Do Campus Visits Still Matter?

Have AI and Virtual Tours Made the In-Person Visit Quaint, but Unnecessary?

I was speaking to a colleague recently who expressed frustration about the growing sense among students and parents that they know just about everything about colleges, schools, or programs.

After all, with TikTok videos, podcasts, virtual tours, webinars, social media, and now AI, information about educational institutions is more accessible than ever.

Which led to a fair question:

“Do campus visits—particularly for IECs—still matter?”

To that, my answer is unequivocal.

Not only do they still matter, but tours may be more important than ever.

As I’ll explore below, I have seen that firsthand campus knowledge may be one of the most meaningful distinctions between the work of an experienced IEC and the growing number of other resources available to students and families. And I’ll conclude the article with my advice on how IECs can use this distinction to their advantage.