‘The College Tour’ series comes to Amazon Prime Video

EdScoop.Com | March 3, 2021

Prospective students — or just curious TV viewers — can now take tours of universities like Arizona State University and the Florida Institute of Technology by watching a new series on Amazon Prime Video.

“The College Tour” takes viewers on a journey that “tells the story of colleges and universities around the world,” according to the show’s website, with plans to include at least nine universities. The first three episodes, which highlight Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado; Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida, and Arizona State in Tempe, are available to stream now.

Created and hosted by Alex Boylan, a past winner of the reality TV show “The Amazing Race,” says the inspiration for the series came when his niece started her college search. The series has taken on new relevance as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many universities shift away from in-person tours.

“My niece is now looking at colleges, and with her family on a budget, she couldn’t tour as many colleges as she hoped,” Boylan said in an ASU press release. “I thought, what an amazing opportunity to showcase different universities to place-bound students around the country through a professionally produced television show.”

The ASU episode, which features 18 students talking about their experiences at the university, focuses on “student choices and personalized learning experiences,” according to the university.

“In a challenging year for many families, we knew that we needed to put in action bold ideas to help prospective students learn about the amazing university experience waiting for them at ASU,” Matt Lopez, the university’s executive director of admission services, said in a press release. “Giving our current students the chance to tell their stories on platforms as far-reaching as Amazon Prime and Roku was an exciting way to meet families where most of us are right now — at home.”’

The ASU episode is also available on YouTube.