Hi,
How big of an admissions difference (for schools taking into account demonstrated interested) is a general tour vs an engineering specific one? Going on the engineering specific one is only open on very strange dates during weekdays, not weekends, which makes access difficult. Perhaps this would explain to officers why a tour has taken so long to attend? This will be for top 20 schools.
I understand college tours and demonstrated interest is going to make very little difference to admissions officers during the application process, but at some point, it must have an effect (even if it’s small). Regardless, I’d like to maximize acceptance chances and I’m willing to take off a day of school (as are my parents) if necessary.
You can google the common data set for a school (google “common data set XYZ university”) and look at Section C to see if a school considers demonstrated interest at all in the admissions decisions. In any event, I don’t think will matter if your do the general or the engineering tour – go to the one that fits your schedule and/or that you feel would be most beneficial.
It depends on the school. Northwestern takes attendance for their engineering talk /tour. Demonstrated interest? Why else would they take attendance?
The general tours after doing a few get to be the same. For us the engineering ones were about the same… Like all the chemistry /biomedical building tend to look the same. Every college shows you their 3d printer etc etc. The tour kids were all double majors in really important sounding things and doing research in really impressive sounding things… Lol.
For us… We did the general rah, rah, talks and if we skipped the walking tour we met with the head of the department or met with a professor. We gained so much more useful information this way… For us…
Also for the top 20 engineering schools we visited. Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Georgia Tech and WashU seemed to want to know you wanted to be there. Purdue and Illinois it was like they were bothered that people actually showed up. They were the only ones also that did the look to the left, right… 2 of you won’t be here by the end of your second-year… Makes you really feel wanted.