This feature was contributed by Tour College Towns. Bloomington Online has not independently verified its claims. Current Indiana students show prospective and admitted families the campus and the college town around it.
Part of what makes Indiana University special is where it is. Bloomington is a true college town. Kirkwood Avenue runs from the Sample Gates into downtown, lined with restaurants, coffee shops and local stores. Students live in the neighborhoods just off campus, Greek life is a big part of the social scene, and on fall Saturdays the whole town turns toward Memorial Stadium. For most IU students, Bloomington becomes as much a part of their four years as the classroom.
Tour College Towns wants prospective and admitted students to see that side of IU before they decide. This fall, the company began offering private walking tours of campus and Bloomington, led by current Indiana students.
The idea behind the company is that students spend most of their time outside of class, and that time often shapes the college experience as much as anything else. Seeing the town along with the campus gives families a fuller picture of what daily life at IU will look like.
Honest and Built Around Each Family
Guides are current IU students who live this life every day. They don’t follow a script, and they aren’t there to sell anyone on the school. The goal is to provide honest answers about dorms, classes, housing, Greek life and what a normal week looks like, so families can make their own decision. Tour College Towns is independent of the university.
No two tours are the same. Before the visit, families share what matters most to them, and their guide plans the route around it. One family might want to see the Kelley School, Greek Row and the neighborhoods where upperclassmen rent. Another might care most about dorms, Kirkwood and where students spend their weekends. Families are matched with the guide closest to their student’s major and interests, and tours run seven days a week, early or late, around each family’s visit.
The tours are meant to add to the official IU campus visit, not replace it. The company’s advice to families is to do both if they can.
Why Families Find It Worth It
A private tour costs $150 for the whole group, not per person, and runs 60 to 90 minutes. For many families, the value shows up long after the visit is over.
Off-campus housing is a good example. Many IU students eventually move off campus, and knowing which neighborhoods students prefer, when the housing search usually starts and what to look out for can save a family real stress and money down the road. The same goes for the inside knowledge guides share about Greek recruitment, getting involved, choosing classes and settling into a new town. Small pieces of advice from a student who is a year or two ahead can pay dividends over four years.
Prospective students get a real feel for Bloomington before they apply or commit. Admitted students get a head start on the practical questions that come up before move-in. And every family leaves with a current IU student they can reach out to as new questions come up.
Jobs for IU Students and Traffic for Local Businesses
The company is also creating work for IU students. Guides get paid to show families a school and town they care about, with flexible hours that fit around class and real experience helping build a growing startup. Tour College Towns is hiring guides in Bloomington now, and IU students can apply at tourcollegetowns.com/guides.
Every tour also walks families down Kirkwood and past Bloomington’s shops and restaurants. Out-of-town visitors leave knowing where to eat and spend time when they come back for move-in, Parents Weekend and game days.
Where It Started
Tour College Towns began at the University of Colorado Boulder, where student guides have helped more than 200 prospective students, families and alumni and earned more than 40 five-star Google reviews. Bloomington is the company’s next college town.
Families who can’t visit yet can schedule a 30-minute video call with a current IU student for $50, and custom group tours are available. More information is at tourcollegetowns.com/indiana-university.
About Tour College Towns
Tour College Towns offers private, student-led walking tours that go beyond campus into the college town. Tours are led by current students and shaped around what each family wants to see. Tour College Towns is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Indiana University. Learn more at tourcollegetowns.com.