Due to the changes the coronavirus pandemic has caused, colleges are offering free, virtual tours of their campuses and facilities. Students are currently unable to college tour in person because of social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Several colleges have taken upon themselves to create 360-degree video and virtual reality to welcome prospective students. These colleges/school programs include Birmingham-Southern College, Huntingdon College, California College of the Arts, Georgia College & State University, The College of Saint Scholastica and tons more. 

A virtual tour can function as an early sorting tool for students browsing colleges or as a  useful substitute for those unable to visit in these circumstances. Either way, college officials say a virtual tour is an amazing opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with a campus. Future students can look through a web-based virtual tour of interactive videos and photos designed to be compatible across all devices. Another option was created to jump into virtual reality by downloading the Hanover Experience app, provided by Hanover College in Indiana; however, VR goggles are required. Hanover’s virtual tour hopes to give future students a sense of what college life at the school looks like, from the activities to the architecture.

Lastly taken all things into consideration, virtual tours are an accessible and free opportunity for students to browse campuses safely at home during this COVID-19 crisis.