Let’s start by answering this simple question: What is an open day at university? 

An open day is when a university invites future students to visit the campus, meet academic staff, look at the facilities and accommodation and much, much more. A virtual open day doesn’t happen face-to-face but online. 

Why do virtual open days exist?

In previous years, you would visit a campus in-person before you decided to apply to that university. As mentioned above, this was a way for students to get a better idea of what it would be like to study there. However it’s not usually possible for international students to visit a campus in person. 

Flights and accommodation to visit a campus can be very expensive (especially if you’re a family member comes with you too).  Ideally, you’d want an opportunity to ‘visit’ each university you’re thinking of applying to, as an international student, this becomes even more difficult.It isn’t just the cost you’d need to factor in but also the time it takes. You may not have enough time to take a trip abroad if you’re also completing high school exams at the time or have other commitments (similarly, your parents or family member may not be able to take time off work to accompany you.

How can a virtual open day help international students?

As a result of the pandemic, the increase in virtual tours, live web chats, Skype/Zoom and video content (as well as faster internet speeds), virtual open days are much more common. These allow students to take a tour of a university campus from your home country, online through your desktop, mobile or tablet device. You can do it at home, school, work wherever is more convenient. 

Students now have access to each university they are interested in, which allows you to make a more informed decision. Plus it’s free to participate. Virtual open days might also be referred to as ‘virtual fairs’ or in Canada and the USA they’re called an ‘Open House’.

How to take a virtual tour

You will usually have to register in advance to get access to the virtual open day. This is very easy and you simply have to give a few details about yourself. Usually universities will promote their virtual tours months or weeks in advance on their websites and social media platforms. This is especially true if there is some sort of live, interactive element like question and answer (Q&A) sessions with staff, academics and other students. You can use these sessions to connect with the academic staff or students and ask any questions you might have.

On the day of the virtual open day, you will normally have to go to the university’s website or click on a link which has been sent to you, to access it. Virtual open days will cover all areas of your student life at that university and last a couple of hours (but you can leave and come back while it is in progress). Tours of campus will also be available for you to navigate and explore.

Make sure you prepare in advance for the virtual open day. Plan which sessions you want to attend, make a note of any questions you have and which faculties and departments you want to visit. 

Here’s some more advice on how to prepare for a university open day online:

 After the virtual open day

You can usually go to the university’s website any time after the open day and access the content on demand. This is perfect if you forget to ask something or check something out; you can go back as often as you wish to help you make your decision.