<p>When we visited Harvard, it was a break, so there was an information session but no tour. I have to say, though, that the info session did not do as good a job at selling Harvard as the info sessions at other schools. First, everybody was in a holding room where they showed a video about how great Harvard is, how it has more of everything than everybody else, etc. This was OK, if a little obnoxious in tone. Then, we were all herded to a bigger theater, with an adcom and two students. The adcom was great,but the students really didn't make you want to go to Harvard--they both came across as fairly dull grinds. Maybe all the cool people were away for break.
Yale's session and tour were better, but the best was probably Brown, where the admissions rep and the student speaker were enthusiastic and interesting, and the tour guide was too. I suppose Brown has to try a little harder.</p>
<p>Aaaand . . . we had the completely opposite experience: Felt that the admissions rep at Brown was lackluster, and the student tour guide, while appropriately enthusiastic and VERY skilled at walking backwards in flip-flops, was so uninformed and lacking in apparent intellectual curiosity that two of the three kids with us crossed Brown off their lists simply because it let her represent it. (A stupid choice for the kids, as far as I was concerned. One of the risks of visiting.)</p>
<p>After reading this thread, I feel like we made the right choice by not going on any formal tours at all at any schools! Our family is the "impatient" type, who hate the whole tour-group, info-session process, so we toured all the campuses on our own while school was in session. We felt we got a good "feel" for the environment, and were not repulsed by the personalities of the tour guides.</p>
<p>The visit is just one piece of the puzzle; there are many others. It's certainly not a deal-breaker, but if the impressions and information one receives confirm those garnered from other sources, then the piece can be instructive. For example, D has visited a number of coaches while on campus visits and has written a few e-mails back and forth with them. She has also tried to Facebook some athletes in her sport who attend these schools. The Harvard coaches, by the way, were wonderful and warm, and so was the response of the Harvard student she Facebooked, despite the fact that he doesn't really know her. Both interactions served to counterbalance the visit. However, one of the coaches at a different school was just as uptight and cold in the visit and by e-mail as was her impression of his school when we visited. So, D has crossed it off her list.</p>
<p>Personally I'm glad I didn't visit Harvard until prefrosh weekend...I can only imagine how much of an attachment I would've developed and thus changed my apps to angle for Harvard itself (something which I did not do and probably helped me get in).</p>
<p>Personally I'm glad I visited Harvard...I can only imagine how embarassed for myself I might've been had I applied.</p>
<p>"I have to say, though, that the info session did not do as good a job at selling Harvard as the info sessions at other schools. "</p>
<p>With 29,000 applications for only a couple of thousand spaces, maybe Harvard isn't interested in selling itself to prospective students.</p>
<p>Yet it sends out 70,000 letters a year encouraging students to apply.</p>
<p>Harvard is not going to be a perfect fit for everyone, and if potential applicants desire a more rah-rah sales pitch, they probably should look to other "we try harder" schools. Fabulous as H is, those seeking Warm and Fuzzy should explore other options.</p>
<p>I agree, it wasn't warm and fuzzy when I went for the tour. It was friendly enough though. I later went for a 3 day/2 night stay, which was amazing. I was invited to a professors dinner and had the opportunity to take 7 classes. A fabulous H experience!</p>