Value of the official campus tour?

[Anonymous]

We've had 3 of 4 kids go through the admissions process, and, jaded as I am at this point, I still think it's a good idea to do both the tour and the info session. The tour is simply the most efficient way to get the lay of the land -- in 1 hour you'll hit all the basics -- library, classroom/lab building, student center, dorm, dining hall and athletic center. Though the tour guides are obviously chosen for their boosterism and are working from a script, depending on the questions asked by parents, they will occasionally depart from the script to riff on this or that topic -- I still remember one guide at Middlebury speaking remarkably frankly about diversity -- and this in response to a completely innocuous question from a parent.

Regarding the info session, yes, you can get a lot of information from the web site, but the admissions officer will often elaborate with some very interesting insights, either in response to a question or simply because it's a topic s/he particularly cares about. And, yes, this is an opportunity, as is the tour, for your kid to check the box showing that s/he is interested in the school. This is particularly important for SLACs. Of course, there are other ways to accomplish this more easily. Your kid can and should meet with the area rep who visits his/her high school.

If at all, possible, stick around for a while after the tour and info session to try to get the vibe of the place. You'll be surprised how much you can pick up by just having a cup of coffee in the student center while catching bits of conversation (aka: eavesdropping). If you're staying overnight in the area, see if there's a campus event you'd like to attend -- e.g., a home game or a theater performance. If you know a current student, encourage your kid to try to set up a lunch or coffee meeting. (I'd wait on overnights till admissions decisions come out.)

[Anonymous]

^^^^ Thank you for the above insights! Very helpful!

You know, DCUM is often a terrible, negative, soul-sucking place, but you can also sometimes get really useful advice from someone who has walked a path before you.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^^ Thank you for the above insights! Very helpful!

You know, DCUM is often a terrible, negative, soul-sucking place, but you can also sometimes get really useful advice from someone who has walked a path before you.

Thanks!

Pay it forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About to make our first round of college visits over spring break and curious to hear from experienced parents if you and your child felt that the official guided tours were a valuable experience or not? In my personal travels I'm not one for guided or packaged experiences, preferring to discover things on my own just by exploring and talking to people. But perhaps the tours provide access to places and insights I can't get to on my own.

What would you recommend as the best way to experience a campus on a short visit?

The campus tour ended up being the tiebreaker for DD.

[Anonymous]

Fifteen minutes into an official tour DS said, " I really, really want to go here" We had to drag him to the campus. He had been a big complainer traveling and the evening before when we were campus on our own. We were there because he had already been admitted! He had applied sight unseen. May seem backwards but both my kids did this - visited after being admitted/and we knew final cost - for several schools on their list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fifteen minutes into an official tour DS said, " I really, really want to go here" We had to drag him to the campus. He had been a big complainer traveling and the evening before when we were campus on our own. We were there because he had already been admitted! He had applied sight unseen. May seem backwards but both my kids did this - visited after being admitted/and we knew final cost - for several schools on their list.

This is good to read because I have the same reluctant son and we're planning our first visits over spring break. I don't think it has quite sunk in yet for him that a little over a year from now high school will be over then it's on to the next chapter.

[Anonymous]

Don't let reluctance keep them from having options. I saw kids of all academic abilities freeze-up, like deer in the headlights. It does not mean they won't be ready. Friend of DD, who ultimately went to Princeton, had to be grounded, at the 11th hour, to finish her applications. With students who are less academically inclined I always consider it so sad when a parent views it as lazy or not motivated enough for college.