The College Tour: Preston Rivera
By Abbie Cochrane, SUU I March 09, 2022
Preston Rey Rivera was very excited to represent Southern Utah University in his segment of SUU’s episode of The College Tour. Coming all the way from Denton, Texas, Rivera is a senior at SUU studying aviation in the highly acclaimed program offered by the university. The College Tour is a new national TV series that provides a closer look at the heart of college campuses across the country. SUU is the first Utah campus to be featured.
Rivera began his flight career after serving in the U.S. Army as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician and becoming a certified helicopter pilot in his hometown. He then transferred to SUU to continue his education with the SUU Aviation program. He was greatly impressed by SUU’s ability to offer challenging academic courses, while maintaining a small class size and giving him the small, college town experience. But what truly pulled him to SUU’s Aviation program was the elevation of Cedar City’s airport, which is 5,622 feet, making it the highest collegiate flight school in the United States.
“The additional challenges you’ll face while flying at higher altitudes will certainly enhance your skills as a pilot,” Rivera states in the episode.
Pilots at SUU experience all types of flight operations, such as mountain and sling load operations, and even flying with night-vision goggles. Taking it one step further, SUU is home to the Chuck Aaron Academy. The program is for pilots with more experience and trains them in advanced recovery techniques so that they can stay safe while flying real missions. Pilots train in a specialized helicopter affectionately named “The Animal.” This helicopter is one of very few FAA-certified helicopters for aerobatic flight.
“Whether you want to fly airplanes, helicopters, become an aircraft maintenance technician, or even take advantage of the specialized training offered here at SUU, the hands-on learning you’ll get through any of our aviation programs will set you on the right path for future success,” Rivera continued. “The high altitude training and unique flying opportunities SUU has provided has definitely set me up for my future career in aviation.” And it shows. Rivera now works as a flight instructor for the program.
SUU’s episode of the College Tour aired August 19, 2021 and is available for viewing on YouTube, Amazon Prime and The College Tour website. The episode features ten students from different fields and majors offered on campus. Each student gives their own experience about their time on campus and their own story about the university. Learn more about The College Tour students.
Amazon Prime features FAU in new college tour series
UP University Press I February 17, 2022
Students and alumni share their stories on how they have achieved their success on and off-campus and the multiple opportunities they have gained from being on campus in Amazon Prime’s “The College Tour.”
FAU is featured in a college tour series called “The College Tour”, an Amazon Prime series exhibiting universities across the U.S.
“The College Tour” is shown on 18 different channels according to the creator and host, Alex Boylan, and is a useful source of information on colleges and universities.
“At the end of the day, we want the audience to see what FAU is like at home,” Boylan said.
Boylan is the host of multiple award-winning shows, including “The Chef’s Table” and “Animal Attractions.”
Boylan had the idea to create the show after taking his niece on a college tour in Los Angeles, Calif. two years ago.
“Higher education needs its own television show,” Boylan said to the UP.
FAU is one of 14 schools selected to be featured on the show’s third season based on student life, resource centers, atmosphere, and community.
The universities featured have reached out to Boylan’s team to get featured in the show; however, FAU was an anomaly of sorts — a senior producer of “The College Tour” reached out to Boylan about FAU.
“FAU is an energetic and dynamic place that not only encourages students to forge their own path but gives them the tools they’ll need along the way,” Boylan said in the episode.
Ten students and alumni provided an inside scoop on what FAU has to offer.
East Haven, Conn., native Michael Mancuso, a senior multimedia journalism major, was interviewed at the FAU Stadium about extracurricular activities and the on-campus job opportunities for students of different majors.
Mancuso is involved in the South Florida Journal, a student-produced radio show covering news around the region.
“Looking up to what I have experienced and accomplished leading up to graduation, I am forever grateful for my Owl community,” Mancuso said.
Junior education major Rhoda Hoods spoke about her time at the First Year’s Connections Mentoring Program. There, she was given a mentor who guided her through her first year of college and helped her with valuable resources through the Center of Teaching and Learning (CTL).
Hoods advises FAU students to take advantage of the numerous opportunities available. She mentioned the Wilkes Honors College, which offers an all-honors curriculum and a “close-knit community.”
“After earning my AA degree, I transferred to FAU from a local college. And let me tell you, as soon as I set foot on this campus, I felt welcomed and supported for achieving my goals,” Hoods said.
Felipe Rodriguez, also featured in the episode, graduated in 2021. He mentioned the advantages the Career Center has afforded him thus far in his job search.
When it came to his future career, Rodriguez utilized the Success Network, a group of academic career and financial aid advisors who help students get ready for their next step in life.
“So if I can leave you with some words of advice, it would be to get to know your faculty, meet with your advisors, visit the FAU Career Center, join clubs, and most importantly maximize your social and academic resources,” Rodriguez said.
Boylan’s selection of unique students and alumni shows the diversity of the campus environment and what it is like to be part of the OWL Family.
“The College Tour” shows FAU’s true nature along with the opportunities that high school students can experience when they come to the campus.
“I am proud to tell the story of FAU,” Boylan said.
Samantha Sheradsky is a contributing writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories, email ssheradsky2021@fau.edu or DM her on Twitter @samtheham132
Campus life at the UO is explored through The College Tour
Around The O I February 28, 2022
The University of Oregon is featured on a new episode of The College Tour, a video series that explores universities across the nation.
The College Tour provides an insider’s perspective on what life as a Duck is like by sharing individual stories of current students who visit their favorite spots around campus. Film crews were on site this past fall to capture the stunning scenery and student experience.
“The most inspiring part of the process for me was getting to interact with 19 current students and watch them share their genuine college experiences with us,” said Marlene Blum, assistant director of strategic communications and marketing in Student Services and Enrollment Management and campus video co-producer of the episode. “It’s always great to connect with our students because they are truly what makes this campus remarkable.”
The UO held a green carpet local premiere Feb. 15, at the Student Welcome Center in Unthank Hall to celebrate the episode’s release. Ducks featured in the episode, alongside other behind-the-scenes talent, got to soak in the spotlight at the exclusive launch and see their hard work come to life.
“Being a part of something so close to home was really fulfilling,” said Jonah Misner, a senior featured in the episode. “I didn’t anticipate the private screening. It made me truly feel so special.”
The UO held a virtual launch of The College Tourepisode Feb. 16 with a live Q&A from students and staff. The launch had more than 1,500 registrants and included viewers hailing from around the country and beyond.
The UO’s official YouTube channel premiered the episode Feb. 17, with more than 11,000 views from audiences around the world. The episode also will launch in the next season of The College Tour series on Amazon Prime later this spring.
“Turning an institutional-framed show into an engaging and exciting episode was neat to watch,” Misner said. “I’m excited for The College Tour to bring more amazing students to this campus.”
To watch the episode, visit the UO’s new The College Tour website.
—By Sydney Volchok, Student Services and Enrollment Management
The College Tour: A Peek at Schools Across the Country
The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast I February 25, 2022
University tours go virtual on Amazon Prime series
By Alex Reece, NT Daily I February 25, 2022
Prospective students hoping to experience the sights and sounds of the university can now do so from home by watching an episode of the Amazon Prime series “The College Tour.”
Since its first episode aired in November 2020, “The College Tour,” hosted by TV personality Alex Boylan, has released three seasons of episodes. The show is dedicated to presenting “what it’s truly like being a student at the featured college or university,” according to its website.
Shows dedicated to depicting a college tour create an opportunity for anyone who cannot visit campus because of COVID-19 risks, while also opening up the university to people who might not be able to make the trip to Denton for any other reason.
“Even before COVID-19, the rising cost of college visits pushed colleges to offer alternate options that would allow students to get a feel for the university, campus and student body without having to travel what may be hundreds or thousands of miles,” said Ryan Marlin, senior director of university recruitment, in a quote given to the North Texas Daily by Trista Moxley, senior communications specialist for the university.
The University of North Texas’ appearance on the show also coincides with an important moment in the university’s history — a new spring enrollment record that has been set at more than 40,000 students, according to a university press release.
“It was important for UNT to find solutions for these challenges and ‘The College Tour’ was a perfect way for us to show prospective students UNT’s diverse and inclusive atmosphere,” Marlin said.
Miranda Wilkes, a UNT tour guide and marketing junior, said she happily seized the opportunity to show off the diverse and inclusive atmosphere on campus to a wider audience than she can in a typical tour group.
“Our job is to just show you around — this is where you can go work out, this is where you can go do your homework, this is where you can find financial aid,” Wilkes said. “But we don’t really get to talk things about things like [the Frisco campus] or a transfer student experience […] This episode can kind of go into more depth into some of those.”
Since UNT fully reopened and adjusted to staying open through COVID-19, Wilkes has not noticed a significant drop in tours. However, she said she understands the benefits of a virtual option for anyone who may not be ready to go in person yet. A class of high school students Wilkes recently led on a tour had watched the episode ahead of time with their teacher so they could ask specific questions.
While local graduating high school students can be seen as the episode’s main audience, Wilkes hopes it will also put the university on the radar of individuals who had not yet considered it as an option.
“Maybe after coming upon this video, they might start thinking about it,” Wilkes said.
Wilkes was not the only one excited for the chance to show off the Mean Green campus.
“Our student, faculty and staff contributors jumped at the chance to be part of this amazing opportunity because they truly wanted to share with others what they love about UNT,” Marlin said. “I think their enthusiasm and support for UNT really came through on the show.”
Jim Berscheidt, vice president for University Brand Strategy and Communications, saw the episode as a new way to share the university.
“As we continue looking for new ways to market the university in Texas and beyond, ‘The College Tour’ appeared to be a great channel to share the UNT story,” said Berscheidt in a quote supplied by Moxley. “We are able to go beyond the typical short, paid media message and allow our students, faculty and staff to share why this is a special place to learn.”
One of the episode’s many contributors was Anthony Gaut, a Watauga resident and 2021 graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism. Gaut came to the university as a transfer student the year before and had been featured in other informational videos for the university explaining the process and experience a prospective transfer might have.
“I did a video for UNT called the ‘Transfer Tips,’” Gaut said. “It was basically along the same lines of walking around and talking about the school. So after [‘The College Tour’ team] had seen my work in that video, they had reached out and asked me if I could do ‘The College Tour’ as well.”
Gaut had not been able to see the campus in person before enrolling and said while he would have likely attended anyway due to wanting to enroll in a local college, being able to watch an episode like this would have been helpful beforehand.
“I think the college tour would have been super helpful because it could have given me more details about some of the specific programs that are available at UNT versus just the generic stuff,” Gaut said.
UNT’s episode and the entire series, including a few episodes of a fourth season, are available for anyone to watch either on Amazon Prime or by going to thecollegetour.com.
Featured Image: The College Tour series featuring UNT plays on a TV on Feb. 21, 2022. Photo by John Anderson
Amazon Prime’s ‘The College Tour’ features UC
By Drew Amman, Fox19 I February 19, 2022
CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Highlighting colleges and universities across the country, Amazon Prime is releasing its third season of “The College Tour,” and the series features the University of Cincinnati.
Last fall, UC started having a conversation with Amazon during a time when enrollment at UC was on the rise.
“Especially during covid, how much enrollment had grown, so they picked us up,” UC Vice Provost of Enrollment Management Jack Miner said.
UC already received praise from Forbes as one of the universities rated as one of their most beautiful college campuses.
“They sort of cherry-picked some of those campuses that came across well on video,” Miner added.
For UC, this helps in terms of outreach.
“Obviously, if you’re in the Cincinnati area, in the Ohio area, you’re going to come on a campus tour, but we have so many students we’re attracting now from other parts of the country that hadn’t really thought about UC,” Miner said.
Success from UC’s football program (reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time) and the school’s elite Co-op program are two other big factors in UC’s increased visibility. According to Miner, recognition from Amazon is extended far beyond the views of the campus and the queen city, making this a lot more than just a pictorial.
“Most of the content is really the voices of our students, so it’s the students talking about what their favorite part of campus is, how they engage in the Co-op. We do a tour of downtown and let students talk about how great it is to be at a university that is in an urban environment,” Miner said.
The Amazon Prime series “The College Tour” is featured on 18 different channels.
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AMAZON PRIME VIDEO FEATURES NJIT IN VIRTUAL COLLEGE TOUR
The VECTOR I February 18, 2022
During the COVID-19 pandemic, everything has seemed to go virtual, including college visits for students applying to universities. Alex Boylan, host and producer of “The College Tour,” decided to provide a series for prospective college students to understand “what life is truly like on college campuses across the country and around the world” according to the series description on Amazon Prime Video.
The third season of the show covers fifteen universities, one of which being NJIT. “While our campus has been featured as a location in several television series and movies, it has never been the highlight of a show,” said Matthew Golden, NJIT’s chief communications and marketing officer. “Because of the changing landscape in media and the reach that streaming platforms provide, this project was a unique opportunity to reach prospective students, their influencers, alumni and others in a new way.”
The production team of “The College Tour” reached out to NJIT with this opportunity. “We had immediate interest because of the high production value and ability to show the episode on multiple platforms,” Golden mentioned, “but we thoroughly analyzed the proposal for several weeks to determine if it was a good fit for NJIT.”
As part of “The College Tour”’s outreach, its teams frequently update high school guidance counselors with new episodes. Having the NJIT episode shared with high school students across the country is a constructive way to increase NJIT’s profile beyond our region.
While planning out the episode, the producers of the series provided NJIT with a basic framework of timing, but NJIT was able to make sure that all of the colleges were represented. It was also ensured that some of NJIT’s unique features, such as the Makerspace and VentureLink, were included either as part of the student experience or as a location at which a scene was filmed.
“Campus features were selected based on feedback from students, staff and the production team to determine what would look appealing in this format,” Golden added. “‘The College Tour’ provided guidance on best practices along the way, so when it came to the week of shooting, we were well prepared.”
Similar to how many in-person tours are given by students, the episode only has students talking about different parts of the college campus. There were several casting calls put out throughout the summer to generate interest in participating. Students sent in audition videos of under two minutes sharing their unique NJIT experience. The team of “The College Tour” then reviewed the audition clips and made recommendations, and the NJIT team made sure that a wide variety of university programs and experiences were included.
To begin the tour, third-year mechanical engineering major Jason Morlock spoke about the Makerspace. “I was assigned to represent engineering and a big part of that was talking about the Makerspace,” he said. “I love the Makerspace, so I was happy to go into detail.”
He added that “I spent a day writing my script. [The production team] gave me a detailed outline of topics to hit for the script as well as key details it wanted me to hit. It also wanted me to film myself reciting the script from memory, which was really hard to get done, but I was so happy when I finally got it.”
Morlock noted that the crew was supportive and complimented a lot of his takes. Additionally, the Makerspace team helped with demonstrating machinery and setting up great shots of the building.
The episode then featured Suzanne Hlinka, who described her experiences with game design as a student in both Ying Wu College of Computing and Hillier College of Architecture and Design. Diego Sanchez went into detail about NJIT’s research opportunities and its R1 classification.
Regsan Watkins, a graduate student, focused on the Division 1 athletics on campus, as he is an international student who plays soccer for NJIT. He emphasized in his segment of the episode that NJIT provides students the opportunity to excel in both academics and athletics.
As a marketing major, “it felt amazing to impart my experiences to prospective students and use some of my marketing skills, which I know will benefit me later in life,” Watkins said.
Being a part of this show made him feel like a “movie star” during the filming. “The most challenging part was actually bringing what I memorized [from the script] and delivering it in as personable a manner as I could,” he added. “My favorite parts were talking about my experiences and talking with the production crew to learn about what they do.”
In “The College Tour” episode, Carla Blandura spoke about the diversity at NJIT, and Samir Peshori covered VentureLink as well as the university’s entrepreneurship initiatives. Showing some of his favorite parts on campus, Matt Kotowski emphasized the importance of making connections throughout college, and many NJIT organizations hold many activities and events of which students can take advantage.
Fifth-year architecture major Casey Crown focused her segment on her time in studio and the feedback she gets from peers and professors. She was excited to be asked to be part of this episode because “I’m not always the most vocal or the most obvious choice.”
Crown explained her process of contributing to the show. “I was assigned a topic, but I strayed a little bit when writing my script. I wanted my segment to be as personal and truthful as possible,” she said. “I wanted to stress how interesting my own experience has been and how NJIT’s architecture program has shaped me.”
It took her a little while to get used to the lighting and the camera in her face, but the camera crew was very patient. She added, “the biggest challenge was figuring out how to get the right message across while being as concise as possible. I loved writing about the experience I’ve had with my studio friends; that is definitely my favorite part of my story at NJIT.”
Vincent Jackson graduated in 2021 as a business major, and he talked about the bridge between business and technology at NJIT. As he was going through the filming process, he mentioned that “the [production] team I worked with was really organized so they really helped to make it smooth!”
Fourth-year industrial engineering major Will Andrews stated, “The most rewarding part was getting to talk about NJIT in such a positive light because of the impact the school has had in my time here.”
He spoke about the diverse set of opportunities that are always offered on campus and how NJIT sets the standard for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education.
“I have done some other pieces for the university, so this felt like a scaled-up version of those experiences,” Andrews said. “The Amazon crew was fun, and the whole thing was very laid-back.”
“The College Tour” episode about NJIT is part of a larger effort to show a full picture of what the university has to offer – a vibrant and diverse campus life, innovative academic programs, unique undergraduate research opportunities, competitive Division 1 athletics and pathways to a fulfilling career.
“We couldn’t have done this without the hard work of the students involved and all who participated. Without their enthusiastic support and dedication to the project, it would not have been a success,” Golden said. “They did a fantastic job representing NJIT in positive and compelling ways.”
UM students feel ‘inspired’ showcasing college life in new series
By Jennifer Rios, ABC Fox Montana I February 13, 2022
MISSOULA, Mont. – It’s lights, camera, action for University of Montana students as a “College Tour” episode made a stop in Missoula to capture the UM college life.
Students say through this series, they finally had the opportunity to talk about why their experience at UM hasn’t been like any other.
With students featured in the series shared when it came to capturing their UM experience, it had come from their own eyes.
“It’s a place where it’s a rigorous institution, you can have it all. I’m coming away feeling like I have a family and I hope when people see the episode they’ll know that is something they can have here when you come to UM,” said Arwen Baxter, UM student.
“I’m so much more grateful to be here this year where we can actually be here in person and be face to face classes it makes a huge difference,’ said John Shelton, student at UM.
“Opportunities that um has I think it comes through in the college tour video just how many different perspectives and cultures kind if collide here even though I don’t think that’s when many people think of in Montana,” said Addie Slanger, a journalism student at UM.
In the latest hour-long episode you can catch 16 more college students walking us through their life on campus right in the heart of Missoula.
Um’s episode of the college tour is now available through UM website “College Tour Website” and or individual episodes on UM online as well as all on Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime launches C-N feature
Citizen Tribune I February 12, 2022
Starting this week, Carson-Newman University is featured on Amazon Prime. Inclusion on the platform comes with the launch of season three of ‘The College Tour.’
Carson-Newman University is one of a limited number of universities in the southeast featured in the TV series. The program is the creation of Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning producers. Hosted and produced by Amazing Race winner Alex Boylan, each episode highlights one college or university from across the country.
Carson-Newman’s episode explores the university’s location, Christ-centered mission, various programs, affordability, athletics and other areas of interest. According to Boylan, what Carson-Newman can provide students is certainly worth noting.
“It was awesome to get to travel to Jefferson City to visit campus,” Boylan said. “The warm sense of Christian community along with Carson-Newman’s beautiful location, makes it easy to see why students choose this university. We are so excited to have them as part of ‘The College Tour.’”
Danette Seale, acting vice president for Enrollment Management and Executive Director of Financial Aid, said being a part of ‘The College Tour’ helps a broad audience learn what all Carson-Newman can offer students looking at colleges.
“Our episode is an innovative way to help prospective students and families really see the fabric of our mission in a more authentic way than ever before. Anyone considering attending a Christian University will get to see what it’s truly like being a student at Carson-Newman.”
Along with Amazon Prime, season three of The College Tour is available on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and ‘The College Tour’ application.
Amazon show spotlight brings excitement to UM campus
By Sierra Ryder, NBC Montana I February 10, 2022
MISSOULA, Mont. — The University of Montana was recently featured in the Amazon Prime show “The College Tour.”
The show features 20 students giving a glimpse into life as a Griz student and life in Montana.
University administrators are excited for what this spotlight will bring for the school.
“Its really exciting to be the first and only Montana school featured on the college tour,” said UM vice president of marketing Jenny Petty.
The show provides a new way for students to visit campus virtually, something that has become an important piece of admissions during the pandemic the past two years.
“We’ve seen a big uptick in people seeing our virtual tour on the website, and this will be another piece of content we can share, not only on Amazon, where it’s streaming, but on our social media channels and our website,” said Petty.
The school has seen growth in the past year for enrollment. Its most recent class boasts a 30% increase in enrollment.
“The College Tour” may help the class of 2026 and beyond meet those numbers as well.
“We are definitely hopeful it will have an impact on enrollment,” said Petty.
One of the students featured in the episode, Addie Slanger, is a third-generation UM student. She is excited at the prospect of inspiring a new fresh crop of potential Grizzlies.
“I wanted to share how much joy and fun and learning UM as a whole has brought me. I love this school so much, so I was like if there is any chance to shout from the rooftops how much I love the college and the journalism school, I want to take it,” said Slanger.
The episode is streaming now on UM’s YouTube channel and Amazon Prime streaming services.
