Tufts Blogs

Hey Y’all, 

My name is Silas, and I have been giving tours for some time now. I have been leading tour groups in middle school, high school, and now at college representing Tufts University. There is something so fulfilling about the opportunity to show visitors and prospective students the place I call home, what I study, how I spend my time, and why I have come to love each space so deeply.

Over the years, I have encountered no shortage of questions; some have been pretty funny while others are quite thoughtful and unique. In this post, I would like to share some of the best questions I have received over the years while being a tour guide. I can guarantee that by asking these questions you can make a meaningful impression on your tour guide, but more importantly you can gain deeper insight into the student experience at the school you are looking at and see if it is truly the right fit for you.

1. How did you meet your first friend on campus?

Nearly everyone who comes to college is worried about making friends. By asking your tour guide how they made some of their first friends in college, you can see if connections are made more naturally through class and student organization spaces or if the university is more involved in cultivating a community through campus wide events such as orientation that pushes new students to meet one another. 

2. How often do you go into the city/What do you do for fun around here?

Regardless of where you go for college, your time will not only be spent doing classwork. You will have plenty of downtime and a lot of that may be going out or staying in with friends. The answer may vary between tour guides at the same university, but it will still be insightful to see how they spend their free time. Here at Tufts, some may enjoy going into Boston every weekend while others find activities and events to do around campus.

3. How are your relationships with your professors?

Your professors will be some of the most important people you will meet during your time in college. Sure, they are the ones teaching and grading you in class, but outside the classroom professors offer mentorship through advising programs and possibly experiences outside the classroom with internship and research opportunities if you get to know them well enough. Asking your tour guide this question can give you some insight into how they form bonds with professors and what they have learned/gained from them. 

4. What has been your favorite moment at Tufts so far?

A lot of people may ask the question “What’s your least favorite thing about Tufts?” or “What would you change?”. While these questions offer insight into some of the shortfalls a school may have, they lend themselves to negativity. By asking a tour guide their favorite memory or best experience that they have had so far, their answer offers a lot of positivity and excitement. And by listening closely to their answer, you could even pick up on genuine enthusiasm about the school you are visiting. 

5. How has Tufts changed you?

When I initially received this question I was shocked as to how insightful it was. Your young-adult years you spend at a university/college are some of the most formative in your life when it comes to developing independent skills, sustainable practices, exploring the work force, and exploring new experiences all together. By asking your tour guide this question, you can see how their college/university has shaped them to become a better person from when they entered. 

Feel free to use these questions in some of your upcoming college tours this summer and later this school year and hopefully I’ll see you on tour myself, peace!