‘College Tour’ series gives prospective students a taste of campus life at U of I

Nancy Harty, WBBM News Radio | May 23, 2021

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The COVID-19 pandemic cancelled or changed a lot of college visits this past year but a new series gives prospective students a look at campus.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is hosting a live watch party at 7 p.m. Sunday for “The College Tour” episode featuring the Big Ten school.

“The College Tour” is a streaming series that Executive Producer Lisa Hennessy started working on before the pandemic hit.

The Park Ridge native and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alum told WBBM Newsradio since the series debuted last October, it has shown high school students what they can expect academically and socially on campus.

“It’s a really authentic way to really get an idea of what a university is like though the voices of people who go there,” Hennessy told WBBM Newsradio.

Among the 11 students featured is Kennedy Campbell of Chicago, a sophomore who said Quad Day helped her find her place in Urbana-Champaign metro area.  Campbell helped create a mentorship group for pre-med students.

“There’s really something for everyone. From Ultimate Frisbee to volunteer opportunities to creative writing,” Campbell said.

The first six episodes of “The College Tour” are available on Amazon Prime, YouTube and the show’s website. To listen to the full radio interview click here.