<p>As an alumni interviewer, I get nervous when a student asks a question I can’t answer. And having graduated a while ago, sometimes I have to dig up things. For example, a student was really interested in whether the campus was environmentally friendly. I dragged up that they had paper recycling even when I was in school in late 20th century, but I also was able to tell her that Homecoming had serious recycling, five different sorts LOL. She did end up attending, so I feel that I must have said something right!</p>
<p>Kiss of death for my son was a dead campus on the weekend. We often can only stop by colleges on weekends, as a first glance, and if no one seems to be around, no one playing frisbee, walking around, well, no one, that is a kiss of death for him. </p>
<p>To be honest, it was a turnoff how many kids touring BU had their mommies and/or daddies with them. We were just going to dump him at the tour, but it turned out he felt my spouse had to stay with him because everyone else was that way except one poor kid looking lost. Total opposite from other schools that say “your parents can do this while you tour” and make it clear parents are not welcome on the tour.</p>
<p>When we are manning tables at college fairs, we are told that in some cases, yes we should say check out the website. However, since there are often three of us, we do field questions to others. I think college tours on campus should be done in at least pairs, and the kids should have a teency weency bit of training, at least.</p>
<p>That’s why it is oh so important to attend admitted student days or, if they want to know prior to applying, go to the school during school time and try to stay with a student and get a real sense. We had some really bad experiences on tours, but I would not have let that sway her from applying.</p>
<p>“Total opposite from other schools that say “your parents can do this while you tour” and make it clear parents are not welcome on the tour.”</p>
<p>I was never on a tour at any school which made it clear parents were not welcome. What the college where my son attends does is separate tours - one for all the parents and one for all the kids. I think this was great as it gives the students a feel for the school without the influence of the parent (and I believe parents on a tour with kid can give off subtle hints that they are not even aware they are giving) and vice versa. I think for the kids it also gives them the freedom to ask some questions that they wouldn’t in front of parents. </p>
<p>My H and I toured colleges with D last summer and that was the norm. We had some very specific questions that were very different from some she might have asked. We did tour one where the adcom went into a separate room with just D and her friend who was with us. In at least one case we met people going all the way up the president of the college based on a question H asked the tour guide. I’m glad we were along.</p>
<p>While it wasn’t the kiss of death for D, we did learn that Spelman freshman dorms have no AC. We were told that the girls all bond in the quad where they hang out until bedtime to get away from the heat. “And I have two fans!” The guide told us. So only the 6th level of hell, instead of the 7th…</p>
<p>Wow, I have toured close to 20 schools so far, and I have never been on a tour where they even hinted to exclude parents. There were what I would call “break out sessions” where the prospective students and parents attended different presentations, but never the tour.</p>
<p>Heck, my wife and I are making a huge investment. I darn well want to see the place too! </p>
<p>It was my experience overall (including umbrellas lol) that the less elite (but still pretty selective) colleges were putting forth more effort to impress…coffee, bottled water, folders with information, that sort of thing…as well as making sure their paid tour guides (and I asked, most of our guides worked for admissions and were paid) had a decent amount of knowledge. More importantly, they were obviously trained to say “they could find the answer once we got back to the office” and then touched base nearly immediately to provide it. Not so with the IVY and “mini-ivys”.</p>
<p>It works both ways. I’m pretty sure my S’s decision to attend a school was heavily influenced by an engaging, well-informed and amusing guide, to say nothing of the ice cream that ended the tour. (It was a terrible decision and he transferred after freshman year.) But 17 year olds are not great judges of, well, anything.</p>
<p>I’ve never been on a tour where parents weren’t welcome. When I went on tours with our son, I tended to let him ask questions and such, but it was never suggested that parents shouldn’t be there. The only tour he went on w/o us was one that was part of a big event where there were separate tours for students and parents.</p>
<p>We’ve had mostly great tour guides and tours at a range of colleges. I’ve been incredibly impressed by the kids leading the tours. Kiss of death at one school (which made a nice presentation) was the admissions officer talking about how much they valued diversity while we walked around a completely white campus. </p>
<p>Sigh - Rice - sigh. Both my kids went there and LOVED it. A million years ago I had to insist that DD apply, we had such a lousy experience with the tour and campus visit. Think no airconditioning on a hot day, ditsy tour guide, sullen receptionist, dead campus. (everyone sleepint late on a Saturday morning.) Folks. ignore the admissions department - focus on school experience. :-)</p>
<p>If you’re from SoCal, you probably don’t own a winter coat either. Should colleges hand out those too? :)</p>
<p>My son’s college offered separate tours for parents and kids. I thought it was great, and it was nice to compare notes after and hear his independent impressions of the school.</p>
<p>As a parent, I did feel unwanted at Smith. School wanted the child (and she was a child) to do everything, ask all the questions, make all the decisions. I was also turned off by the sign in the bathroom that said “Shower sex is uncomfortable for everyone. Don’t do it with either sex” or something like that. Very turned off by it.</p>
<p>Funniest tour guide was a bubbly Barbie type at UCSB. When asked about diversity on campus, she quipped “Oh yes, we have plenty of diversity…look around and you’ll see 27 different shades of blonde.” I think she was kidding…er, maybe?</p>
<p>@MommaJ …“an engaging, well-informed and amusing guide, to say nothing of the ice cream that ended the tour…”</p>
<p>That sounds exactly like out tour of VA Tech. The tour was so good you’d think they were making money from us. We went because we were in the area to pick up a younger son at camp. My older son says he can see himself there. We were given free ice cream at the end of the tour at the bookstore. Just like a Disney ride they let you off at the gift shop. :)</p>
<p>Our worst tour was at Cornell. There were about 75 people, admissions did NOTHING to try to get more tour guides, tour guide talked as she walked, not stopping to actually face us–felt like I was in a herd of cattle being driven to market.</p>
<p>Ursinus–tour guide looked like she literally rolled out of bed–wrinkled T shirt, flannel pants and flip flops. Only talked about all the cool parties and how easy it was for fresmen to get booze. Schools don’t realize that these guides give us first impressions of their school.</p>
<p>Conversely, D was sold on University of Rochester because the two tour guides seemed like exactly the kind of kid she would hang out with. Perceptions, correct or not, do become reality.</p>
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