<p>I think I already know the answer to this, but thought I'd get your advice:</p>
<p>We're visiting colleges this April with our daughter. She's only a HS sophomore; these are simply "overview" visits to try to get our long list down to a short list.</p>
<p>At one college, there are two faculty members that we feel are most relevant to our daughter's preferred course of study. They are only available (to meet, and sit in on classes they are teaching) during the time that the College of Music does its general tour, with admissions info, facilities tour, etc.</p>
<p>Are we smarter to meet with the faculty members, and skip the more general tour for now? That is the way I am leaning.</p>
<p>Skip the tour. You can probably wander the music building before or after. Depending on the distance involved, you could potentially revisit for a general info tour session.</p>
<p>Absolutely! Skip the tour. You would find yourself in a generic admissions discussion wishing you were meeting with the profs. My S found it helpful to also take a lesson with his prospective teachers. We paid for a couple lessons and some the profs did it gratis.</p>
<p>Explain the situation at the admissions office when you arrive. Ask them if they have any self-guided tour maps. We did this at several schools - even when we did the official tour. At one school, one of the student aides in the adm office offered to give us a tour on her own. </p>
<p>You need to check in with the admissions office anyway, in case they track interest. The fact that you are interested enough to set up meetings with teachers, etc, will probably impress them. They may also have other written materials to give you that will cover much of the info session.</p>
<p>We were in the same situation with several schools and ended up either skipping or ducking out of tours early in order to accomodate the music department schedule. For one school, we never did do a general tour, focusing completely on the school of music. The kids told her she would rarely leave the building anyway. Now, she is accepted there and hasn't seen a dorm or the dining options so we are going to an admitted student day this month.</p>
<p>Yeah, skip as much of the tour as you have to. Meeting the teachers is more important and admissions folks are usually able to meet with you one-on-one to answer procedural questions whenever you are available. At most schools you can wander around on your own to take a look at facilities and talk to whatever students happen to be around.</p>
<p>What cartera said though. If the school is far away and you only focus on the music school and you end up going there you are left with no idea about housing options! That can be a pain.</p>
<p>You are really lucky to know so much about the profs and programs that your daughter would be interested in so early on!! Definitely visit with them and their classes. </p>
<p>S had lessons with several teachers and we stopped by for our own "wandering around" at several places, but never did an official (through the admissions dept.) tour at any of the 4 -5 conservatories he looked at prior to auditions. Dorm/housing choices were limited at the places he applied to, so the dorm question was moot - you got what they had... Although some of the schools offered school and dorm "tours" on audition day, he never saw a dorm before moving in for fall. This worked for him as he'd always had a strong first choice of school based on teacher and over all quality of program - it would have taken a lot wrong in the living situation to discourage him.</p>
<p>Not to suggest that S's experience will be like your daughter's or that she won't have housing concerns that are of a higher priority than his were! I only meant that you can probably relax and enjoy getting the more specific feel of classes and profs now. The other details of the schools can be filled in later. It's great that you can start so early!</p>
<p>not as a factor in the decision but just as a practical matter. every situation is different. if you are 1600 miles away and the school does not guarantee housing for anyone and you are forced into private off-campus housing that is demanding a notarized lease before you have even inspected the facilities, and it will cost you thousands of dollars to return, it is a pain.</p>
<p>Another suggestion: Definitely go with the meetings with the teachers, etc. Maybe a phone call to the Music Dept. office and explaining your situation might get you set up with a private tour of sorts. There might be students who do this, or would if asked.</p>