Up:
–Tufts: No infosession or tour because it was the weekend, so we just walked around. Friendly students were willing to talk to my kid about their school. They were great ambassadors: happy, composed and supportive of each other, which made a lasting impression on my son. Son liked the campus and Medford/Somerville (with clear view of Boston for a reminder of countless cultural opportunities). This was the last school we visited over the course of months and he was tired that day, but he became more attentive and energized as we went along – a favorable sign.
Stayed the same:
–Northeastern: attractive, diverse campus in livable Northeast city. A confident environment. Funny tour guide with a worldweary but warm shtick. At the rec center, the guide waved indifferently, saying And here is where you can work out, if you’re into that sort of thing. 
Solid infosession led by a responsive admissions officer. You just feel the momentum and vision there.
However, the antiquated warrens of humanities offices, compared to the stunning ISEC building, made us contemplate the blunt message of valuation and attendant allocation of resources for a liberal arts student.
–Michigan: It’s Michigan; you can’t really go wrong in any department – the whole family felt that throughout our stay. The dorm rooms are tiny. Didn’t bother my son but it felt like a simulation for a stint in a deepwater submersible. The tour guide won me over when he graciously handled an obnoxious parent who insisted we start with the dorm visit (normally end of tour) because she and her son didn’t have time for the whole tour.
The infosession was a vacuous infomercial starring their solar car. Captive audience, packed room full of desperation. Son still thinks Michigan is great but OOS and their lousy FA package means the big house = the poor house.
–Dartmouth: Laid-back presentation, but in a crowded room, enlivened by a family with three wired boys and their wired father, all wearing brand-new, matching electric blue sneakers. BBQ during summer on a Faculty Friday; son met interesting prospective students. Friendly admissions officers willing to chat over lunch.
Flustered tour guide seemed to be having a bad day, and offered an apologia for joining a sorority – she gave the impression that if you want friends, you have to go Greek. A few jokes about drinking, the cold and, well, drinking in the cold.
–Bates: Pretty campus and nice dorms on a seductive summer day in Maine. Friendly students who clearly felt that the campus belonged to them. Useful infosession by a capable admissions officer. Affable interviewer. Intellectual and nurturing vibe. He wondered, however, if it was just too cold, small and isolated. He said he already went to summer camp.
Moved off:
–Bowdoin: After visit, he never mentioned it again except to say that the taxidermied polar bear made him sad. Tidy place, the students seemed poised and keen, but the other people on the tour (parents and kids) were wound tight. Saw a mother from the zippy Northeastern tour and we agreed about the strained, cold vibe at B. No one was accommodating or welcoming. Yes, the food was good but we ate alone, whereas at other campuses we were invited to join others. Aloof, inexperienced interviewer.
The admissions officer running the infosession wasn’t ready for prime time. All sorts of neuroses on display. She was presenting with a brilliant rising sophomore and all I could think was Let the kid run the show! The AO kept pointing and saying the phrase “That right there” whenever her co-presenter mentioned something that apparently exemplified Bowdoin. I felt like I was at an auction.
–WashU: Nice, encouraging AO interviewer, great course catalogue, but nothing could make up for the fact that it’s in an undesirable city. My son thought the campus was okay but I didn’t; for one thing, there is a huge parking lot in the middle of campus where a quad ought to be. The pale faux Gothic, complete with drippy turrets was, well, faux. One of the AO knew nothing about internships, handed me a pamphlet for career services. The tour guide seemed bored by her own voice. None of the students smiled or interacted with each other. And sooo hot and unbearably humid.
–Emerson: Actually fled down an alley with my son in the midst of tour. Indifferent student greeters (e.g. asked where I might find some water and they begrudgingly said there was a CVS on the corner. I turned around and directly behind me was a water cooler and cups meant for visitors). A cut rate infosession in a dark basement with an uninspired presenter.
We proceeded en masse to the staircase, where a good part of the tour was held. A grouchy doorman chastised us for blocking said staircase, but there was nowhere else to go in this euphemistically described “vertical campus.” Son gave me the look and we shuffled to the end of the line. As the tour walked to the other campus building, we hanged a tight right into the alley and ghosted.
But a bad visit is as useful as a good one; it helps clarify fit.
