EVANSVILLE, Ind (WEHT) Students and faculty at the University of Southern Indiana will soon be featured on a television show specifically created to help students find the right school for their higher education.
The crew with tv-series ‘The College Tour’ are shooting an episode for their fourth season on campus to help attract future students from all over the country, and even around the world.
Alex Boylan, an award-winning producer and the season two winner of ‘The Amazing Race,’ is the mastermind behind the project and the host of the program. He got the idea for the show when his niece was overwhelmed with choosing a school that would ultimately help shape her career.
“For us, the biggest thing is we want to make this available for free to every high school student in the world, so no matter where you’re from, you’re able to watch on your tv-screen, your mobile device or your computer and travel the country and try to figure out what is the right fit for you “
According to the shows website, the University of Evansville will also be featured in the shows upcoming fourth season.
FILMING UNDERWAY ON USI CAMPUS FOR EPISODE OF THE COLLEGE TOUR
Southwest Indiana Chamber | November 2, 2021
Episode to be released on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, other streaming platforms in Spring 2022
The College Tour, an innovative series created to empower students to virtually travel across America for an inside look at colleges and universities, will film on location at the University of Southern Indiana from Monday, November 1 – Friday, November 5 for an episode to reach up to 200 million potential viewers via Amazon Prime Video and a variety of streaming platforms in Spring 2022.
”We know that, when students get a chance to experience our beautiful campus and meet our people, it makes a significant impact in their decision to attend USI,” said Rashad Smith, Executive Director of Enrollment. “The College Tour will provide that experience to people around the world, so they can see us and hear our story even if they can’t physically be here in person.”
Hosted by Amazing Race winner Alex Boylan, The College Tour will highlight USI and the USI campus through the eyes of 10 students as they walk the viewer through both an introduction of USI’s offerings and amenities as well as their own personal stories on what their time at USI has meant to them.
“Between our amazing faculty members and the world-class facilities across all four of the colleges, USI has what you need to succeed no matter what you study,” said Elissa Tam, senior biology major and featured The College Tour student. “We are often called the Goldilocks campus because we offer the community feel of a small campus with the resources and opportunities of a large campus. We’re just right!”
Students interested in participating in filming were asked to submit an audition video detailing their interest as well as the area of USI that they felt the most excitement about sharing with future students. Through ten student features, The College Tour will create a 30-minute episode that fully showcases USI beyond what can be learned through brochures or websites. All four colleges within the University as well as athletics, housing, student life and many other areas will be highlighted in the episodes. USI President Ronald S. Rochon, PhD and the USI mascot, Archie, also will make cameo appearances in the segment.
“The College Tour is the show you wished you had when applying for colleges in high school,” said Alex Boylan, Executive Producer and Host of The College Tour. “We are leveling the playing field and providing a free, easy and fun way to tour some of the best schools across the country.”
Season one of The College Tour is now available on Amazon’s IMDb TV and all episodes are available on The College Tour’s own app and website. Future seasons will be distributed across multiple streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Hulu internationally, as well as to high school guidance counselors across the United States.
Filming will showcase the entire campus and will take place over the course of the week. No campus activities or facilities will be affected by the filming process.
The College Tour is created by Emmy nominated producers, including Boylan, known for hosting and producing WGN Network and CBS Interactive’s digital series Around the World for Free, hosting PBS’s At The Chef’s Table and his appearances on Rach to the Rescue; Lisa Hennessy, executive producer World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge and The Biggest Loser; and Burton Roberts, entrepreneur and co-founder of Around The World Productions and also known for his appearance on CBS’s Survivor: Pearl Islands.
For more information about The College Tour, visit their website at www.thecollegetour.com.
‘The College Tour’ filming episode at USI
Eye Witness News WEHT WTWV | November 2, 2021
‘The College Tour’ films at USI
The College Tour launches an episode on TCU
By Chaelle Dejohn, TCU 360 | November 1, 2021
TCU got a close-up.
The university is now featured in “The College Tour,” a new series that visits universities across the world featuring students who talk about their experiences. Students gathered in the Campus Commons last month to watch the premiere.
Each episode is meant to provide more in-depth information than the average college tour. Several TCU students were selected to give a glimpse into their lives and why they chose their college.
“A lot of schools have virtual tours but they don’t do the schools justice,” said Burton Roberts, who was an executive producer along with Alex Boylan. “If you have a virtual tour at TCU, you may see some images of the buildings but it’s totally different when you get an in-person tour.”
TCU’s 32-minute episode highlighted 10 diverse students who chose TCU for the small school community feel with the school spirit of a big university.
TCU junior, Nand Javia, was one of the 10 students to share a unique story.
Javia, who is from India, spoke of the difficulties of trying to find a university to attend as an international student. He also shared his educational journey with others by posting videos on YouTube. Javia says he wants to educate other international students about his unique pathway and attending college in the U.S.
The episode is intended to showcase everything the university has to offer.
“We’re telling the story of people, the students, the community of TCU, the place Fort Worth and the culture of the school and the students and everything else,” Roberts says. “If you’re not there to see it, you have to watch it and you have to hear it through the people, and it was awesome to be able to help bridge that gap.”
The full episode can be viewed on The College Tour website, on The College Tour app or on Amazon Prime.
University of Rhode Island and its students showcased in ‘The College Tour’
URI News | November 1, 2021
Second season of Amazon series provides inside look at colleges across U.S.
KINGSTON, R.I. – Nov. 1, 2021 – Ten University of Rhode Island students got firsthand experience this summer learning what it takes to pull together a full-fledged television production. The program, “The College Tour,” from Emmy-nominated producers Alex Boylan, Lisa Hennessy and Burton Roberts, gives prospective college students an opportunity to virtually “tour” select colleges and universities across the country to gain an insider’s perspective shared by their students, faculty and alumni. URI is one of nine schools to be featured in the series’ second season. The URI episode of “The College Tour” will premiere on IMDb TV, Amazon’s premier streaming platform, on Nov. 18. It is also available now on the URI website.
The show is the brainchild of host and executive producer Boylan who was inspired by his niece’s college search.
“College visits can cost upwards of $3,000 per school, which puts them out of reach for many students and families. We are leveling the playing field and providing a free, easy and fun way to tour some of the best schools across the country,” said Boylan. “The College Tour is the show you wished you had when applying for colleges in high school.”
That sentiment was echoed by Sarah O’Sullivan, a 2021 URI marine biology graduate from Hopatcong, N.J.,who thanks to the many experiences and opportunities presented to her throughout her undergraduate career has returned to pursue her master’s degree. O’Sullivan, who spent three years as a URI campus tour guide and was one of the students followed for the show, explained, “I think the show did a really good job of showing what you can’t show on a tour. For instance, you can’t take visitors out on a boat during a campus tour – and we did that in this show.”
She added, “There are so many resources and programs at URI that people may not know about or that you may not be able to show adequately on a tour, but we were able to show that as part of the program.”
“The College Tour” visits with 10 URI students from diverse backgrounds who share their experiences academically and socially. Students talk about professors and mentors who have made a difference; getting involved with student clubs, sports and organizations on campus; meeting new people and making new friends; and exploring all that Rhode Island has to offer. They share how the opportunities they have been presented with – to get involved in research, internships, volunteering and studying abroad – have inspired them and sparked new interests and new paths. Importantly, they talk about how they have been supported, found their people and made URI a home away from home.
Joel Roache, a senior mechanical engineering major from Warwick, was initially hesitant about attending URI because, as an in-state school, he was concerned he wouldn’t meet new people. He quickly realized that would not be the case.
“After the first semester, I realized that didn’t even matter,” said Roache. “It’s been great. I’ve met so many people – and not just in my major. There’s so much opportunity to get involved in sports and clubs and to meet new people. There are so many things to do and ways to challenge yourself and to learn new things. You will find your niche.”
Among those students featured in the University of Rhode Island episode of “The College Tour” are:
Sarah O’Sullivan (Hopatcong, New Jersey)
After graduating URI’s marine biology program in 2021, O’Sullivan returned to pursue a Master of Environmental Science and Management degree on an environmental communication track and hopes to one day be an environmental educator. She believes that education and public outreach are some of the most important things we can do to protect our oceans and give the public a greater understanding of marine life.
Joel Roache (Warwick, Rhode Island)
A senior mechanical engineering major, Roache moved to the United States from Jamaica when he was four. He is involved on campus as president of the National Society of Black Engineers, serving as a resident assistant, and also holds a management position as the family coordinator for the URI Orientation team. Roche, who has already secured a job after graduation, likes to stay active playing sports or hanging out with his friends. He is also a photography buff.
Kate Dubois (North Smithfield, Rhode Island)
Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Rhode Island, Dubois is a senior international diplomacy major and a student in the Chinese Flagship Program. As a Boren and Gilman Scholar, she is studying abroad for the year in Taipei, Taiwan. Dubois has served as the secretary and M.U.S.I.C. liaison for URI’s Asian Student’s Association, president of URI’s Chapter of Amnesty International, and Resident Academic Mentor (RAM) for the Chinese Flagship Program.
Brian Martin (Glocester, Rhode Island)
As a senior who is double-majoring in secondary education and history, Martin is passionate about education reform and believes in the importance of providing equal opportunity to all students. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Martin enjoys spending his free time exploring Providence and South County, as well as thrifting and listening to music.
Alana Parrott (Webster, Mass.)
Parrott is a theatre major who, during her senior year, is working on producing the A.R.E Archive (Access, Representation, and Exposure) to document black playwrights and keep her mission of making Black history, American history thanks to receiving a URI research grant. Last year, she starred as the lead in the spring 2021 URI production of Miss Nelson is Missing. She also writes poetry and loves the spoken word.
Adam Blakemore (North Smithfield, Rhode Island)
Blakemore comes from a long line of URI alumni but on arriving at URI, he found his own path through clubs and organizations including working as a URI tour guide and a URI orientation leader, and as a member of the Greek community. Blakemore is a senior majoring in supply chain management.
Emma Dallaire (Santa Clarita, California)
A California native, senior Dallaire is pursuing her education at the University of Rhode Island as a health studies major with the goal of becoming a physician assistant. In addition to being a member of the URI Ramettes dance team who has drummed up school spirit and support for URI’s sports teams for three years, she has also served as a URI orientation leader and traveled to Laredo, Texas during her sophomore year as part of an alternative spring break service trip.
Sonika Tahiliani (Dubai)
An international student from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tahiliani is pursuing her Doctor of Pharmacy degree as part of URI’s six-year program. Since arriving on the Kingston Campus she has strived to help and support first-year students as they transition from high school to college. She has served as Resident Academic Mentor for the Pharmacy Living Learning Community, as president of the Pharmacy Leadership Society, as a member of Lambda Kappa Sigma (pharmacy sorority), as a URI 101 mentor, and as a URI tour guide.
Peyton Thiel (Meriden, Connecticut)
Theil, a data science major, has been involved with URI’s Leadership Institute since before he arrived as a first-year student in 2019. The experience inspired him to give back both on campus and off. In addition to serving as URI orientation leader, Thiel joined URI Rotaract Club, a service organization, and also traveled to New Orleans as part of an alternative spring break service trip. Now a junior, Thiel has come full circle and is serving as a peer leader with the Leadership Institute, mentoring incoming students.
Jasmine Leal (Billerica, Massachusetts)
Leal is recent URI alum, graduating with a degree in chemical engineering in 2019. As a first-generation Latina college student, she initially faced some uncertainty navigating the transition to college. With the support and reassurance of professors, mentors, and the student community, Leal was able to combine her love of engineering with fashion and is now living out her dream working for a luxury fashion company.
The second season of “The College Tour” is available now via the College Tour website and mobile app.
Montclair State University featured in Amazon Prime Show ‘The College Tour’
News 12 New Jersey | October 29, 2021
In the TV spotlight: Episode of “The College Tour” filmed on CWU campus
By Jack Belcher, Daily Record News | October 27, 2021
An episode of “The College Tour” is being filmed this week on the Central Washington University campus.
The show focuses on describing the college lifestyle to its viewers, giving them an idea of what the university, and the town around it is like.
Alex Boylan, winner of “The Amazing Race” in 2002, created and hosts the show. He created the show after a personal experience he had with his niece, who had trouble deciding, and not being able to visit all the colleges she wanted.
“The College Tour” has been on the air for just over a year, covered over 30 universities and is currently airing its third season. The CWU episode will be released in two to three months, according to Boylan.
The purpose of the show is to have real students describe what life is like at their university, giving viewers of the show a tour of what the college is like. Other than Boylan, the cast is made up of people who are actually involved with the university, whether they are students or faculty.
“It’s important that it’s real, if you take that away you are gonna lose your audience,” Boylan said. “The first draft of the script is literally written by the student. We kinda give them guidelines and get it formatted the way we want it, and then Central Washington might come in and tweak a few things.”
The show is supposed to help everybody involved in higher education, whether they are a high school student looking for their perfect college, as well as engage alumni and help out the university in general.
“It’s truly fun to know that we are helping tell the story of college campuses in a way that I don’t think has ever been done before,” Boylan said. “Students need to go to college.”
Ten students were chosen to participate in the episode focused on CWU, each with his/her own story. Teri Olin, senior marketing manager with CWU’s public relations department, said the university wanted the episode to talk about the research students get to do in their degree, even as a freshmen or sophomores.
“You don’t have to wait until you are actually in the program, you have that connection with your faculty way early in the game, which is why people are coming to Central,” Olin said.
The show is available for free through “ The College Tour” website, app and streaming channel. CWU will also get the episode around the same time and will use it on its website. The show also works with Amazon to distribute the episodes.
“We are always working to find new channels because the key to this is, it’s available everywhere for free,” Boylan said. “There is not one place where you have to pay to watch ‘The College Tour.’”
Lights! Camera! Action!
Montclair State University News | October 26, 2021
The College Tour films episode featuring Montclair State and starring students and alumni for Amazon Prime Video
Montclair State is no stranger to movie and television filmings on campus. In fact, the University has earned a reputation as an “East Coast Hollywood” from professional productions that shoot commercials on campus or broadcast from the University’s newsroom, film and TV studios.
But this week, the cameras are focused on Montclair students and alumni sharing real stories about campus life, academics, service and more for the The College Tour, a Prime Video series. Montclair will be part of Season 4 on Amazon’s free streaming service, IMDb TV, on The College Tour’s app (Android, iOS) and website. It will also run on Roku, Apple TV, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony, Philips Smart TV, Amazon FireTV and Android TV.
Hosted by Amazing Race winner Alex Boylan, The College Tour helps prospective students around the country (and the world) travel virtually across America for an inside look at colleges and universities.
The College Tour will shoot 20 different segments for Montclair State from October 25 to November 2, each featuring a story written and told by students and alumni emblematic of the University’s soaring Red Hawks. Their stories include opportunities for internships and research in the New York City metropolitan area, and the ways Montclair’s supportive community welcomes their voices, their beliefs, backgrounds and identities.
“As New Jersey’s premier public service university, Montclair is preparing students to rise to their full potential and lead lives of purpose and meaning,” says Vice President for Communications and Marketing Joseph Brennan. “We are excited to be able to introduce a wider audience to Montclair State University on the huge platforms of Prime Video and The College Tour, greatly increasing Montclair’s presence in the college selection process.”
The College Tour was created by Boylan, Lisa Hennessy and Burton Roberts, a team of successful entrepreneurs in the TV, social media and technology space, from an idea that came from Boylan’s teenage niece. “Because of the pandemic and finances, she wasn’t able to travel to tour colleges,” he says. “So, using our skills as executive producers, we created a series inspired by her and millions of other young people who are interested in attending college.”
The College Tour’s Montclair State episode will feature authentic stories from students Ciara Allen, Hunter Ayala, Joe Baez, Jack Barteck, Givonna Boggans, Jennifer Burlage, Ray Vincent De Jesus, Anthony Gachetti, Destany George, Natalya Kozlovski, Ashon Lanada, Kaya Maciak, Sienna Grant Mitsak, Victoria Povolo, Sean Risch, Nikki-James Soto and Samantha Wilk; alumni Gian Paul Gonzalez ’07 and Sal Parrinello ’16, ’18 MBA; and President Jonathan Koppell.
The hour-long episode will begin streaming in April 2022.
Photo Gallery
Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren. Photos by University Photographer Mike Peters.
The College Tour coming to SDSU in November
The Bookings Register | October 21, 2021
BROOKINGS – “The College Tour,” an innovative series from Emmy Award-nominated producers Alex Boylan, Lisa Hennessy and Burton Roberts, will be on the South Dakota State University campus Nov. 14-20 to record episodes for the upcoming spring 2022 season.
“The College Tour” is a series created to empower high school students to virtually travel across America for an inside look at colleges and universities. The series is available on IMDb TV, Amazon’s premium free streaming service, and across “The College Tour” platform, including its mobile app and website (http://thecollegetour.com/).
SDSU joins universities such as Arizona State, Illinois and Connecticut, which are currently being profiled.
“Hearing what makes South Dakota State University special through the eyes of actual students is important to all of us at State,” said Mike Lockrem, director of University Marketing and Communications. “We have heard from many students about how important a campus visit was when making a decision on where to attend, so furthering the opportunity to showcase SDSU is a great opportunity. We know the college search process is changing, and it’s important to reach prospective students where they are today.”
Each episode of “The College Tour” highlights a college or university through the eyes of its students, faculty and alumni, providing prospective students with an intimate look at life on campus beyond what is written in brochures or websites. From academics to sports, club activities, city life and much more, viewers can visit the campus of their dreams as they’re making the important decision of where to apply or where to attend.
“’The College Tour’ is the show you wished you had when applying for colleges in high school,” said Boylan, who won the “Amazing Race.”
“College visits can cost upward of $3,000 per school, which puts them out of reach for many students and families. We are leveling the playing field and providing a free, easy and fun way to tour some of the best schools across the country.”
Asbury University’s biggest campus tour begins streaming next week
The Lane Report | October 20, 2021
WILMORE, Ky. — On October 25, Asbury University’s students, faculty, and staff will celebrate the premiere of the school’s episode on The College Tour, a nationwide television show created by award-winning Hollywood producers to help students and families visit colleges across the country, virtually. Asbury’s episode features nine students, alumni, and Asbury President Dr. Kevin Brown.
“I am thrilled for this opportunity to share Asbury with the world,” said Asbury University’s President Dr. Kevin Brown. “On this episode of The College Tour, our students and alumni truly captured the Asbury experience, from the personal academic attention, spiritual growth, and development to our vibrant community. Because Asbury is now highlighted on The College Tour, even if someone can’t visit our campus, they can experience it for themselves virtually. The College Tour captured our community perfectly through the voices of our students and alumni.”
The show — created by the award-winning team behind shows like Survivor and The Biggest Loser — traveled to Wilmore over the summer to film the segment, marking the first university in Kentucky to be featured. The College Tour is available now on multiple streaming platforms and will be featured beginning in the winter on Amazon Prime.
Hosted by Alex Boylan, each episode of The College Tour tells the story of a university through the lens of its students, and Asbury’s unique flavor is on full display with students on camera sharing their Asbury stories. Each student-driven segment gives an inside look at what it’s truly like being a student at Asbury.
Some of the show’s 10 segments include the Dayton School of Business and the soon-to-be-completed $26 million Collaborative Learning Center, spiritual transformation, the school’s prime location and vibrant community, the world-renowned equine and media communications programs, and much more.
Samuel Diaz Merchan, a senior communications major with a public relations emphasis, is featured in a segment and shared more about the incredible experience filming the show. “Being a part of the College Tour was an amazing experience in itself,” he said. “While filming, seeing how interested the crew was in Asbury and what it means to be a student here made me proud to be a part of this community and be able to represent my fellow students as well. I am excited for the world to see Asbury for what it truly is, an institution that has a community that represents different cultures, beliefs, and ideas that come together to work toward a greater good while always consistently learning. Overall, I am excited for Asbury to be seen by people so they can truly see what it means to be different and stand out.”
President Dr. Kevin Brown continued, “I am humbled and grateful for the amazing students who volunteered their time and talents to tell the Asbury story. We are always looking for creative ways to tell our story and the students and young alumni featured in this episode have created something special for prospective students around the world to learn about our campus community.”