<p>We are visiting six universities next week in upstate NY and Canada for info sessions and tours and in a couple of cases interviews. It should be mid-70's to low 80's, according to our prescient weathermen at yahoo. I'm interested in protocol. What's the level of attire for me? Khakis or nicer? Tennis shirts or button-down shirts? If it gets hot (which thankfully is not forecast), is it OK to wear shorts? </p>
<p>I'm assuming that they've seen anything and everything and in general are not judging the parents intentionally, but if it makes a difference, is it better to dress above or below the norm? As a frequent traveler, I find that dressing above the norm does tend to lead to perks, but in the college admissions world, I can't see any particular benefit and maybe even some cost.</p>
<p>When we went to visit schools in the south in the summer, DH wore short (he had khaki ones) and a golf shirt (you know…the kind with a collar and three buttons), and sneakers. Comfortable shoes is important.</p>
<p>Truthfully, no one will be looking at your clothes. Dress comfortably for yourself.</p>
<p>It absolutely does not matter what you wear. Shorts, jeans or khakis are fine. Polo shirts or a nice t-shirt would be fine, too. No need to dress up.</p>
<p>Wear woven pants - no knit (as in, no knit athletic shorts).</p>
<p>If you wear shorts, make sure they’re close to the knee (not mid-thigh or shorter!)</p>
<p>If you wear shorts, no dark shoes/socks.</p>
<p>A knit shirt is fine as long as you don’t have man-boobies. If you are well endowed, stick to a woven shirt.</p>
<p>Don’t wear a t-shirt with a “cute” or provocative saying on it and don’t wear a t-shirt from another college.</p>
<p>If you do all of the above, your D will have no legitimate reason to be embarrassed by you. She may still be embarrassed because you are her father and she is 17 or so, but she can’t be embarrassed for any wardrobe-related reason.</p>
<p>You are nothing more than the designated driver/familial ATM. Do nothing to draw attention to yourself. Summer casual that you would wear to a afternoon party will be perfect.</p>
<p>I did ten college tours with my D this summer and I honestly can’t recall what a single parent wore. So we must have all be appropriately non-descript.</p>
<p>You will be fine in anything but gym clothes. I agree about the t’shirt. Stay away from any cute phrases, your kid tolerates it at home, will disown you on a tour. Same with a rival school shirt. Those are considered fighting words. Save it for after your student has been accepted and you’re paying tuition. Then you can wear whatever you please. Perhaps gym clothes from a rival school? :)</p>
<p>The only inappropriate parental dress I recall from taking 3 kids on college visits was a father and son dressed in identical navy blasers, ties, khaki slacks on a visit to Haverford. They really looked out of place. Everyone else was wearing jeans or shorts, maybe dockers and a golf shirt at the most dressy extreme.</p>
<p>I was all ready to wear a white top on our visit to K-State, then it started to rain, so I switched to purple. It didn’t even cross my mind that their big color is purple…I felt like such a dork, as if I had done that on purpose.</p>
<p>But this will be a father-daughter pair. Identical clothing could be really, really memorable. :)</p>
<p>Parents only tend to make themselves noticeable through their behavior, not how they dress. Much better to be that Haverford-touring blazer-wearing dad than to be a dad in dockers and polo shirt who keeps asking questions about things which are answered on the website.</p>
<p>Aren’t Canadian less open-minded regarding shorts, especially in urban areas? In case of doubt, I’d stick to Dockers.</p>
<p>If interviews are involved, I would also hesitate to wear shorts. After all, I doubt that the person who conducts the interview would wear shorts and sandals. It seems easier to err on the conservative side for a couple of hours.</p>
<p>The obvious advice about not embarrasing your kid, or yourself, seems OK. The advice about what not to wear in a general situation (dark socks with wingtip shoes and shorts) seems OK (although…might be OK on a high fashion runway show)</p>
<p>I understand some of the advice on this site given to kids doing interviews …but I question the advice that a parent shouldn’t wear shorts and sandals in the middle of summer in Montreal and Toronto. I’ve recently been in Montreal and Toronto in the summer. There are plenty of men in shorts in sandals. Maybe they were all tourists?</p>
<p>If the clothing of the parent influences the admissions office…is being “Sartorial First Generation” a hook?</p>