Google Street View is changing how students visit campuses

One of the best ways a prospective student has of getting a true feel for a university is of course to visit the campus. However, the university experience is fast becoming an increasingly global one. Students are travelling further afield than ever before and it’s not always possible to visit each and every potential campus.

Here in TERMINALFOUR, we believe strongly that a good online experience can give prospective students an invaluable insight into what they can expect their experience at a particular university to be like, which is why we’re so taken with Google street view for campuses.

In August this year, Google announced that they had added 36 new university and college campuses across the US and Canada. These universities are the latest additions to hundreds of campuses all over the world that are already available to explore in Google Maps.

Prospective students and their parents can now take a virtual walking tour of their dream campus and experience firsthand what the environment on campus is like; from athletics facilities to the location of the admissions office.

While the list of institutions that are featured is relatively small as of yet, the list is growing. Currently you can take tours of campuses as diverse as the University of Miami, University of Glasgow, Trinity College, Dublin, Waseda University, Tokyo and Brown University. The universities that have lucky enough to be chosen at this early stage can all expect to benefit hugely from being featured on Google Maps.

However, if your university or college isn’t among the chosen few, including a video of a tour of your campus is still the next best thing. It’s important to remember that most students who visit your website won’t be familiar with your campus and don’t always get the opportunity to visit on open days. The inclusion of a video showcasing the unique beauty of your campus and the cutting-edge facilities that you offer can go a long way in helping them to make that all-important decision.

If a picture is worth a thousand words then a video is priceless. So, while you wait for Google Maps to arrive on your campus, ensure that you can offer visitors to your website a comprehensive video tour of your campus.

Don’t be afraid to get students involved; a video tour given by current students prospective may be even more persuasive!