Beyond the Brochure: How One Campus Moment Can Change Your Essays and Your Choice

You step off the bus, the campus smells like cut grass and coffee, and a student with a guitar case laughs with friends on the quad. The feeling that rises in you is not a statistic or a ranking, it’s a quiet recognition: this place could fit who you are. That small moment, more than glossy claims or numbers, is the kind of detail that can transform a generic application into a convincing, memorable story.

Why tours matter, in plain terms
College tours do two jobs that matter for both decisions and essays. They reveal the difference between marketing copy and lived experience, and they give you concrete, specific details you can use to show why you belong. Erin Gordon urges students to research beyond the homepage, to watch student videos, and to talk to current students or alumni—because informed essays read as authentic, which admissions readers prefer over attempts to flatter or persuade.

A single specific detail often beats a paragraph of praise. Gordon’s instruction to “Write to inform not persuade” is a reminder: your goal is to give the reader real information about why this place and you are a match, not to sell them on a fantasy.

Two kinds of tours, and how to mine each for essay gold

Virtual tours and online sessions

• What they reveal: student voices, program highlights, live or recorded events, and the kinds of details that show how undergraduates spend their time. The pandemic expanded virtual access, meaning you can demonstrate interest without a costly trip.
• How to mine them: Watch one lecture clip, a student panel, or a club video and write down the one moment that surprised you. Use that moment in a supplemental essay as proof you did more than skim the website, for example, “After watching the student lab video where undergrads presented their poster research, I realized I could pursue hands-on data work in Professor X’s lab.” That kind of detail is the difference between a claim anyone could make and a claim grounded in real observation.

In-person visits

• What they reveal: campus rhythm, study spaces, how students interact, and small cultural cues that never show up in brochures.
• When to go: Gordon suggests saving expensive in-person visits for after admissions decisions, when you’re weighing offers and need to compare lived fit rather than imagination. Touring different nearby types of campuses early helps you learn what environment feels right; then use virtual options to widen the field.
• How to mine them: Carry a tour notebook. Note one sensory detail (smell, sound, a mural), one concrete fact (a lab, program, professor), and one emotional insight (relief, excitement, recognition). Those three notes are your micro-archive you’ll mine while writing.

How tours make essays stronger, step by step

1. Turn curiosity into specificity
   Generic statements like “I love the collaborative community” are easy to forget. A tour gives you a concrete scene—a poster session, a student-run performance, a unique clinic—so you can show how the campus supports what you want to do. Gordon teaches using an anecdotal lede followed by a nut graf: start with a vivid scene then explain why it matters. That exact structure works perfectly for Why This College essays.

2. Gather anecdotal evidence
   Treat each tour as a story-gathering mission. Jot one anecdote from each visit or virtual session. These small scenes are perfect openings for essays because they put the reader in a moment rather than asking them to accept abstract claims about your fit. Gordon recommends beginning essays with a story that immerses the reader, then connecting it to your larger theme.

3. Let tours refine your narrative across multiple essays
   If a tour reveals an undergrad research culture that excites you, you can mention that same detail in both your supplemental school-specific essay and your main personal statement’s forward-looking paragraph. That coherence shows planning and sincere interest—qualities admissions officers notice. Gordon suggests using supplemental essays to “sneak in more tidbits about you,” connecting school-specific facts to your lived experience.

4. Avoid bland boilerplate
   Saying, “I want to double major in X and Y” is too easy. Mention a program, a professor’s book, an on-campus institute, or an event you actually attended or watched, and explain how you’ll use it. That nuance proves you did the work to know why this school fits you. Gordon warns many students write the same general reasons, so specificity becomes your competitive edge.

A simple touring strategy that works (even on a budget)

• Start local early to sample campus types (small, large, urban, rural) so you learn what environment feels right. Then use virtual tours to explore similar schools farther away. Gordon uses this exact method with her own kids in the Bay Area.
• Prepare 3 targeted questions before each tour: one about academics (research opportunities), one about student life (housing, clubs), and one about outcomes (internships, career paths). Record the answers in your notebook.
• If travel isn’t possible after admission, ask the admissions office to connect you with local alumni or admitted-student reps; schools often help students who can’t afford travel. Gordon notes admissions offices can provide practical alternatives.
• Tour during the term when you can, to see students in class and clubs in session. If that’s impossible, a virtual fall or spring session still reveals everyday life digitally.

How to turn tour notes into essay text (an actionable mini-process)

1. Pick one vivid detail as your opening line—sensory, small, and specific.
2. Expand into a short scene (two to three lines) that shows you in that moment.
3. Connect the scene to what you want to study or do, naming a program, professor, or resource precisely.
4. End with a look-ahead sentence explaining how that resource will shape your first year or career path.

Gordon’s writing advice fits this approach: start with a compelling anecdote, then explain its broader significance, and close by saying how you’ll continue the work in college. That structure makes essays both memorable and useful for admissions readers assessing fit.

Tiny language tips that make a big difference

• Ditch throat-clearing. Begin with action or image, not a sweeping platitude. Gordon calls early platitudes “throat-clearing” and insists on diving right into a personal anecdote.
• Use punch words. Strong nouns and verbs carry weight; place them at the start or end of sentences.
• Eliminate clutter. Every word should serve the reader. Gordon gives many examples of tightening sentences to make them sharper and more credible.

Short checklist before you submit a Why This College essay

• Did you do more than surface research, including a virtual tour, student video, or alumni chat?
• Can you name one concrete campus program, course, or person and explain how you’ll use it?
• Does your opening put the reader on campus with you, using a small, vivid scene?
• Does your ending look forward, showing how you’ll contribute or grow on campus? Gordon recommends ending essays by connecting experience to future action.

A final, honest promise
College tours don’t have to be exhaustive or expensive to be powerful. A single authentic interaction, a short virtual lecture that sparks an idea, or a quiet minute on a campus bench can become the raw material for an essay that feels alive. Remember Gordon’s core counsel: “Write to inform not persuade.” Use tours to gather the real details that show where you will learn, not to manufacture reasons to be admitted. That honesty will come through in your voice, and admissions readers will sense the difference.

Which small detail from your next campus visit will become the opening line of your next essay?