Anonymous
01/14/2026 21:37
Subject: Ivy Tours
Any recent experiences to share?
Anonymous
07/01/2024 14:03
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My only impression of the Princeton tour was that it felt more geared towards a tourist exploring Princeton than an incoming student.
Lots of time explaining the history of Nassau Hall and other buildings but not allowed to go into anything.
Also, the tour stuck to a very small physical area in the heart of campus but didn’t see any engineering or other STEM parts.
This was our experience with Yale. Very disappointed we didn't get to see inside buildings. We did have a great tour guide though and she really spoke to the culture.
Interesting - when was tour vis-a-vis covid? We went in lots of buildings which I remember clearly because it was torrential downpour and everybody was so relieved every time we walked inside. But this was also pre-Covid.
We toured in February---could not go into buildings. The residential quads also locked and some of the campus only accessible via key card.
We did get to see inside the residential quads. We liked that they were gated in such an urban area- it made it feel more like a campus. I'm PP and we toured in Sept '23.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 13:34
Subject: Ivy Tours
There are kids with 3.8uw that will get in and tons with 4.0uw that won’t. People get way too fixated on stats. It’s a threshold to get above to be considered and beyond that meaningless. It’s not what’s getting you in. 4.0uw are a dime a dozen nowadays.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 11:29
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why are you wasting time touring Ivy schools? Visit safety schools instead to a make sure your kid has some options they like and can get into
— Mom of 2023 grad with 4.9 W GPA and 36 ACT that did not get into any Ivy.
Umm. Maybe it was your kid? One-dimensional? Bad interviewer? Boring and uninspiring?
My kid with 33 ACT and 3.8uw is going to Ivy.
Let ppl tour what they want. No one made you God.
Yeah. I assume there was something really off with this kid.
You people are ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with this kid or the thousands of others like them that have a spotless application and don't get in. Feel free to live in your fantasy world.
A kid with 4.9 and a 36 and couldn't get into any Ivy? Yeah, something went wrong there. The parent should be more self-reflective and let others know their kid's deficiency before posting here.
They want UW 4.0. That weighted his tells you nothing. Some schools on a 5.0 scale and one could have many B’s in APs and achieve that. HS rigor is a biggie with ivies too. If everyone coming out of your HS has very high GPAs- grade inflation.
Nah. They want beyond GPA. 3.9 fine. Rigor important. ECs/Honors also important.
unweighted. you are pretty much saying what I said.
You said 4.0uw. 3.9uw is not the same.
But whatever.
Its holistic. If ppl really are clueless about ivy admissions rubrics, there was a good post on here - search "rubric" i think.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 11:25
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:OP, none of our tours of the 5 ivy schools included buildings inside. Harvard and Yale had presentations in a building to begin, but others were all outside after checking-in somewhere.
Trying to recall tours that we went into buildings, think it was only Northwestern, Hopkins, and Duke. Not extensively, but maybe a class building or student center.
Frankly, I think it likely would be too disruptive. Ivies get so many tours. Bringing these large groups into academic buildings, etc. would not work well.
We did go in student center, gym, library on some Ivy tours.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 11:16
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why are you wasting time touring Ivy schools? Visit safety schools instead to a make sure your kid has some options they like and can get into
— Mom of 2023 grad with 4.9 W GPA and 36 ACT that did not get into any Ivy.
Umm. Maybe it was your kid? One-dimensional? Bad interviewer? Boring and uninspiring?
My kid with 33 ACT and 3.8uw is going to Ivy.
Let ppl tour what they want. No one made you God.
Yeah. I assume there was something really off with this kid.
You people are ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with this kid or the thousands of others like them that have a spotless application and don't get in. Feel free to live in your fantasy world.
A kid with 4.9 and a 36 and couldn't get into any Ivy? Yeah, something went wrong there. The parent should be more self-reflective and let others know their kid's deficiency before posting here.
They want UW 4.0. That weighted his tells you nothing. Some schools on a 5.0 scale and one could have many B’s in APs and achieve that. HS rigor is a biggie with ivies too. If everyone coming out of your HS has very high GPAs- grade inflation.
Nah. They want beyond GPA. 3.9 fine. Rigor important. ECs/Honors also important.
unweighted. you are pretty much saying what I said.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 11:14
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My only impression of the Princeton tour was that it felt more geared towards a tourist exploring Princeton than an incoming student.
Lots of time explaining the history of Nassau Hall and other buildings but not allowed to go into anything.
Also, the tour stuck to a very small physical area in the heart of campus but didn’t see any engineering or other STEM parts.
This was our experience with Yale. Very disappointed we didn't get to see inside buildings. We did have a great tour guide though and she really spoke to the culture.
Interesting - when was tour vis-a-vis covid? We went in lots of buildings which I remember clearly because it was torrential downpour and everybody was so relieved every time we walked inside. But this was also pre-Covid.
We toured in February---could not go into buildings. The residential quads also locked and some of the campus only accessible via key card.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 10:06
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My only impression of the Princeton tour was that it felt more geared towards a tourist exploring Princeton than an incoming student.
Lots of time explaining the history of Nassau Hall and other buildings but not allowed to go into anything.
Also, the tour stuck to a very small physical area in the heart of campus but didn’t see any engineering or other STEM parts.
This was our experience with Yale. Very disappointed we didn't get to see inside buildings. We did have a great tour guide though and she really spoke to the culture.
Interesting - when was tour vis-a-vis covid? We went in lots of buildings which I remember clearly because it was torrential downpour and everybody was so relieved every time we walked inside. But this was also pre-Covid.
NP. This is an important point. Tours at some schools changed when they resumed post-COVID.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 09:31
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:OP, none of our tours of the 5 ivy schools included buildings inside. Harvard and Yale had presentations in a building to begin, but others were all outside after checking-in somewhere.
Trying to recall tours that we went into buildings, think it was only Northwestern, Hopkins, and Duke. Not extensively, but maybe a class building or student center.
Cornell brought us into a number of different buildings.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 09:02
Subject: Ivy Tours
OP, none of our tours of the 5 ivy schools included buildings inside. Harvard and Yale had presentations in a building to begin, but others were all outside after checking-in somewhere.
Trying to recall tours that we went into buildings, think it was only Northwestern, Hopkins, and Duke. Not extensively, but maybe a class building or student center.
Trying to recall tours that we went into buildings, think it was only Northwestern, Hopkins, and Duke. Not extensively, but maybe a class building or student center.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 08:53
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My only impression of the Princeton tour was that it felt more geared towards a tourist exploring Princeton than an incoming student.
Lots of time explaining the history of Nassau Hall and other buildings but not allowed to go into anything.
Also, the tour stuck to a very small physical area in the heart of campus but didn’t see any engineering or other STEM parts.
This was our experience with Yale. Very disappointed we didn't get to see inside buildings. We did have a great tour guide though and she really spoke to the culture.
Interesting - when was tour vis-a-vis covid? We went in lots of buildings which I remember clearly because it was torrential downpour and everybody was so relieved every time we walked inside. But this was also pre-Covid.
Anonymous
07/01/2024 08:32
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:My only impression of the Princeton tour was that it felt more geared towards a tourist exploring Princeton than an incoming student.
Lots of time explaining the history of Nassau Hall and other buildings but not allowed to go into anything.
Also, the tour stuck to a very small physical area in the heart of campus but didn’t see any engineering or other STEM parts.
This was our experience with Yale. Very disappointed we didn't get to see inside buildings. We did have a great tour guide though and she really spoke to the culture.
Anonymous
06/30/2024 23:36
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why are you wasting time touring Ivy schools? Visit safety schools instead to a make sure your kid has some options they like and can get into
— Mom of 2023 grad with 4.9 W GPA and 36 ACT that did not get into any Ivy.
Umm. Maybe it was your kid? One-dimensional? Bad interviewer? Boring and uninspiring?
My kid with 33 ACT and 3.8uw is going to Ivy.
Let ppl tour what they want. No one made you God.
Yeah. I assume there was something really off with this kid.
You people are ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with this kid or the thousands of others like them that have a spotless application and don't get in. Feel free to live in your fantasy world.
A kid with 4.9 and a 36 and couldn't get into any Ivy? Yeah, something went wrong there. The parent should be more self-reflective and let others know their kid's deficiency before posting here.
💯
Some soul searching is in order.
Agreed.
Anonymous
06/30/2024 23:15
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why are you wasting time touring Ivy schools? Visit safety schools instead to a make sure your kid has some options they like and can get into
— Mom of 2023 grad with 4.9 W GPA and 36 ACT that did not get into any Ivy.
Umm. Maybe it was your kid? One-dimensional? Bad interviewer? Boring and uninspiring?
My kid with 33 ACT and 3.8uw is going to Ivy.
Let ppl tour what they want. No one made you God.
Yeah. I assume there was something really off with this kid.
You people are ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with this kid or the thousands of others like them that have a spotless application and don't get in. Feel free to live in your fantasy world.
A kid with 4.9 and a 36 and couldn't get into any Ivy? Yeah, something went wrong there. The parent should be more self-reflective and let others know their kid's deficiency before posting here.
💯
Some soul searching is in order.
Anonymous
06/30/2024 23:14
Subject: Ivy Tours
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why are you wasting time touring Ivy schools? Visit safety schools instead to a make sure your kid has some options they like and can get into
— Mom of 2023 grad with 4.9 W GPA and 36 ACT that did not get into any Ivy.
Umm. Maybe it was your kid? One-dimensional? Bad interviewer? Boring and uninspiring?
My kid with 33 ACT and 3.8uw is going to Ivy.
Let ppl tour what they want. No one made you God.
Feel free to waste your time. Just passing on what post people seem to need to learn the hard way. Its hard to get in. No need to get nasty.
Different poster here. Why come in to any Ivy post to talk about your kid who didn't get in 2 years ago? Clearly many kids DID get in and therefore it isn't crazy for the next crop of kids to visit the school(s).
You post your kid's stats constantly and it's been 18 months since he/she was rejected. It's really time to move on with life.
If the kid is as annoying as the parent, then there's the answer. No one needs that around. Everyone tries to avoid PITA kids and parents.
NP. Why are people piling on this parent? Because you think she's harshing your Ivy buzz? Maybe she came on a bit strong, but her caution is helpful. Very few will get into Ivies. Hope people are putting as much focus on touring likelies and targets.
You're just as annoying. Stay in your own lane. Sounds like you don't want to tour ivies. GREAT! You do you.
Every parent knows that the Ivies are crap shoots. We don't need your "tsk, tsk" know-it-all, party-pooper attitude coming on here to tell us about it.
From my experience, not everyone knows this.
Yes we do.
The posts after ivy day every year speak otherwise
Find another place to hang out….