California College Tour 2025

Explore California's top universities with NSHSS!

NSHSS members visited 10 top universities and several exciting California cities while learning strategies to get the most out of college visits! Participants learned how to compare schools to one another and what factors are most important in their college selection process, all while experiencing breathtaking sightseeing and unforgettable activities.

On the tour, students visited: 

  • University of California, Berkeley (UCB/Cal)
  • Stanford University
  • University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • University of Southern California (USC)
  • California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
  • University of California, Irvine (UCI)
  • University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
  • Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
  • Pepperdine University
July 6-12, 2025
San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Malibu, & San Francisco, California
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Testimonials from 2025 tour attendees

Annise T.
2025 Tour Attendee

"This trip is absolutely amazing. You meet awesome people from many different places and get to figure out what schools to apply to. They plan fun excursions and we all had an amazing time."

Avery Y.
2025 Tour Attendee

"I had lots of fun meeting new people and visiting all of the lovely campuses. This tour definitely gave me some ideas on where I want to apply in the fall."

Sofia S.
2025 Tour Attendee

"I really enjoyed the tour! I made a lot of new friends and had a great time visiting different colleges. It was a fun and memorable experience that I’ll never forget. I’m so glad I got to be part of it!"

Eddie W.
2025 Tour Attendee

"Fun experience with fun people! Advisors/chaperones are wonderful too!"

Chloe D.-R.
2025 Tour Attendee

"I had so much fun on this tour and I was able to do and see so much that I may not have been able to on my own. This was a great experience that I highly recommend because of the great opportunities and memories I gained."

Sawyer B.
2025 Tour Attendee

"At the start, I did not expect to make any friends, but by the end, everyone came together as close friends! I will always remember and hope to visit them. The interactions with each college and other students in general is something I cherished throughout the trip."

Tour Itinerary

Arrival day

Met NSHSS and EU Tour staff at San Diego International Airport

Hotel check-in in San Diego

Dinner and sightseeing in San Diego
Greeted fellow travelers, explored Seaport together, and enjoyed dinner on the beach in San Diego.

San Diego & Orange County

Breakfast at hotel
Enjoyed a hot breakfast before venturing out to see Orange County and sunny San Diego.

Morning Tour: University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

Started our morning at San Diego's top public university, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

Lunch
Grabbed a quick lunch as we headed up the coast to beautiful Orange County

Afternoon Tour: University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine)

Spent the afternoon exploring UC Irvine

Dinner & hotel check-in
Joined our fellow travelers for dinner and evening fun at Downtown Disney!

Los Angeles & The Inland Empire

Breakfast at hotel
We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel before heading out for a day of SoCal College Touring.

Morning Tour: Cal Tech

In the morning, we took a group tour of the world-renowned science and engineering institute Caltech

Lunch
Enjoyed lunch with our friends before heading out for our afternoon tours

Afternoon Tour: University of Southern California (USC)

Hopped back on the bus and head out to visit top private university, University of Southern California (USC)

Dinner & hotel check-in
Checked out the Hollywood sign during some evening sightseeing at the Griffith Observatory before enjoying dinner and free time at Universal Citywalk and heading to the hotel for a good night's rest.

 

Los Angeles

Breakfast at hotel
Enjoyed a quick breakfast before heading out to visit some of LA's top universities.

Morning Tour: Loyola Marymount University

In the morning, we took a tour of the beautiful campus of Loyola Marymount University

Lunch
Gathered together for lunch before heading to iconic Westwood.

Afternoon Tour: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Spent the afternoon on the beautiful campus of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Dinner & hotel check-in
Enjoyed dinner and shopping on 3rd Street promenade and Santa Monica Pier before driving up the coast towards Malibu!

 

California Coast

Breakfast at hotel
Enjoyed a hearty breakfast and prepared for our visits to these stunning seaside campuses.

Morning Tour: Pepperdine University

We began our day with a tour of Pepperdine University on the gorgeous Malibu Coastline.

Lunch
Enjoyed lunch in the beautiful seaside air before heading up the coast.

Afternoon Tour: University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)

In the afternoon, we enjoyed a tour of University of California, Santa Barbara located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Dinner & hotel check-in
We took in the beautiful seascape as we made our way to the heart of Silicon Valley for dinner and a good night's rest.

 

Bay Area

Breakfast at hotel
We enjoyed breakfast before venturing out to see California’s iconic Bay Area and two of the nation's top universities.

Morning Tour: Stanford University

We began our day with a tour of the prestigious Stanford University 

Lunch
Enjoyed lunch and afternoon walking in Downtown Berkeley

Afternoon Tour: University of California, Berkeley (CAL)

After lunch, we headed out to our final tour at one of the nation’s top Universities, UC Berkeley, aka Cal

Dinner, hotel check-in, and sightseeing in San Francisco

Stopped and took photos at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge before traveling to iconic San
Francisco. Enjoyed an evening exploring Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli square
before retiring to our hotel for a well deserved rest.

 

San Francisco - departure day

Breakfast at hotel

Enjoyed breakfast at the hotel before heading out for the airport for our flights home.

Depart for home from San Francisco International Airport
Caught our flights home out of San Francisco Airport (SFO)! Tours staff provided transportation to the airport.

Check out previous California College Tours

Look back at our very first California College Tour from June 2023 and our sold-out tour in 2024! See pictures, tour participant reviews, and more!

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Questions?