I did not attend any admitted students days with my children. Their attendance at such days, in combination with visiting other schools for which attendance at the admitted students days wasn’t possible, really helped their decision making. Some schools only allow overnight visits during the official admitted students events, and for some students, doing overnights is crucial.
We tried to do 3, but ended up only doing one official, and seeing the others after the weekend. I think it was very helpful, as it was the first time son saw these campuses. At one college, he met some boys who had been to another os his colleges the weekend before, and he listened to them comparing the 2schools. I think they swayed him, for better or worse. Even tho we had avoided all official tours, at the accepted students weekend, we had a tour guide from the business school, not the CS school, and son had an absentee student host. He spent the overnight in the lounge. Mathmom’s son had a terrific experience at this school. I wish our weekend had been better in so many ways. It could have been the best fit for my son.
Once my son was admitted to his ideal choice, there was no point in spending so much money checking out other schools. We saved a lot of money by hardly doing any school visits before and after the admission. It’s all depending on each family’s circumstances, obviously. If the OP’s case has no clear cut ideal or dream school and has a tough decision to make, then it’s worth visiting the top contenders.
We attended a few admitted students days, but they weren’t all that far away from home. One was for a university which was perhaps 5 hours away but they held an admitted students day within 1/2 hour drive from our house. We felt them worth attending. They did seem more oriented towards the student.
Separately, we attended an orientation for students who had decided to attend the university. This allowed for example signing up for classes and talking to professors, and was on campus. I thought that this was enormously valuable. The event was held in the spring, by coincidence within about a week of one daughter’s high school graduation. The thing that I liked best about this: When a student graduates high school what they have been doing for many years is suddenly over, and their friends are going to scatter to the wind. This can be depressing. However, by attending a well run orientation at the university where they will be attending, they see what they are going to be doing in the fall, and have something solid to look forward to. My daughter enjoyed the orientation quite a bit, and it was worth attending even though we needed to fly in to attend. I think that an admitted students day can be a bit helpful in the same direction. Everything is more “real” when you have been admitted and know that the finances will work.
If the admitted student’s day is on campus, and if you haven’t already seen the campus, then to me it seems like the opportunity to see the campus might be worth the trip (within reason) at least for any school that is in your “top 2 or 3” and is still in contention.
At UMich, the Campus Day has a FA section specifically for parents. Also, there are parents with particular concerns such a food allergy that can be addressed in the info session.
Can’t imagine it being valuable for a parent- it’s designed for the kids.
-I found them very valuable. My kids even more so. As my son said during our most recent…“Boy am I looking at this school differently now that I may actually come here.” He had great questions, observations, and definitely got a feel for the school. They are only “snapshots” of the school, so you have to understand their limitations. My only complaint is that with so many crammed into April, it’s hard to squeeze them in.
I guess this depends on the college. Accepted Student Day(s) at UChicago a couple of years back was pretty amazing. They trot out fabulous speakers and really make an event out of the whole thing. It was my first visit to the University - my son had visited prior to applying - and I absolutely fell in love with the place.
It didn’t take that whole show to convince my son. As I alluded to above, his overnight at UofC on accepted students day – his first-ever visit to UofC – was enough for him to declare the next morning: “this will do.” His concerns that the students would be poseurs and snooty “intellectuals” were allayed by his interactions on the overnight. Also, beyond the college is the city. In the city are major league sports – a huge draw for a kid who is fanatical about sports (but not as a participant). And in the city there are also many islands to explore north of UofC. As he told me during our drive home at the end of the year, “I made it a point to get well off campus once or twice a week.” He also got verrry far off campus by spending his junior year at London School of Economics.
Agree, UChicago had a lot of activities that parents could join. Harvey Mudd really had a lot of stuff for parents, too. It wasn’t all with the kids – some things like panels were joint, some were separate like while the kids attended a couple of classes. And the overnight was all kids at both places, of course. But I learned a lot at both, and we were able to pool our observations afterwards because we didn’t see the same things all the time. My D2 hadn’t traveled much on her own at that age, so it worked well for us to go together. D1 was an experienced world traveler at that age, and decided to attend only one accepted visit (the school she was quite sure of, but wanted one last look), so she went without me.
I picked up stuff at the accepted student weekend that paid off later, too. One of the profs at Mudd mentioned in a panel that there was usually a few day physics seminar for frosh right at the end of winter break that was especially good for physics majors or kids without strong physics backgrounds to attend. As my kid (1) was interested in a physics major, and (2) went to a HS with no science APs offered, I filed that nugget for future reference. Brought it up to my kid in November, and she realized she had just skipped over an email about it the week before. She went back and found it and got signed up, and said later that it had really helped her get a good start to her 2nd semester physics core class. So… parents can learn valuable stuff, too!
I will say, it was my kid’s accepted visit to UChicago that turned her off to it. It was her number 1 going in (and she had visited previously). But that is a whole different thread. 
As I said, 24 hours on campus can be very instructive.
For my son, it was the deciding factor. He had narrowed his choices down to two. Attended both admitted days (already leaning towards one school) and completely confirmed his decision. Was OK with the first one but not crazy about it. At the second one, he knew immediately it was for him. He just felt incredibly comfortable there. That was great because he could spend the whole day getting involved in things knowing he was going to that school. It gave him a great taste and made him quite excited for the fall.
Not only were Admitted Students Days very valuable to my son, they were valuable to me and particularly my husband who had not visited the #1 choice school. Since this school is more expensive than his in state choices (one of which was also a top contender) it was important that he also fall in love with it and agree that it was worth the extra cost.
Follow up visits, especially if you haven’t visited before when classes are in session, we found invaluable. Due to my daughter’s schedule she wasn’t able to do formal admitted students days. She made individual arrangements and the schools were happy to accommodate her. Based on subsequent visits, two that looked viable fell out of consideration, and one moved up dramatically. Given that college is so costly, we thought that a few round trip airfares was worth the investment.
My wife asked me to take our son to Ithaca’s accepted students day because she wasn’t impressed when they visited last fall. Her hope is that I will like it more than she did, since it’s far and away our son’s top choice.
For my oldest she had three schools to choose between but only one affordable academic fit. Unfortunately it was far from her top choice. We did admitted students days and that was enough to convince her that yes, she could have a good experience here. She committed at the end of that day and we cancelled our admitted students visit to her preferred but too expensive option at her request. Although I gotta say, I thought we had lost it when the day began with a rousing performance by the marching band followed by making everyone put their arms around each other to sing the school song. This was almost a deal breaker for my introvert. Thankfully the day was well programmed with lots of variety so we recovered.
Even if your child is set on a college, they will learn more about the college and meet some potential new friends that may be potential roommates.
For both my d’s it was the deciding factor. With older d, she had visited Brandeis on Labor Day weekend of her junior year so it had been some time. Accepting Students Day even though the weather was terrible was a chance to walk around campus, get the vibe, sit in some classes in both science and art history, her initial areas of interest, the gym facilities and student center and in her case, visit the art studio where she would be spending some time. Initially her first choice was Carnegie Mellon and she was accepted to a dual art/science program, no merit money as the kicker for that program was that both schools had to agree on merit money. We had never been out there to visit and unfortunately as my mother was ill and in rapidly declining health we did not get a chance to visit. The studio/campus visit and the merit money at Brandeis sealed the deal. She was waitlisted at 2 Ivies and never moved off the waitlist, would not have received any merit money from either in any case.
With younger d, we revisited University of Rochester on a glorious spring day and she had a chance to speak with students at a small event, tour the campus, meet with a music faculty member, see the practice rooms, get the vibe, tour a dorm room. She did have some merit money. She also had a more significant merit award from American and even though she had little interest the amount of the merit money made the trip important. We didn’t have a great experience as no faculty member in music department available, saw that the music library was essentially like a closet as compared to the music library she would be using at Eastman, got the vibe of the campus, toured a dorm. No classes available to visiting students to participate in as I recall, she didn’t really see herself there. Next was BU which we had toured earlier that year and had planned to revisit, no merit money involved but we said we could swing it if that was what her heart desired. After touring Rochester and American, her decision was made and no need to revisit BU.
We would be at one today.
But there’s a big family party tomorrow, and guests in from out of town.
So my daughter is on the group chat, getting to know other kids, and has a potential roommate in the works.
But I don’t see any downside to attending if you can.
I thought Admitted Students Days were useful because they demonstrated what a specific school valued, what it’s message was about who it was. But in terms of making decisions, both of mine had already decided to attend, and went to the Admitted day more as a way to start envisioning their life as a college student at that campus and to meet people, rather than a way to inform a decision.
For my D, it was the deciding factor for both her and us. We learned a lot at the different schools and more in depth about their programs. For the school decided on, I was really impressed by some of the students that we met. At the end of that day she had decided (and we didn’t need to attend any other admitted days). For my S, we had already decided, but it was still a great learning experience and a chance for him to meet people and get a feel for life on campus.
So many parents I have spoken too have mentioned how on Admitted Day their kid “found their people” and knew that was the school for them.
Not everyone has the resources to attend every admitted day, but if you can I recommend it. You never know what you’ll learn (good or bad).
One last thought…your kid has spent months selling himself/herself to the colleges — now it’s the colleges turn to sell themselves to you! Enjoy it!
While we are not doing AS days, D did overnight visits as a recruited athlete last fall. It really helped cement which school was her #1 and which schools should not be on her list, or needed to fall down her list. I highly recommend the visits for those still uncertain, and overnights if possible. And I agree with @momof2boys. I had made most of the visits to schools with D prior to her overnights. H made the visits with her when she did the overnights. He needed to be sold on D’s #1 choice.