S/O - any disappointing tours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Princeton. The guide was disinterested and seemed to know they had no need to sell the school. He wasn't wrong though. Dartmouth seemed to emphasize how depressing the weather was, but I appreciated that because I think those winters can really blindside kids from this area.

Our Princeton tour wasn't disappointing, but didn't appreciate legacy guide whose legacy parents married at chapel. Now given admissions results at our school, just adds to message that it's a club. Too bad, the school seems like a great idea. (ps - DC didn't apply based on location - so no sour grapes here)

Luck of the draw with tour guides. Our guide at Princeton was great and the school is gorgeous. UPenn was terrible but in 2022 they were still not doing in person tours and most buildings were off limits, allegedly due to Covid. It looks like the in-person tours have resumed now.

[Anonymous]

Disappointed in the tour of JMU. Started the tour at the back of the Festival Conference and Student Center. Walked along the west side of the Bioscience building. This is a very large building. Most of the windows were festoned with BLM signs. At least 75% of them. We got to the back of the building and turned right along Carrier Drive and walked east toward the Rose Library. As we cleared the back of the Biocience building, I looked back over my shoulder at the east side. Surprise! no BLM signs. So someone decided to place these signs for the benefit of the those visiting the campus. To top that off, coming back up Carrier Drive, in front of the Student Center, we had to take a large step of a puddle of vomitus. Thought they might have had someone clean that up. Uh, no thanks.

[Anonymous]

I made the above comment about Wesleyan. To be clear, I was not commenting on the tour guides at all. It's more that it felt like what Wesleyan chose to highlight on its tours did not put the school in its best light. No reflection on the guides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M - wanted to love it, but it was the worst visit we had. My kid asked if we could leave halfway through the session - before we even had a tour.

CNU - seemed so quiet. The only place we saw kids was the dining hall and this was on a Friday afternoon.

Same for CNU. Also it was a turn off for DD that all the tour guides (I think there were 6 or 7 that day) were in Greek life and she doesn't want to do that. Adding to that they didn't even visit a science building on the tour, giving her the impression that the sciences are not a priority. It didn't make her list.

They offer 90 majors. It'd probably be a really long tour if they gave time to all of them! Did you all go visit one of the buildings afterwards or was it not a priority?

Of course they offer more than what's on an individual tour but the question here was about what was a "disappointing tour." And this one was disappointing for DD. Yes, I encouraged her to look around more after it but she hated the overall vibe of the school. It was not for her. I know kids who love CNU, I have nothing against it, but it wasn't right for DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WVU (looked at it as a safety and one that gives out a LOT of merit $$$) -- went in with low expectations and it was worse than expected. The surrounding town was depressing and downtrodden and the older part of campus was super hilly and not great. The new part of campus was okay but the split between the two was weird. Our tour guide was A+ though -- best we had anywhere.

UMD -- they seemed totally disinterested in trying to attract students. The whole experience including the campus was meh. Surprising because it seems like students like it.

This is an anonymous board. No one is going to come and take away your elite parenting card for considering West Virginia for your child.

[Anonymous]

UNC. It was clear they knew they didn’t need to recruit anyone. Barely went to 4 buildings. Still loved campus but the tour was terrible. Go when it is convenient and don’t worry about getting in for your dates. It wasn’t worth it.

[Anonymous]

I didn't go to WVU for a tour, but we went so my husband could go to a game there and take our older daughter (the little one was a toddler at the time)

I agree with the assessment of the area - so run down. We eventually found the mall outside of town, but it was a very disappointing visit.

My husband went back with our then-teen a couple years later and some drunk townie who was probably our age was mouthing off to my daughter who was minding her own business. It was so bad that even the home fans (my family was there supporting the opposing team, but not obnoxiously) were telling the woman to shut her mouth and sit her behind down. I know it took everything in my husband, who is ex-military, not to grab that chick by the throat.

[Anonymous]

BU-teen and adult disliked it. Campus came across as unappealing and they spent too much time talking about how famous various alums are (some of that is fine, but it stood out as an unusual amount.)

[Anonymous]

BU is so odd - seems like a cult following, honestly.

I remember they recruited me like crazy in HS. All kinds of mailers all of the time.

My former boss went there and made his kids apply. I don't think any of them wanted to go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't go to WVU for a tour, but we went so my husband could go to a game there and take our older daughter (the little one was a toddler at the time)

I agree with the assessment of the area - so run down. We eventually found the mall outside of town, but it was a very disappointing visit.

My husband went back with our then-teen a couple years later and some drunk townie who was probably our age was mouthing off to my daughter who was minding her own business. It was so bad that even the home fans (my family was there supporting the opposing team, but not obnoxiously) were telling the woman to shut her mouth and sit her behind down. I know it took everything in my husband, who is ex-military, not to grab that chick by the throat.

Yeah those townies really tell you what it’s like to be a student on campus. Same thing could’ve happened at Fenway if you were wearing Yankees garb. Bet you wouldn’t blame it on Harvard or BU.

[Anonymous]

Mixed feelings on Bates tour. They separated the kids from parents on the tour. Interesting concept but it didn’t over especially well. Kids were silent. Surrounding area also not a draw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't go to WVU for a tour, but we went so my husband could go to a game there and take our older daughter (the little one was a toddler at the time)

I agree with the assessment of the area - so run down. We eventually found the mall outside of town, but it was a very disappointing visit.

My husband went back with our then-teen a couple years later and some drunk townie who was probably our age was mouthing off to my daughter who was minding her own business. It was so bad that even the home fans (my family was there supporting the opposing team, but not obnoxiously) were telling the woman to shut her mouth and sit her behind down. I know it took everything in my husband, who is ex-military, not to grab that chick by the throat.

Yeah those townies really tell you what it’s like to be a student on campus. Same thing could’ve happened at Fenway if you were wearing Yankees garb. Bet you wouldn’t blame it on Harvard or BU.

it certainly doesn't give a good impression of the area the school is in. And the area, as I mentioned, is really not very nice to begin with.

Do you really think it is OK to yell at a 13 year old girl when you are a grown ass adult?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't go to WVU for a tour, but we went so my husband could go to a game there and take our older daughter (the little one was a toddler at the time)

I agree with the assessment of the area - so run down. We eventually found the mall outside of town, but it was a very disappointing visit.

My husband went back with our then-teen a couple years later and some drunk townie who was probably our age was mouthing off to my daughter who was minding her own business. It was so bad that even the home fans (my family was there supporting the opposing team, but not obnoxiously) were telling the woman to shut her mouth and sit her behind down. I know it took everything in my husband, who is ex-military, not to grab that chick by the throat.

Yeah those townies really tell you what it’s like to be a student on campus. Same thing could’ve happened at Fenway if you were wearing Yankees garb. Bet you wouldn’t blame it on Harvard or BU.

it certainly doesn't give a good impression of the area the school is in. And the area, as I mentioned, is really not very nice to begin with.

Do you really think it is OK to yell at a 13 year old girl when you are a grown ass adult?

Goodness, that's terrible behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mixed feelings on Bates tour. They separated the kids from parents on the tour. Interesting concept but it didn’t over especially well. Kids were silent. Surrounding area also not a draw.

Interesting. That was not our experience. We were not separated at all. Seemed like a great school and had a great tour guide who even told us he almost transferred but was so glad that he hadn’t bc in the end he found everything he needed.

[Anonymous]

Northeastern was a mess. Disorganized from the time we arrived. We left midway through the tour.