Is the parent tour an interview (even if you have not officially applied)?

[Anonymous]

We are touring a few schools this Fall and plan to apply to those we like. We are doing individual tours. Are these interviews or is that another step?

I thought they were just tours, but then I learned we are touring with admissions director and when I looked on the website, one of the application steps is 'call for a tour/parent interview'

Separate question--If we know we are applying to a certain school should we submit our application prior to the tour so that they know we are serious or just wait?

Thanks for any guidance....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are touring a few schools this Fall and plan to apply to those we like. We are doing individual tours. Are these interviews or is that another step?

I thought they were just tours, but then I learned we are touring with admissions director and when I looked on the website, one of the application steps is 'call for a tour/parent interview'

Separate question--If we know we are applying to a certain school should we submit our application prior to the tour so that they know we are serious or just wait?

Thanks for any guidance....

It depends on the school. But I think by and large, those on the tour intend to apply. That is one reason these parents treat it like an interview -'dressing up, laser eye contact, bubbling over enthusiasm, and inane - notice how smart and interested I am - questions pervade.

[Anonymous]

If a parent gives the tour there is no/minimal feedback. Really lovely or totally awful might be worth a mention, otherwise it's completely ignored. Even that's really only likely to happen at a small school.

If the AD gives the tour it's not usually any substitute for an interview (they're distinct parts of your visit, one after the other), but you should act as if it's an interview. Ie don't pick your nose, fart loudly or ask questions that imply you'll be high maintenance if accepted.

[Anonymous]

We did one where the parent interview included a tour with a student. But that was very clear up front and we were asked to turn in our parent statement before the interview (not the that admissions person had read it of course).

[Anonymous]

We are applying? Submitting our application? Are we in high school?

[Anonymous]

The only school we toured that it seemed to matter whether we had applied or not beforehand was GDS. The admissions director was clearly irritated that we hadn't submitted an application before we toured. It made no sense to us because how would we know if we wanted to apply if we'd never set foot in the school? The whole thing was so off-putting that we decided not to apply. This was for K.

[Anonymous]

It may not be an interview per se, but you are being assessed, no question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only school we toured that it seemed to matter whether we had applied or not beforehand was GDS. The admissions director was clearly irritated that we hadn't submitted an application before we toured. It made no sense to us because how would we know if we wanted to apply if we'd never set foot in the school? The whole thing was so off-putting that we decided not to apply. This was for K.

It's been several years since we interviewed and toured schools for our PreK child (so yes, irritable PP,*we* interviewed and toured, not DC at age 3 or 4)…. but for GDS, as I recall, the required parent interview was the same day as the tour and the director reads the app before doing the interview so I can see that they may have been frustrated but the frustration should have been with the staff for not catching that the application wasn't complete before scheduling the tour/interview - not with you and your family.

I get your point about the tour being a way to gain information, but quite honestly, given the high volume of apps and the wealth of information available online and in print before tours, it's also not unreasonable in DC to expect the app first.

Having said that: we had such an ATROCIOUS tour from one school that we did not complete the application process for it. Fast forward a year later, when we just were feeling so at sea about what to do (having decided to hold off on application process for independent schools entirely until DC would enter K, due to some family challenges). We used a consultant who strongly urged us to reconsider above-mentioned school with atrocious tour….we took her counsel and have never looked back. It was a major life lesson for us: don't let a tour or a tour guide be a sole factor. (It was a parent tour guide, btw.)

One more note: some schools in other areas do ask tour guides to provide feedback after the (individualized, rather than group) tours. I have no idea whether any of the DC schools do this …..

[Anonymous]

Just went through this last yr. we had our tour and parent interview at gds in oct and had not applied yet. It was no problem at all. They did want the application in before he kids came for a.visit. Everyone was lovely. We applied to other schools, for most we got a tour the day of our parent. Interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It may not be an interview per se, but you are being assessed, no question

I used to handle tours for a Big 3. Do not let your guard down by my status as a "parent volunteer." I was absolutely assessing you (did you seem nice, was your DH checking his iPhone every second, did you ask questions just to get noticed) and dutifully reported back to the AD.

[Anonymous]

I toured schools before applying if I couldn't attend the open house. I didn't apply to all of them, and the ones I did apply to, the tour/meeting with AD counted as the parent interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may not be an interview per se, but you are being assessed, no question

I used to handle tours for a Big 3. Do not let your guard down by my status as a "parent volunteer." I was absolutely assessing you (did you seem nice, was your DH checking his iPhone every second, did you ask questions just to get noticed) and dutifully reported back to the AD.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I find your post tremendously off-putting on several levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may not be an interview per se, but you are being assessed, no question

I used to handle tours for a Big 3. Do not let your guard down by my status as a "parent volunteer." I was absolutely assessing you (did you seem nice, was your DH checking his iPhone every second, did you ask questions just to get noticed) and dutifully reported back to the AD.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I find your post tremendously off-putting on several levels.

Classic teachers pet. That said, everything she flagged seemed like legit red flags for douchebag parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may not be an interview per se, but you are being assessed, no question

I used to handle tours for a Big 3. Do not let your guard down by my status as a "parent volunteer." I was absolutely assessing you (did you seem nice, was your DH checking his iPhone every second, did you ask questions just to get noticed) and dutifully reported back to the AD.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I find your post tremendously off-putting on several levels.

Classic teachers pet. That said, everything she flagged seemed like legit red flags for douchebag parents

Oh, I agree about the douchebag behaviors, but the post seemed kind of douchebag in and of itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may not be an interview per se, but you are being assessed, no question

I used to handle tours for a Big 3. Do not let your guard down by my status as a "parent volunteer." I was absolutely assessing you (did you seem nice, was your DH checking his iPhone every second, did you ask questions just to get noticed) and dutifully reported back to the AD.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I find your post tremendously off-putting on several levels.

Classic teachers pet. That said, everything she flagged seemed like legit red flags for douchebag parents

Oh, I agree about the douchebag behaviors, but the post seemed kind of douchebag in and of itself.

I like brutal honesty. Thanks PP and thanks DCUM!