Sign in to virtual info sessions to get the credit for demonstrated interest. Place them on mute, walk away.
Because yes, they all say the same things. I found Niche student reviews to be pretty accurate, and Reddit can be revealing if you wade through the chatter.

Anonymous wrote:Is it me or do colleges all look the same in virtual sessions. It's the same stuff..

We are ranked highly
We have a strong alum network
Our professors do a great job
We have a club for everything
We have a diverse student body
We have good food
We have great school spirit
We have all sorts of resources available
We have great study abroad programs
We are affordable because...

If it wasnt for that Harvard banner in the background, this can be any school

Ok yes I do realize the colleges say these same things, it's at least easier to distnguish one from the other when it's an in person tour.

Colleges are asking for our kids to "stand out" but after looking at schools virtually, not much is standing out!

Pretty much this! All the colleges start to sound the same, especially within a type. I have really appreciated when a college is actually able to tell us something distinct about them. From DD's search, the ones that were notable that way for us were Dickinson (big emphasis on international learning, not just the same study-abroad talking points), Juniata (their field center for environmental science), and Washington College (clearly called out three centers of excellence, not just we're great at everything, we have lots of majors).

Is it me or do colleges all look the same in virtual sessions. It's the same stuff..

We are ranked highly
We have a strong alum network
Our professors do a great job
We have a club for everything
We have a diverse student body
We have good food
We have great school spirit
We have all sorts of resources available
We have great study abroad programs
We are affordable because...

If it wasnt for that Harvard banner in the background, this can be any school

Ok yes I do realize the colleges say these same things, it's at least easier to distnguish one from the other when it's an in person tour.

Colleges are asking for our kids to "stand out" but after looking at schools virtually, not much is standing out!