.

3. Stroll by Duck Pond

Very close to the drill field, Duck Pond is a popular student hang-out spot and was voted “most romantic date spot” for picnics, etc.

4. Drive through Greek Village

If your student is interested in rushing a fraternity or sorority, you can find all the Greek housing nestled together just off campus behind the golf course.

5. Take a Student Photo

Once we bought my daughter’s VT tee, she changed into it so we could take an on-campus picture to potentially use in her announcement later next spring.

I’m saving all the campus pics in an album on my phone for easy grabbing when the time comes.

NOTE: This was my daughter’s idea, not my own. If you think your child would feel way too much pressure with this, skip it! They don’t need any more stress placed on their shoulders. For us, there was just a simple feeling of excitement and potential and hope surrounding that pic. We know she’s an awesome kid who will land some place that is the right fit. Maybe that will be Virginia Tech, maybe not.

6. Walk Through Downtown Blacksburg

There are several shops and restaurants down the cute main street that is Downtown Blacksburg.

You can easily walk there from the bookstore or you can drive over there and park your car in on-street parking.

7. Visit the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market

If you’re in town on Wednesday, there is a local farmer’s market near campus that would make for a fun visit.

Unfortunately for us, the timing didn’t work out. The market opens at 2pm and we were ready to head off campus. You can get all the details you need for your visit here .

8. Visit Carol Lee Donuts

When I was researching things to add to our itinerary, I discovered that Blacksburg is home to a donut shop that was listed among the “ Top 100 Donut Shops in the Country ” by Yelp’s online community.

We were not about to spend 6 hours in the car and be that close to a best donut shop and not stop in!

Carol Lee Donuts is a very tiny donut shop just a couple minutes off campus by car. They have very limited hours so we made it our first stop of the day once we arrived.

We bought a half dozen donuts in a variety of flavors, they were already picked over by 11 am when we arrived! We tried to select flavors that wouldn’t melt in the car heat and saved them as a special end-of-day treat for the drive home.

When I asked for the Toasted Coconut donut, our server mentioned it was specifically chosen at the Best Donut in Virginia. I can totally see why. It was absolutely amazing — light and fluffy, glazed all over, with perfectly crispy toasted coconut on top. Worth the visit for that alone!

Final Thoughts

My daughter and I had the best time during our day trip to Blacksburg, VA together. This was the first of several college campus tours we have planned for the summer and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Virginia Tech blew us away and we fell in love with the campus and the amazing list of student activities she could participate in.

Every single person we met that mentioned they were a recent grad expressed a huge amount of love for their school.

The in-person tour helped the university move up several notches on her list of favorites and she is eagerly looking forward to applying this fall.

Planning Your Trip

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How to Write a Travel Itinerary

Ultimate Road Trip Packing List: 40+ Things to Keep in Your Car

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Engineering Open House for Undergraduates

Engineering Open House April 15, 2024 | 8:30am-3:30pm Squires Student Center

Check out all of the recorded presentations from 2021 on our youtube playlist .

Are you a high school student interested in applying to Virginia Tech's College of Engineering or an undergraduate college student interested in transferring into Virginia Tech and the College of Engineering?  If so, join us for a day full of activities that highlight all that Virginia Tech and the College of Engineering have to offer. 

2024 Day at a Glance   2024 Engineering Open House Program

Parking is on the Chicken Hill Lot , across the street from Lane Stadium. This is free parking and there will be a charter bus available to shuttle you to the Squires Student Center. This shuttle will be operating all day. If you'd prefer to park elsewhere, you'll need to follow the visitors parking rules on the parking services website. Please be sure to park in the top half of the Chicken Hill Lot (up the hill). 

Check-In  Registration will be available at the Squires Student Center Williamsburg Room starting at 7:45am. For those that did not pre-register, we will also have a table for you to add a lab tour to your day. 

Please email [email protected] with any additional questions!

Other Important Information

• Already accepted? If you are an already accepted high school senior, you should schedule a campus visit through the  Hokie Focus website .
• More information about  visiting Virginia Tech
• Not able to attend? If you would like to schedule a visit to Virginia Tech and the College of Engineering on a different day, please visit the  Information Sessions  page or email  [email protected]

For more information, please call the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity office at 540-231-7411 or email  [email protected]

Join an upcoming tour

Visit the School of Architecture at Virginia Tech

What's it like to study architecture at Virginia Tech?

Join an in-person information session about the architecture program and the Virginia Tech campus. You will learn about the curricula and pedagogy of our undergraduate and graduate programs, see our spaces and workshops, and meet our community of students and faculty. 

Taking design thinking from the classroom to the community

For current high school students, prospective internal/external transfer students, and more

Tour the undergraduate architecture program, mondays and fridays at 12 pm et.

Join an in-person tour led by an architecture faculty member. In this one-hour tour, you will learn about the undergraduate architecture program curriculum and pedagogy, get a tour of our spaces and workshops, and have time to ask questions.  

Register now

Can't make any of the  scheduled tour times ? Contact  Chris Pritchett ,  [email protected] , to see what accommodations can be made and to ask any questions. Please note: information sessions are not offered during the summer, during the first or last weeks of classes, between semesters, or on holidays. 

For prospective M.Arch, MS. Arch, and PhD students, and more

Tour the graduate architecture program, individual tours by appointment.

Schedule an in-person tour of the graduate architecture program by filling out this form . You will meet with the program chair and/or an architecture faculty member, and get a tour of our spaces and workshops. The Virginia Tech Graduate School also offers  general campus tours  for prospective graduate students. 

Prospective students wishing to visit the  Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center  in the National Capital Region (NCR) should  contact the WAAC to schedule an appointment.

Student Visits

Orientation

Visit the Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus in-person before the start of your academic journey!

Admitted Student Visits is an optional program for newly admitted students and their families to visit campus prior to their start at VT. In this one day program, students and families will learn about Virginia Tech resources, campus navigation, and much more.

Note: Registration for the Admitted Student Visit must be completed at least 24-hours in advance. To register, students must use their Virginia Tech PID and password.

A bearded man shows youth and adults how to unwrap fossils in this 2018 file photo.

Are you interested in learning more about the College of Science?

We host information sessions Mondays and Fridays at 10:30 am located in Kelly Hall.

This hour long presentation provides an overview of the College of Science and its departments and gives students and parents an opportunity to ask any questions they might have.

Register for a College of Science Information Session

Note: The College of Science does not offer formal information sessions when Virginia Tech classes are not in session.  Please contact Samantha Hannah at  [email protected]  to schedule an appointment if you plan to visit during this time.

If you need to cancel your appointment or change your registration date please use the ‘CANCEL this booking’ and ‘RESCHEDULE this booking’ links found in the confirmation email you received after completing your registration. Again, we DO NOT offer information sessions on holidays, weekends or when classes are not in session.

This registration is just for the College of Science information session. For campus tours, parking, and more, please go to  Visiting Virginia Tech .

Due to limited seating capacity on days of high visitor volume we may request that only the prospective student and one parent attend the information session. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Please send all other questions and concerns regarding your visit to the College of Science to  [email protected]  or call 540-231-2551 .

Meet with a College of Science Student Ambassador!

Join a College of Science Student Ambassador for a virtual meet-up! You can chat with one of our current students about their major, their VT experience, and certainly make a Hokie connection before arriving on campus!

helmet lab expands testing

Ut Prosim That I May Serve

Boundless Impact

The Campaign for Virginia Tech

Innovation Campus

News and updates

Stories from Virginia Tech News

Inspiring preschoolers to find their rhythm

Develop Knowledge through Experience

Our students connect what they learn in the classroom with real-life experiences to develop deeper knowledge. Collaborating with others, students build competitive solar houses or conduct airport studies in Latin America.

Discover Lasting Solutions

Virginia Tech researchers dive deep to solve complex problems across disciplines. Faculty and students design safer bike helmets, secure our national cyber systems, and develop targeted cancer treatments.

Our role in the world

Partner to Serve Communities

We engage communities to develop and share knowledge that addresses real-world concerns. Students collaborate to design a library in Malawi and experts share their knowledge about poisonous plants in Virginia.

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Prospective College Students: It’s Time to Tour

Visits to college campuses offer essential information for prospective students. Here’s how to navigate them to get the most of your time there.

By Maggie Roth June 24, 2024

Where to go to college is a big decision, and it’s not one to make blindly. College campus tours are an opportunity for students to get their feet on the ground at different schools and get a real sense of whether they can feel at home.

Campus tours also are a good way to speak with people who can share more insights than you’ll find online. Through guided campus tours, appointments with the admissions office, and other opportunities, prospective students can talk with current students, professors, and administrators who can shed light on important details of campus life and the admissions process. 

First Impressions

“The tour gives you an opportunity to see yourself as a student at that school and ask yourself if it’s a place that you feel comfortable and a place that you can see yourself in. It gives you a way to connect with the campus, other than brochures, college fairs, visits to your high school, or other online resources,” says Kayla Nichols, interim associate vice provost for enrollment management and director of undergraduate admissions at Virginia Tech . “And it allows you to figure out if you want to apply there or if you don’t connect with the campus as much as you expected.”

Spring of junior year is a good time to start visiting, she says, because it allows some time to decide where to apply. If you visit earlier than that, the memory of the school might not be as fresh. 

That’s not the only time a tour can be useful. A campus visit after being accepted can help a student make the final decision to commit to a school. 

“When I was considering schools, I was considering a fair amount of them. And all of them were on the table. And when I actually got acceptances, that made it feel a lot more real to me,” says Henry Millar, a head tour guide at William & Mary in Williamsburg who graduated this year. “And I frankly took [tours] a bit more seriously when I knew that it was actually a contender.”

Some schools offer larger tours throughout the year, including open houses and admitted students’ days. Those events may mean that there are more resources available to learn about the school, such as opportunities to interview academic faculty or attend additional information sessions.

It also helps to plan the tour at a time when the semester is in session, suggests Millar. “You could just see students actually using the campus, what an average occupancy looks like in the dining hall, in the library, that kind of thing,” he says. “And you really just wouldn’t get that in, let’s say, winter break.”

What to Expect

The tours typically begin with an information session that focuses on academic and campus life before a walk around the campus. That way, future students learn about the academic requirements, how on-campus living works, financial aid, and other concrete factors. 

“The facilities that you’ll see depend on the institution, but typically, you will have the opportunity to see a dining hall, a library, a gym, an academic classroom, and the student center,” Nichols says, plus some institutional landmarks. 

Prospective students might be itching to see a residence hall, but depending on the school, it’s not always something that’s included in every tour. At Virginia Tech, for example, tours only include the inside of a residence hall during larger admissions events like open houses. 

Don’t feel limited to just the information offered on the general guided tour. In most cases with public institutions, anyone is free to enter the buildings to look around. “I always encourage guests to go and explore,” Millar says. “Let’s say they’re really interested in physics or the business program, [they can] just go in that building after the tour, and I can answer any questions about those programs while we’re on the tour.”

If a guided tour won’t work due to time constraints, many institutions offer resources for self-guided tours. Start with the admissions office — the staff will be able to tell you where to go and what to see, and the office will likely have brochures and maps that will help guide the experience. You can also check in there to show your interest in the school even if you’re not registered for an official tour.

One of the main benefits of a formal tour is the chance to interact with students and other people from the college or university who can share insights into academic and student life. Take advantage of the chance to ask questions of the student who leads the tour, admissions officials, and any professors who speak to the group.

This is where a little preparation comes in handy. Before the tour, think about the most important factors to you and create a list of thoughtful questions. Information about acceptance rates and tuition will likely be answered online or in the information session. Instead, ask open-ended and inquisitive questions, ones where you can’t find the answers elsewhere.

Those questions can have to do with your guide’s experience with the campus, an admissions counselor’s advice for how to stand out on an application, or how study abroad or internship programs work. 

The only questions you should avoid, according to Millar and Nichols, are those that are overly personal for your tour guide, such as their admission stats or financial aid details. “Those answers obviously vary greatly from person to person and don’t impact your own visit or application process,” Nichols says.

“Other than those types of questions, I encourage anyone to truly be candid and open and ask as many questions as you can think of, because I know from my experience as a tour guide, and many of my friends who are our tour guides, that we love getting questions,” Millar says.

Parents or guardians accompanying a student are welcome to ask questions and engage with the tour, but it’s important to remember not to let their opinions dominate. “Really allow the students to take the lead as much as possible, because it’s the student who will be attending the institution,” Nichols says.

Beyond the Tour

Even after the tour, take some time to get to know the campus and its surrounding area. It’s a good time to schedule any meetings you might need, including with the financial aid office. Depending on the school, there may even be more in-depth programs for prospective students, like opportunities to shadow a current student or observe a class.

While on campus, students can check out other things that will give them a feel for student life, such as the campus newspaper and radio station, community bulletin boards, and the dining options both on and off campus. 

“Really remember that this is your process to navigate. It’s your process to figure out if this school is for you or not for you,” Nichols says. “I would just focus on creating that college list, creating the list of questions that you want to ask, and enjoy the process as much as possible.”

Question Your Tour Guide

Ask your tour guide questions like this:

• What is your favorite thing about your college?
• What is a typical weekend like at this school?
• What extracurricular activities are available?
• What was your SAT score?
• How did you get into this school?
• How much financial aid do you receive?

Feature image by Derek Malone/stock.adobe.com

This story originally ran in our  June issue . For more stories like this,  subscribe  to Northern Virginia Magazine.

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Group Visits

We are excited for the opportunity to welcome your group to Virginia Tech!

Thank you for reviewing the information below before submitting your request.

Who should request a group visit?

A person who serves as a group coordinator should request a group visit if they are looking to bring 10 or more prospective students to visit campus with their Community-Based Organization (examples include Upward Bound, AVID, TRIO, etc.) or their school (high school, community college, or other institution). Students should be in 9th-12th grades or pursuing the transfer route. Requests can be submitted using the link below. Please note that we will be unable to accommodate a group of more than 50 prospective students.

If you have a group of nine or fewer prospective students, please email [email protected] so we can direct you to a Daily Visit with space available for your group.

What does the visit include?

Your visit will include a 30-minute information session followed by an hour-long walking tour with our Hokie Ambassadors, who volunteer to serve as student tour guides. If you would like to schedule a college/department visit, please contact the college or department directly . We have included contacts for each college/department below. Please note that meals are not included on group visits. To inquire about group meals, please contact Conference and Guest Services at 540-231-5721 .

How early should I request a visit?

Please submit your request at least one month ahead of time to ensure we have appropriate tour guide coverage. If your request comes in less than one month ahead of time, it is less likely that we will be able to fulfill your request. Please note that this is a request form and your visit is not confirmed by filling out this form. Requests are reviewed in the order they are received and may not be approved due to other groups that have been scheduled, space availability for your visit, and / or staffing availability. Please allow three business days for a response to your request.

When can my group visit?

We offer one group visit a day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at either 9:30 a.m. or 12 p.m. We do not offer group tours when the university is closed or when classes are not in session. 

We are also unable to offer group visits during the following dates due to staff and student availability as we prepare for and execute our large-scale events:

• September 18 - 24, 2023
• November 6 - 12, 2023
• March 11 - April 7, 2024

What happens if we are unable to make it to campus at our scheduled time?

All of our group visits include a 15-minute grace period for arrival . If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, we will provide you with information for a self-guided tour experience. If plans have changed for your visit or your group is no longer able to make it to campus at the scheduled time, please notify us as soon as possible.

ut prosim / that i may serve

University Contacts

A division of Enrollment Management

Request a Group Visit to Virginia Tech

Thank you for your interest in bringing a group of prospective students to Virginia Tech! Before you fill out the request form below, please be sure to read through our Group Visit Q&A . For any questions related to a group visit, please reach out to [email protected] .

In the unlikely event that an in-person program is cancelled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, the university cannot be held responsible for any other expenses, including cancellation or change charges assessed by airlines, hotels, travel agencies, or other organizations.

For weather or disaster-related program cancellation or postponement information, please watch the admissions home page or our social media channels.

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Questions? Contact us | [email protected] | 540-231-6267

Cincinnati Bearcats pick up 4-star corner who was leaning toward Virginia Tech, Michigan

After a weekend visit to the University of Cincinnati, a four-star 2025 cornerback recruit committed to Bearcats football Monday night.

Jahmari DeLoatch, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound speedster from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Virginia tipped his hat a little on Father's Day when he posted a photo on X of his visit. He later posted another photo asking Bearcat football fans, "What y'all think?".

Deloatch was believed to be leaning toward Virginia Tech or Michigan before visiting the Bearcats and defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs.

Participating in the Virginia state meet, DeLoatch has been an Adidas and Nike All-American sprinter in Virginia with a 10.87 time in the 100 meters and a 22.64 in the 200.