<p>Cindy, that hasn't been my experience at all. When I've seen parents ask questions it's cuz the silence is deafening and awkward, and I think because they don't want the tour guide to feel bad. What can I say? I've only toured Southen schools. :)</p>
<p>I found my son was the gabbiest while walking at the front of group with the tour guide. He never asked a question in front of the whole group unless called on.</p>
<p>The good news is since I started this thread we had a great tour that I thought had the perfect balance of academics/college life/unique superstitions and taboos.</p>
<p>^^ Agree, parents shut up. Reminds me of a tour at Princeton. The mother from a recognizably affluent suburb, took the tour in her dress and stilleto heels, with her Yorkie on a lease. The signs at the historic hall in which the information session was held prohibited food and drink -- we all watched the mother's obsession with finding water for her dog, then brought it into the hall in a paper cup for the dog to lap. Then she dominated the questions with whether equestrian was a sport or club. Couldn't really hold it against Princeton, but it does tend to cloud one's view.</p>
<p>If I were a college Dean reading this board about tours, I would be scared to death!!! </p>
<p>I know we did exactly the same thing with DS early in the process - went on the tours and used that to form an impression. One of our running jokes became - how many books do you think they will claim for the library? And how many times will they mention that they can get practically any book through interlibrary loan? We would bet a soda on closest guess to either number. </p>
<p>When he became a recruited athlete, the tours became part of a larger visit - and shrank dramatically in importance, becoming almost a time filler.</p>
<p>With athletic visits, there is almost always a one on one tour with the coach where they show you the important athletic things - but also anything else you want to see. So if he wanted to see a chemistry lab, we would get to go in on - often to be greeted by a chemistry professor. If we wanted to see the inside of a dorm room, one of the players would take us to his room. etc. </p>
<p>If I were the college dean, all tours would be one on one. I know it would cost far more - but making them personalized is so important.</p>
<p>Youdon'tSay, you're right that there can be much deafening silence if the parents don't speak. Still, you never know whether there would have been deafening silence if you're, you know, talking. :)</p>
<p>It's just annoying when parents ask questions that are <em>so</em> specific to their child or <em>so</em> specific on a subject. It would be like going on a first date with someone and asking them what you should name your first child. Too much, too soon. Really, why does a parent need to know how many tables and conference rooms exist on the upper levels of the library?</p>
<p>But yes, all tours include the number of books in the library. And all tours include a pitch to buy the laptop through the school (with each tour guide -- I kid you not -- telling a harrowing tale of damaging or breaking the laptop and getting it back in 1 day). And some talk about how you get (through the miracle of technology!) a card that acts as you key <em>and</em> stores your cafeteria bucks. Wow!!!</p>
<p>I'd like to see <em>way</em> more classrooms and academic buildings, plus the athletic facilities for regular students included on the tours. And always at least one dorm. You'd be surprised how many schools did not show us a dorm.</p>
<p>Of all the tours we did, UNC was the most skimpy (no dorm, no athletic facilities because campus is too big) and Davidson's was the most comprehensive (saw everything).</p>