<p>My son has gone on 20 college visits for the past two years. I've gone on 90% of them and been to every info session/tour. Most info sessions are amazingly mediocre, verging on the boring. College tours are always hit and miss, depending on whether the tour guide is a heavily scripted robot or allowed to let their personalities shine through and build a rapport with their group.</p>
<p>My kudos to Washington University in St. Louis for being one of the most organized, well-thought out info sessions/campus tours. Before we even got there, all my observations of the school were: they seem to have their act amazingly together, their own distinct personality and they seem to understand their audience.</p>
<p>EVERY COLLEGE SHOULD SEE WHAT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DOES AND LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT.</p>
<p>The info session/campus tour did not disappoint. Somebody from admissions with a PERSONALITY, who knew how to smile, look like she was enjoying herself, and exuding some pride co-hosted the session. Sometimes I feel that the admissions officer who draws the short straw does the info session or they send the officer with the most banal, bland presentation to do the info session. NOT HERE.</p>
<p>The admissions officer was accompanied by a faculty adviser from the engineering department who has been at WashU since 1976. On the surface, sounds pretty deadly? Well, this faculty adviser had five times the personalities of all the students I've seen dragged into presenting in an info session combined. Sharp, clever, animated, giving his personal take on the Missouri Botanical Gardens, explaining how students are advised and how important it is, and totally engaging.</p>
<p>They didn't talk down to you or drone on.</p>
<p>For the packed house, they produced a dozen student tour guides so no group would be too big or small -- just the right size. My group had about half a dozen students and their families. Went to visit Georgetown recently and they split the entire info session room into TWO groups of about 20 - 25 kids each.</p>
<p>And get this: of all the tours I went on, this is only the second school which provided portable head-gear amplifiers so every single parents and student could hear their guide loud and clear. (The other one was Boston University, but that guide's unit broke). It boggles the mind why more colleges don't do this with their tour guides.</p>
<p>Ahead of our arrival into St. Louis, the admission office sent us detailed maps of where to park, a map of the campus, a parking permit, documents explaining where to go on campus if you have time (like their art museum) and all the free museums in the park next to campus, as well as an info session/tour evaluation form (which most colleges don't give out -- and BOY, do they need it!).</p>
<p>My son may or may not end up at WashU, but one thing for sure: the admissions department is impressively organized, thoughtful, useful and understanding when it comes to potential students and their parents to their campus.</p>