A beneficial strategy that a college or university can employ for student recruitment and retention efforts is to have a virtual 3D tour option of its student housing facilities. While this may seem commonsense, many college and universities, however, opt out of having a virtual tour or never consider having one. Understanding the benefits of having this option for prospective students and their parents is important for your enrollment strategy. We will cover the top five reasons to have a virtual 3D housing tour.

1. Ease of Students and Parents to Do Business with You – It has been said that you need to make it easy for your customers to do business with you. Likewise, you need to make it easy for students and parents to be able to find critical information online so they can make informed choices about what student housing options they can choose from. You are at a disadvantage if your competitors have an interactive, virtual 3D tour option on their website, but your institution does not. This is also critical for being inclusive, particularly for those families that may not be able to visit in person or for those with physical challenges and limitations.
2. Campus Tours are Crucial – It is well known within campus admissions departments that the campus tour is the most important factor in whether a student decides to attend a particular institution or not. Students want to know what the place looks like, feels like, and whether they can see themselves living and fitting in there. The more impressed they are with a campus, the more likely they will enroll there. Offering a 3D virtual tour gives another option for them to visit online.
3. Creating the Option to Revisit – Students will opt to visit a campus multiple times, particularly if it is within driving distance from their home. Having a virtual, student housing tour option only aids in the process of a student “visiting” again. This also allows them to re-explore and notice benefits and features that they may not have seen during their in-person campus visit. They can also share their excitement with extended family members as well as friends. This also helps with your marketing efforts.
4. Ability to Tell Your Story – Being able to showcase your residence halls and other campus facilities allows you to “tell your story” in a very visual manner. Coupled with student testimonials and highlighting the experiences that students gain from living on campus, the virtual tour can help you to share what it means to be a part of your campus community. Winning the hearts and minds of prospective students and their parents is key for your success.
5. Showing Your Value – Ultimately, the virtual tour allows you to show the value of your campus and the student life experience. Showing the actual spaces where students will live helps them to make informed choices. Not only is this a tool for them to decide if they will attend your institution, but also aids them in planning ahead of time for what belongings to bring and how to decorate. By using various informational tags within the 3D tour, you are able to illustrate various attributes of the facilities, including kitchen and bathroom features and attractive amenities.

There are multiple benefits by having a virtual tour option for your recruitment and retention strategy and we would love to help you share the highlights of what your campus has to offer. Please contact us if you would like to explore more about creating a virtual 3D tour of your student housing facilities or enhancing the one that you currently have.

Vivid Media LLC is a multimedia company specializing in creating interactive virtual tours across multiple industries. Our mission is to deliver a high-quality product and service at a fair price. Our tours are of the highest quality, customizable, and include the most cutting-edge features.