Is there much benefit to attending Open Houses over a regular college tour and info session? Is it ever worth it to do both? We’re considering flying to Open Houses for potential top choice schools, but it almost seems like a waste, considering for one of them we’ll be back in the area again two weeks later for regular college tours at other (nearby) schools.
tough question!
One story arguing for Open House days: I took S1 to RPI on Open House and we attended an informative and moving panel discussion by 4 professors in the EMPAC performing arts space (this place is striking inside). We had a good tour and I especially liked seeing the EE lab/classroom where students sit ‘in the round’ with an oscilloscope and test circuit at every seat. Went away with very good feelings about RPI.
Two years later I took S2 to RPI on just a normal tour day. No professors speaking. Tour was lousy; EMPAC was locked closed and we also couldn’t get in to see any labs or classrooms.
So schools definitely open more doors and put their best foot forward on Open House days, IMO.
^Exact same experience at our flagship.
Is your student a senior? Will the college offer a Spring Open house or an accepted student weekend?
In most cases, more will be available to you for an open house - professors are often available, student activities may have representatives available, etc. Pretty much the same (plus some) will be available at an admitted students day.
If you have plans, I wouldn’t change them. The best reason to get all the extra info before applying is if you think you might ED, in which case finding the school lacking after you’re committed is a problem.
We had little luck in getting to open houses because of sports schedules, and I think that in all cases, the sense we got from the tours was confirmed at admitted student days. No school was liked less; several more.
We have found that open houses are typically a good bit more crowded than a normal tour/information session. Are the extra crowds worth it? The answer is it depends. Most colleges give a schedule of what will be going on during the open house. Check to see if the open house offers things you want to experience that a regular tour/information session doesn’t give you (ex. the chance to sit in on classes, meet professors etc). Other open houses are just a bigger and more crowded tour and information session and extra speeches. So I would normally say to do some research and then decide. But honestly in your case it would take something spectacular to make me even think about spending the money for the extra flights/hotels etc. to do an open house over an information session/tour. Remember there are always accepted student days down the road to get another look at the school if need be.
@ECmotherx2 My D is a junior. (We’re registering for Spring Open Houses.) And if it makes sense, we’ll apply ED, @gardenstategal. There are two schools that have both the programs she’s interested in, so we’re trying to figure out early which one makes sense to ED (if she likes one enough to ED).
RPI (and all colleges) should put their best foot forward on all days. If on a “normal” day you can’t see their classrooms, labs, or EMPAC might not be a really inviting school for the students who attend.