<p>I think snootiness versus informative really depends on the presentation. I think the highly selective colleges 'should' be up front with the prospective students regarding their highly selective admissions. There are probably a number of people in the sessions who don't realize quite how selective and what the odds of admission are really like at some of these colleges, even for highly successful HS grads. This includes not just HYPS but also other highly selective colleges including some publics.</p>
<p>It could be simply a difference in presentation style or personality of the presenter or even the personality of the prospective student/family that determines the perception of snootiness vs. presentation of realistic valuable information.</p>
<p>Regarding the student tour guides; I wouldn't put too much emphasis on how the individual came across. We're talking about students here who might have at most had a short session on how to conduct a tour and from that point it's up to the personality of the perticular individual. I've had repeated tours at a number of colleges and there can be a night and day difference in perception depending on the individual.</p>