Large Group Visits

About Large Group Visits

Penn State Altoona welcomes large student groups of ten or more to campus. Registration is required through the Large Group Visit Request Form. Please complete the form thoroughly to request your visit, including any requests for special accommodations.

Guided tours are subject to student tour guide availability: group tours are typically not available during:

  • January 1–15
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • President's Day
  • March 10–14, 2024 (Spring Break)
  • Juneteenth (June 19)
  • Columbus Day
  • The week of Thanksgiving
  • December 16–January 15

Availability is limited during the summer (May–August).

Please complete the form to request your visit at least two weeks before your desired visit date.

If your family or group has fewer than ten students, please register for one of our prospective first-year student events.

Large Group Visit Request Form

Campus Visit Information
School/Tour Information
Please provide a description of your group.
Please provide a reason for your tour request.
Grade Range for Student Group
Contact Information

Chaperone Information

A minimum of two chaperones is required for your visit, regardless of the number of students.
Primary Chaperone
This person should be the point of contact on the day of your visit.
Chaperone #2
Chaperone #3
Chaperone #4

Visitation Options

Visitation Options
Please check all in which you would like to participate while visiting Penn State Altoona.
Choose Your Meal
Lunch includes water, punch, and cookies. Please select your entree from the options below.
Please include any dietary restrictions or needs in the field below.
Does anyone in your group require special assistance?
Will your group be coming directly to Altoona from the address you provided?
Terms and Agreement

MyPennState Profile

MyPennState is a collection of online services provided by the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Prospective students create a MyPennState account/profile through the Undergraduate Admissions website, which provides access to the services including scheduling a visit, applying for admission, and much more.

Please have your students create a MyPennState profile.

Scheduling Students' Visit

If your visit is approved and scheduled, we will then create a dedicated visit for your students on the visit scheduling system. Students should add their names via the scheduling system. All students are required to pre-register prior to the visit. Doing so provides our office with a roster of registered students that we use to document their visit online and to waive the application fee for those who have not yet submitted an application upon arrival.

Visit Expectations

The Penn State Altoona Admissions Office is committed to providing access to the Altoona campus for groups interested in learning more about the University. The Admissions Office sponsors a campus visitation program targeted specifically to high school students, grades 9-12. Information sessions and campus tours are organized with the prospective college student in mind and are not intended for general school field trip purposes.

For the best visit experience, Penn State recommends a group size of 50 or fewer students.

Our expectations are as follows:

  • All visiting groups are required to have a minimum of two chaperones per group. For groups larger than fifteen students, we require an additional chaperone for each additional fifteen students. Groups without the appropriate number of chaperones will not be permitted to go on tour.
  • All chaperones attending the visit will be required to go on the tour.
  • Attendance at any public event involves certain unavoidable risks such as exposure to or infection by transmissible diseases, viruses, and other illnesses (including, but not limited to, COVID-19 and its variants). Your presence at events or programs hosted by Penn State indicates your assumption of any and all such risk as well as your agreement to adhere to all University policies including, but not limited to, those intended to mitigate the spread of transmissible illnesses. As a member of our community or guest, it is your responsibility to practice basic health, safety, and sanitation measures. The University prohibits your attendance if you are symptomatic of any commonly spread transmissible illness.
  • Penn State adheres to a strict fifteen-minute policy as outlined in scheduling communications. Groups arriving more than fifteen minutes late to any portion of the visit may find that activity to be modified or canceled.
  • Groups are not permitted to use any electronic devices during a campus information session or tour.
  • All groups are required to fill out the Contact Information spreadsheet and provide contact information for all chaperones.
  • Chaperones are responsible for any discipline needs of the group and are expected to handle students at all portions of the visit. Penn State staff and tour guides are not to be left alone with students at any point, and disruptive students are expected to be removed from the group setting.
  • Should chaperones not remove disruptive students from the group setting, Penn State staff and/or tour guides reserve the right to remove a disruptive student from the presentation or tour, in which case a chaperone will need to be available to handle the issue.
  • Chaperones are required to fully engage throughout the visit and set a good example for visiting students. Chaperones are expected to ensure student participation in the visit.
  • Penn State student tour guides reserve the right to end a tour at any point due to disruptive or inappropriate behavior from students or chaperones.
  • Groups will follow directions and instructions of Penn State Housing and Food Services Staff while dining in any facility on campus. Groups are required to follow their guidelines and hours.
  • While on campus, you authorize the use of photographs and video footage for promotional materials of both chaperones and students attending with your group.
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