<p>I'm going on my first tour tomorrow--at American University! It'll be a reach, but within grasp.</p>
<p>I'm sort of nervous. Any advice?</p>
<p>Relax. Look around: the kids, the buildings, the newspapers, where kids post events. Ask questions. Be sure to get up front, near the guide. That’s so you can hear better and also ask questions. Eat a meal there. </p>
<p>After the tour, hang around and try to envision yourself there. With textbooks in hand. Paper due, cold winter breeze coming off the Potomac. Planning to meet a friend for hot chocolate.</p>
<p>Afterwards, keep notes of your impressions. Date it. Sounds like this will be the first of many. Enjoy the journey!</p>
<p>Hey! You are evaluating the University…not the other way around! Look, listen, ask! (Just remember that things may be pretty quiet now that Spring term is over.)</p>
<p>When going on tours, try to focus on the substance rather than the fluff. Remember that tours are when colleges try to sell their product. So, check your emotions at the door and focus on the substance. When you walk around, try to observe the students. Do they appear happy? Are they engaging with other students? </p>
<p>Also, remember to look at the surrounding area around each college. Is there anything within walking distance that you can see yourself doing on the weekends (such as, places to eat, maybe a mall, clubs, movies, etc.)? </p>
<p>I know this may sound weird, but look around and take notice of the student population.
Does everyone look the same? Look for a bit of diversity within the groups of students hanging around together.</p>
<p>-point about newspapers and student bulletin boards is key
-don’t be afraid to ask students that you see around campus questions (and don’t freak out at the emptiness of the campus – that’s what happens in the summer). remember, the students around campus aren’t being paid by the admissions’ office to talk about the school – it might be good to hear what THEY have to say 
-don’t be afraid to ask questions in the info session (but don’t repeat a question or answer something blatantly obvious that was covered in the admission rep’s speech). if you don’t want to ask in front of the group stick around between the info session and tour (warning: you may have to beat off aggressively inquisitive parents with a stick.) or stop by after the tour.
-this is your first tour, so everything they tell you will sound fantastic and novel. most of what they tell you is in fact commonplace – colleges like to pretend that the stuff they’re offering is special when it really isn’t. so after you’ve visited a few more schools reevaluate American to see what really makes it stand out/a good fit for you. For instance, commonplace: Blue Light System, active + diverse student body, ‘low’ student-to-teacher ratio (schools fudge with that number a LOT, active study abroad program (that is somehow different from every other school’s program). Unique: D.C. location, fantastic international relations program, etc.
-don’t forget to fill out some sort of card when you’re in the admissions’ office – it’s what let’s them know that you visited. demonstrated interest will boost your app.</p>
<p>Remember that the tour guides are chosen to represent the school in the best possible light, to “sell” the school to a certain extent, so you should not rely solely on what you learn during the formal tour. </p>
<p>My son found it helpful to go eat in a dining hall during each campus visit just to observe the student body (in addition to judging the quality of the food that he would have to eat for 4 years!). Is the student body diverse, or is it fairly homogeneous? Are there large groups of kids just hanging out together, or is everyone sitting alone glued to a textbook or laptop?</p>
<p>Sometimes he just went up to a group of students eating lunch, introduced himself as a prospective student, and asked them if he could ask them a few questions. Usually, they were more than happy to talk to him, and he got very candid opinions that way – as the students talked about both the good and bad.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice! What should I wear? I’m not doing an interview or anything so I was just thinking jeans (no holes or anything like that) and a polo. Is that ok?</p>
<p>Clothing choice sounds good.</p>
<p>One thing ds did (at my request) was to write three pros, three cons and then a little narrative after the visit, even if it’s just a sentence or two. Will help keep the schools straight in your head once you start seeing a bunch. He really got into it, and it was fun to look back on at the end of the process.</p>
<p>ETA: And make sure to fill out a cc visit report! Ds2 is interested in American and I’m interested in your thoughts. :)</p>
<p>It will be in the 90’s tomorrow. Wear something cool! A polo and shorts would be fine.</p>
<p>The cafeteria at AU is great. They will even make milkshakes, etc. for you - just the thing on a hot summer day! And it’s a great place to absorb the atmosphere.</p>
<p>really, unless you have an interview, it will not matter what you wear; the tour guide will not submit a report! So wear something confortable.</p>
<p>The walking guides love to answer questions, so ask away. And whatever you do, don’t judge the university on the people who ask goofy or obnoxious questions. Have a great time and I agree - wear shorts.</p>
<p>If you have the extra cash pop into the bookstore and buy yourself a tee shirt, but remember that 100% cotton shrinks.</p>
<p>Agree with the other great suggestions. What helped my D most was sitting in on classes in her major. It was a great way to meet current students with similar interests to her.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>If the cafeteria is open the food is quite good. Worth trying out. American’s study abroad options are actually pretty unique, much more extensive than most and a lot of their own programs. If you can try to look a bit at the rest of DC. American is in a quiet neighborhood (a lot of Embassies), but it’s very easy to get to shopping or downtown to the museums. </p>
<p>One question I like to ask on tours is if there was something they could change about the college what would it be.</p>
<p>Oh and I agree wear shorts !</p>
<p>This brings back memories. American was our first family college tour. </p>
<p>You should ask the tourguides about DC internship experiences. Many students do them. I think there was something about no classes on Wed to allow this.</p>
<p>Keep reminding yourself that the heat and HUMIDITY will be gone by the third week of September and then the weather will be wonderful. (And you will get used to driving around those circles by midway through your sophomore year.)</p>
<p>If you can, take a walk through the departments that interest you. At one campus, the profs were around in early August and practically dragged my S into their offices to talk about the place. Some departments he visited had bulletin boards with listing of what recent grads were doing (names of employers and grad schools were very useful!).</p>
<p>Both my kids sat in on classes wherever possible, both in core distribution courses as well as upper-div classes in their intended majors.</p>
<p>Campus newspapers often offer a striking contrast to what students and parents are told on tours (whether it’s budget cuts, crime, campus politics, res hall issues, etc). Pick up whatever you can find. S2 picked up a copy of one school’s newspaper and in one issue, found four free lectures on campus that week by prominent folks in the field he’s interested in. Worked for him!</p>