FAQ

Families will spend between $100,000 and $250,000 for a college education for one child. Thus, university education is a major investment, and naturally parents want to make the smartest and most secure choice possible. Students do well when they are in an environment where they are most content and appropriately challenged. Furthermore, an unhappy student who seeks to transfer uses time and emotional energy in applying, and often must re-adjust and lose credits in the process. Visiting college campuses is the single best way to get a sense of what a college is really like.

Unlike most other tours, we do not simply visit college campuses. Having close contacts with admission officers at each college enables us to arrange private tours and information sessions specifically for our group. In addition, we conduct evening sessions on the college selection and application process to complement the visits. In order to give students a different perspective, we often arrange for admissions officers to co-lead these sessions.

We provide all our fully registered and confirmed students with a list of the other confirmed participants and their contact information. Parents might decide to contact the parents of other participants to arrange for them to be on the same flight. Even if a student travels alone, parents are assured that TS College Tours tour leaders will be at the airport to meet students upon their arrival in the US or UK.

At the beginning of May, students will receive our pre-departure package. It includes several tasks that help students to determine what their priorities are in their college search. The packet also contains a summary of each college to be visited and checklists and forms that will be used to evaluate colleges during the tour.

Students may bring one piece of luggage and one carry-on or backpack. The pre-departure package includes a suggested packing list.

Once a student is confirmed as a participant, we will contact parents for information about medical conditions/concerns. If you have specific questions, please contact us.

Students are responsible for purchasing their lunches each day. Most students spend approx. $10 per meal. Other than that, students should bring an adequate amount of money for snacks, souvenirs and other discretionary spending. We suggest students bring between $150-$250 spending money for the tour. Students are responsible for their own spending money.

Participants are given the contact information for their roommate in the pre-departure package. Students or parents may request a roommate if they so choose. The tour leaders reserve the right to make changes to room sharing arrangements if any issues arise. Note: Most nights on the UK tour are in single room accommodation.

Due to limited bus, hotel, and tour space, as well as the instructional goals of the experience, this tour is reserved for students only.

We ask that participants provide TS College Tours with their detailed flight itinerary and mobile phone numbers. The tour leaders will meet tour participants at a pre-designated spot at the airport. Prior to departure, we will also provide you with the mobile phone number of the tour leader, should there be unforeseen flight delays or cancellations.

All of our tours use reputable, well-established tour bus companies. Buses range in size depending on the tour from 29-passenger coaches to luxury 48-seat coaches. All coaches have air conditioning, TVs and DVD players, GPS navigational system and most have toilets. We want students to be comfortable as we spend considerable time on the buses traveling between the various destinations.

Most breakfasts are at the hotel or university residence where we are staying. For lunch, we often eat in the dining halls of the college campuses that we visit to give students a sense of that aspect of college life. Other times, we eat a lunch on the road as we travel to our next destination. Most dinners are in hotel restaurants or in restaurants near our accommodations.

TS College Tour participants stay in campus residences or at mid and upper mid-range hotels, such as the Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Doubletree of the Hilton Family, Best Western, and the Marriott group of hotels. Because of the intense nature of the tours, we recognize that students want to be comfortable. Also, as safety is a primary concern, we choose hotels that have first-class security. On each tour, students usually spend one or two nights in a college residence setting so they are able to experience dorm life. Accommodations are normally 2 students per room (same sex). In some university residences, there may be up to 4 participants in a suite. On UK tours, students stay in single rooms in university accommodation, in 3-star hotels, and in well-equipped serviced apartments.

Students are welcome to bring their mobile phones. Please verify with your mobile carrier that roaming is possible in the US or the UK, and what the charges are. Families can also look into inexpensive prepaid SIM cards in the destination country. In addition, TS College Tours will provide parents with the tour leaders’ mobile phone numbers as well as contact information for each hotel or university residence where we will be staying. Occasionally, tour leaders may be unable to take a call immediately if engaged in leading activities. However, you can leave a voicemail message and they will return your call as soon as possible. You will also be able to reach the tour leaders by email or text message.

Given our intense schedule, students have limited free time during the tour. Most days, we are either visiting colleges, traveling, eating, or participating in evening sessions. When the itinerary allows a little unscheduled time, students will be permitted to explore designated areas for a specified period, under the guidance of tour leaders and in groups of at least four. Students will have tour leaders’ phone numbers stored in their own mobile phones, and the leaders respond immediately to all calls when students are out in groups. The safety of your child is the primary concern of our staff, and students are not permitted to engage in any behavior that puts themselves or others at risk.

All students chosen for the tour are provided with a letter confirming their participation in the tour. Upon receipt of the letter, students should visit the US or UK Embassy website in the country they are located to determine if a visa is needed, and if so, to learn the process for securing a visa. In most cases, this involves paying a fee at a designated bank and then calling the Embassy visa phone number listed on the website to arrange for an interview. The US and the UK now allow the use of e-visas from many countries, which are easy to obtain entirely online. It is the responsibility of the participant/parents to obtain any necessary visas.

The tour directors carry a list of the closest available hospital/ambulance service at all times and will contact parents in the event of any medical issue or hospital visit.

Unfortunately, given logistical complications, we are not able to customize a tour for each student. We have developed our list of colleges to visit endeavoring to accommodate every type of student. However, there are opportunities for private individualized or family tours available through the TS College Tour Custom Tour program.

Due to demand, only students who are willing to commit to the full tour will be considered. We would like students to have a complete experience and obtain the maximum value for their investment.

TS College Tours transports students to the designated airport at the end of the tour. The following week, they will receive post-tour information and documents to assist them through the college application process. They will also be asked to complete an evaluation of the tour. For those who are interested in additional support, please contact us for information about working with one of our partners who provide private college admissions consultation and assist in the admissions process. These partners provide a variety of packages and services.

US college admissions officers believe that when a student invests the time, money, and effort to visit a campus, it is a positive indicator of serious interest in the college. And at many US colleges, demonstrated interest is a factor in the admissions decision, because colleges are quite conscious of their “yield” (percent of students who attend out of all those accepted). Also, it can improve a qualified student’s chances of acceptance at a US college when an admissions officer is able to associate the memory of a person with his/her application. Finally, our evening seminars discussing the admission process and writing essays/personal statements, will assist students to complete a compelling application – whether for the US or the UK.