General

How is a SchoolScoops tour different from a traditional admissions office tour?
A SchoolScoops campus tour is different from a traditional admissions office campus tours in a variety of ways. SchoolScoops tours are not meant to replace admissions office tours; instead, they’re meant to complement them and provide you with a more complete picture of what it’s really like to go to school here.

Admissions office tours provide you with a wealth of interesting information and can be highly beneficial for learning about a school, but you don’t always get the full story since admissions office tours are organized by the school and are essentially sales-scripted pitches. The admission office tour guide works for the school, and their job is to tell you everything that’s great about it so you will apply. You’re just a number in a big group, you don’t get to pick your guide, and everyone gets the same cookie-cutter tour. You get herded around campus and learn a lot of facts, but not necessarily if the school is really a good fit for you.

At SchoolScoops, we believe that choosing the right college is much easier when you can have an honest and open conversation with a student at that school—someone you can identify with and trust. During a private SchoolScoops tour, you can ask your guide all the big and little personal questions you really want to know, like which freshman dorm should I avoid, is this school too big to get to know my professors, do most students go home on weekends, and what are the reputations of the fraternities and sororities? You won’t get answers to these types of questions on traditional admissions office tours.

What is SchoolScoops’ mission?
At SchoolScoops, our mission is to help students discover the right college for them. Deciding where to go to college is a big decision and investment, and colleges aren't one-size-fits-all. That's why we believe your college search and discovery process shouldn't be either. On SchoolScoops prospective college students book private campus tours with current students who they relate to and share common interests and hobbies with. Getting the inside scoop from a real student helps you understand what a school is really like, free from any sales pitch or bias, so you can make the best decision for your future.

Guests

Can my parents or siblings come on my tour with me?
Parents and siblings are allowed to join your tour. Please inform your guide who's coming before the tour starts.

Where does my tour start?
You should meet your guide at the location on campus that is listed in your reservation confirmation email and on the SchoolScoops booking confirmation page. This is typically a well-known, central location on campus that provides a good starting point for your tour. We recommend arriving a few minutes before your tour starts.

In certain circumstances you may need to meet your guide at a different location. This should be a public location on or just outside of campus that is easily accessible for your guide. You and your guide should mutually agree on an alternate meeting point.

What happens if I can’t find my guide?
If you can’t find your guide you should send them a message through the SchoolScoops messaging system. If you have exchanged emails or phone numbers you can also reach them that way.

What is SchoolScoops’ cancellation/refund policy?
Guests may cancel an upcoming booking at any time and will receive a full refund if the cancellation occurs 24 hours or more before the scheduled start time. If you cancel a booking within 24 hours of the start time, your payment is non-refundable.

How do I cancel a booking?
To cancel a booking, log in to your account and click the “My reservations” link in the navigation and select the “As guest” tab. Then select the 'Upcoming' tab and choose the booking you need to cancel. Below the 'Tour Summary' panel, you will find the option to cancel your tour. Before proceeding with the cancellation, we highly recommend messaging your guide to see if they can reschedule. Oftentimes guides have flexible schedules and will work with you to find another time that works for both of you.

How do I leave a review for my guide?
After your tour is over, you'll be able to review your guide and provide feedback in your SchoolScoops account. You'll receive an email from SchoolScoops containing a link to review your guide. You can also view your past tours and submit reviews from the “My reservations” page.

What if SchoolScoops isn’t available at my school?
SchoolScoops is always adding new colleges and universities. Please send an email to suggest@schoolscoops.com and let us know what schools we should expand to next.

How should I prepare for my tour?
Before your tour starts, we recommend doing some research about the school and coming prepared with a list of questions and things you want to learn more about. To help you get started, we've put together this list of topics and questions to help you prepare. You can also message your guide with specific topics or questions you’d like to learn about during your tour.

Feel free to ask your guide any questions you have, big or small, including personal ones that you might not ask on a group tour. Just remember that their answers reflect their own personal opinions.

Guides

Who can be a SchoolScoops guide?
Any current college student is eligible to be a SchoolScoops guide.

SchoolScoops guides are friendly individuals who genuinely want to share their experiences with prospective students. They are personable, punctual and prepared.

How do I become a guide and create my listing?
To become a SchoolScoops guide, create an account and click on “Become a guide” in the navigation. Create your listing by sharing a little bit of information about yourself, studies, extracurricular activities and hobbies. Creating your listing is free and only takes a few minutes.

Then, indicate the times you're available and unavailable to host tours. Next, select your preferred payout method and enter your account details. Click here to learn more about hosting on SchoolScoops.

How much money will I make, and when will I get paid?
Guides earn $40 for each tour they host. All tours should be one hour. Your payout will be automatically sent to your bank account 7 days after your tour concludes. If you have any questions about payouts, please contact help@schoolscoops.com.

Where should I meet my guests and start my tours?
You should meet your guest at the location on campus that is listed in your reservation confirmation email and on the SchoolScoops tour confirmation page. This is typically a well-known, central location on campus that provides a good starting point for your tour. We recommend arriving a few minutes before your tour start time.

Occasionally, you may need to meet your guest at a different location. This should be a public location on or just outside of campus that is easily accessible for your guest. You and your guest should mutually agree on an alternate meeting point.

What happens if I can’t find my guest?
If you can’t find your guest you should send them a message through the SchoolScoops messaging system. If you have exchanged emails or phone numbers you can also reach them that way.

How do I cancel a hosting job?
If you need to cancel your hosting job, your guest will receive a full refund, and you will not be paid.

To cancel a hosting job, log in to your account and click the “My reservations” link in the navigation and select the “As guide” tab. Then select the “Upcoming” tab and choose the tour you need to cancel. Below the 'Tour Summary' panel, you will find the option to cancel your tour. Before canceling, we highly recommend messaging your guest to see if they can reschedule. Oftentimes guests have flexible schedules and will work with you to find another time that works for both of you.

Do not cancel too many tours or your listing’s position on the search page may be negatively affected. If you consistently cancel tours, your account may be suspended. Keep your calendar availability updated to avoid canceling too many tours.

How do I update my calendar/availability?
To update your availability, log in to your account and click on “Manage listing”. Then, select “Manage availability”. Click “Edit availability” to update your weekly schedule. If you need to update your availability on a specific day(s) (ex: Springs Break, Finals Week, Etc.) click “Add an availability exception”.

What if SchoolScoops isn’t available at my school?
SchoolScoops is always adding new colleges and universities. Please send an email to suggest@schoolscoops.com and let us know what schools we should expand to next.

How should I prepare for hosting jobs?
Before hosting jobs, think back to when you were applying to colleges and what you would have wanted to know and the questions you had. To help you get started, we've put together this list of topics and questions to help you prepare. Review your guest's messages to see if there is anything specific they want to learn on their tour.

Payments, cancellations and refunds

What is the cancellation policy for guests?
Guests may cancel a tour at any time and will receive a full refund if the cancellation occurs 24 hours or more before the scheduled tour start time. If a guest cancels a tour within 24 hours of the start time, their payment is non-refundable. Cancellation deadlines for receiving refund are measured from the tour start time for the listing in its local time zone.

To cancel your tour, log in to your account and click the “My reservations” link in the navigation and select the “As guest” tab. Then select the 'Upcoming' tab and choose the tour you need to cancel. Below the 'Tour Summary' panel, you will see the option to cancel your tour. Before proceeding with the cancellation, we highly recommend messaging your guide to see if they can reschedule. Oftentimes guides have flexible schedules and will work with you to find another time.

What is the cancellation policy for guides?
Guides can cancel a hosting job at any time. If you cancel, your guest will receive a full refund, and you will not be paid.

To cancel a hosting job, log in to your account and click the “My reservations” link in the navigation and select the “As guide” tab. Then select the “Upcoming” tab and choose the tour you need to cancel. Below the 'Tour Summary' panel, you will find the option to cancel your tour. Before canceling, we highly recommend messaging your guest to see if they can reschedule. Oftentimes guests have flexible schedules and will work with you to find another time that works for both of you.

Do not cancel too many tours or your listing’s position on the search page may be negatively affected. If you consistently cancel tours, your account may be suspended. Keep your calendar availability updated to avoid canceling too many tours.

How long do refunds take to process?
Refunds are processed by SchoolScoops immediately and typically takes 7-10 business days for your bank to process. If you have not received your refund after 10 business days please contact us at help@schoolscoops.com.

What payment methods does SchoolScoops accept?
SchoolScoops accepts all major credit and debit cards.

How does SchoolScoops keep my payment/bank information safe?
SchoolScoops uses Stripe to process payments. Stripe is certified as a Level 1 Service Provider, which is the highest level of certification for payment processors. Stripe complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), a set of security standards established by major card brands like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.