UC Merced will be featured on Amazon Prime’s popular show “The College Tour,” a half-hour, student-driven program that showcases colleges and universities around the world. Each episode focuses on a single school, highlighting everything from campus life and academics to athletics, activities and more.
“The College Tour'' crew filmed on campus in October. Earlier in the semester, a casting call was put out for UC Merced students who were interested in being featured on the program; 10 were chosen. Each of the students leads a segment of the episode that showcases an aspect of UC Merced.
Currently in its 10th season, “The College Tour'' has profiled over 100 schools since 2020. Host Alex Boylan got the idea for the show after helping his niece as she decided which college to attend. Boylan, who is no stranger to TV, having produced and hosted several other shows, created “The College Tour” as a way for families to learn about campuses they may not be able to visit in person.
UC Merced’s episode of “The College Tour” is slated to stream on Amazon Prime in May when the show’s 11th season kicks off, but the Bobcat community won’t have to wait that long to watch it. The university is holding a premiere watch party on campus Feb. 8 followed by a Q&A session with the students from the episode.
The “blue carpet” event begins at 6 p.m. in the Dr. Vikram and Priya Lakireddy Ballroom, located in the Conference Center, and will feature a reception where attendees can rub elbows with the campus’s newest stars. Refreshments will be served and admission is free.
Following the watch party, the episode will be available for viewing on UC Merced’s website and YouTube page.
