Everything to Know About College Tours and Admissions 

Staff Writer: Danika Audrey Beaton 

College tours are a huge part in helping decide the next steps a person takes in life after high school. It is important to have some knowledge about what colleges require from an individual to attend their school. It is also helpful to determine some questions you want to ask a college before you tour there.  

College tours differ in how long they last depending on where you are touring. The typical college tour lasts between an hour and two hours. Most college tours consist of walking around the campus and learning about the buildings you pass while on your tour. Most college tours consist of visiting an academic building, a student center, a dorm room, a dining hall, and a library. some colleges will also show you other amenities that they specifically have, that many other colleges might not have. 

Some of the most popular colleges that Cherokee County students tour and go on to attend are the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, and Georgia Southern University. 

According to the University of Georgia’s website, their tour lasts around two hours. The admissions office gives a presentation at the beginning of every tour, then the touring of the campus includes a walking portion and a bus portion. Every one student touring is limited to three additional guests. The University of Georgia offers a tour at three separate times. The morning visit is at 8:30 a.m., the midday visit is at 11:30 a.m., and the afternoon visit is at 2:30 p.m. The University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia. 

Robbie MacMillan, a Woodstock High School junior, stated, “I toured the University of Georgia over September break. The library and dining halls looked really nice, and the sports at the University of Georgia are really good, as well.” 

Keeton Nelson, another Woodstock junior, also toured the University of Georgia over September break. He said, “It was really exciting to tour the campus at UGA because it has always been my dream school.” 

Georgia Tech gives insight to what their in-person campus tour consists of. Georgia Tech’s on campus tour includes a forty-five-minute information session, which is followed by a ninety-minute guided campus tour. You are able to bring up to three additional guests with you to the in-person tour at Georgia Tech. It is recommended to arrive at least fifteen to twenty minutes before the tour begins. Georgia Tech offers tours every weekday, Monday through Friday, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. until November 22, 2022. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia.  

According to Kennesaw State University, their tour consists of a thirty-minute information session, and then is followed by an hour-long walking tour of the campus. Students visiting are allotted three additional guests to bring on the campus tour with them. Kennesaw State University offers tours at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Kennesaw State University is located in Marrietta, Georgia. 

Georgia Southern University’s campus tour is an hour and a half long. Georgia Southern offers campus tours every weekday, Monday through Friday. Georgia Southern also has tours given at two different times on those days. The earlier tour is at 10:30 a.m. and the later tour is at 2:30 p.m. Students can bring up to three guests with them on their college tour at Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern is located in Statesboro, Georgia. 

Out-of-state college tours are also a great idea to see different environments and places you might want to continue your academic career at. Out-of-state college tours open up a lot more opportunities for people, and they allow you to picture yourself in a different setting. 

Woodstock junior, Olivia O’Connor, toured an out of state college over September break. Olivia toured the University of Colorado, located in Boulder, Colorado. She informed that, “The campus was incredibly beautiful. The buildings had a Harry Potter feel to them, and the landscape was gorgeous. You could see the Rocky Mountains behind the campus, and the campus gave off a very nice western feel.” 

Another big part when it comes to looking into what colleges you want to apply to is understanding the admission requirements for that specific college. All Georgia Universities require at least seventeen academic credits. Out of those seventeen credits, you need four English credits, four Math credits, four Science credits, three Social Studies credits, and two Foreign Language credits.  

University of Georgia recommends that you take the most rigorous courses that you can handle in high school, so you can be considered competitive when it comes to applying there. The University of Georgia had a 48.4% acceptance rate and an 85% graduation rate. An SAT and ACT score is required when applying to the University of Georgia. The minimum requirement for the SAT is a 480 English-Based Reading and Writing and a 440 Math. The ACT minimum requirements are sub scores of 17 on both English and Math. Also required is a secondary school report. Recommended is a letter of recommendation, but that is optional. The University of Georgia has an application fee of $70. The average GPA for students who get accepted at this university is a 4.0.  

Georgia Tech is considered a very competitive school. They require an SAT and an ACT to be submitted with every application. Georgia Tech informs that you should show academic success in most of the rigorous curriculum available at your high school. Georgia Tech also wants to know that you are involved within your community. They are looking for characteristics of commitment, self-motivation, personal responsibility, compassion for others, initiative, leadership, entrepreneurism, and intellectual curiosity in their applicants. The Georgia Tech application also consists of a personal essay and short answer questions. Recommendations are not required, but they are strongly encouraged. You can submit recommendations from both counselors and teachers. Georgia Tech has a 21% acceptance rate and an 87% graduation rate. Georgia Tech has an application fee of $75. The average GPA for students who get into this school is a 4.07.  

Kennesaw State University does not require an SAT or ACT score if you have a GPA of 3.2 or higher. If you have a GPA of less than 3.2, then you have to submit an SAT or ACT score to be considered for acceptance. The average SAT score for Kennesaw State University students is 579 on Evidence Based Reading and Writing and 563 on Math. The minimum requirement is 500 on Evidence Based Reading and Writing and 490 on Math. The average ACT score is a 23 on English, a 25 on Reading, and a 22 on Math. The minimum requirement is an 18 on each section of English, Reading, and Math. Kennesaw requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 with qualifying test scores. Kennesaw State University requires a submitted application and high school transcript. The application fee is $40. Their acceptance rate is 82% and the graduation rate is 42.4%. The average GPA for students who are accepted into Kennesaw State University is 3.36. 

Georgia Southern University also does not require an SAT or ACT is you have a GPA of 3.2 or higher. An application at Georgia Southern University consists of your high school transcript, a description of what kind of classes you are taking in your senior year of high school, and an SAT or ACT score if you have a GPA of less than 3.2. The application fee for Georgia Southern University is $30. Georgia Southern University has an acceptance rate of 91.2% and a graduation rate of 49.8%. The average GPA for accepted students is 3.36. 

Georgia offers a wide variety of schools to try and fit the needs of every student who wants to further pursue their education after high school. Out-of-state colleges are also a fantastic option if you do not find your right fit in Georgia. Touring colleges, in state or out of state, is important for highschoolers at any grade level to consider.