My eldest two had seen a lot of colleges through Model UN and summer camps, so no, the school tours were not super useful. I really wanted my children to go to school on the East Coast and took the two eldest to a few of my favorite schools back East, to no avail.

The trip we went on was super fun though. You will have a great time. There is a different flavor to touring about with the objective of looking at schools, versus normal vacation. It was a strange mix of nostalgia for my school days and anticipation for all the adventures that lay ahead for them.

I felt it was very useful as we got a real feel for the "personality" of each institution. And, as Rita notes, it was great fun to spend that special time with your child.

Well, from the other end of it, we have a campus "open house" this weekend, but those are not found to be most effective in recruiting students, surprisingly. It is the personal visits and tours that work. Also social media. See if you can maybe meet with a faculty member in your student's interest area. Unless, of course, it's a weekend and people are not normally going to be around.

We found them vital to his decision-making process. He actually ruled out applying to a couple of schools that he originally thought he might like based on the visit. In our case, he actually visited his top three schools twice...once before he applied, and then, after he received his acceptances to help him make his final decision. We were fortunate that 2 of those three were about 2 hours away. One was 6 hours. He was very undecided and conflicted, and didn’t feel confident in his decision until after the final visit at the 3rd school.

So for our son, the visits were very important. And we all enjoyed them as well!

I'm confused by what you are asking. I thought your oldest was already in college. Are you saying you didn't go on tours?

Are you going with a group from your child' school and touring colleges together?

The tours are great to learn the basics and you do get a feel for the personality of the school, but both my DD's also seemed to strike up conversations with current students as we were online for things etc.

I also enjoyed the visits and the one on one time with each of my DD's.

It was not our goal, but we are diehard Sooners, and it ultimately rubbed off on both our kids. DH was born and raised in Oklahoma and got dual majors, plus one post grad degree (before medical school) from the University of Oklahoma (what a drop-dead gorgeous campus and surrounding town!). Although we did take our son, and then our daughter on several college tours, both ended up deciding to attend OU. And both never regretted their choice and so enjoyed their college years. I think, in retrospect, if you have a strong family affiliation that your kids also feel strongly about, it might be ok to just let them go for it. Ambivalence, on the other hand, would make me want to broaden their choices. But, I’d first try to assess what kind of university atmosphere would be best for them personally. Both of mine flourished at OU.

One thing we found useful was seeing just how far the campus was from town. It may or may not show up on a map, if you think to look, and it may look close but if you have to walk a mile up or down hill, it's not as close.

Another useful check was seeing actual dorms in person. We kind of liked one school, but the dorms? Yikes. All the furniture was built-in, the beds were all lofted, and there was one window in a corner. It was so claustrophobic. They were all like that. Small rooms are one thing, this was ridiculous.

My sons always asked the question "what would you like to see different here?" This is great in a private tour, and elicited some interesting responses.

Enjoy the trip. Find new restaurants. That was always a side benefit of the trips. Report back on that "your off the beaten track restaurants" thread or whatever it was called.

My parents sent me by myself. I am not so sure I got what I should have out of the tours. I remember sleeping on a cold floor at, I think, Carleton. In the winter. Good school and I should have gone there, but that turned me off.

Had a drunken brawl at another school out east that shall remain nameless. Good fun. I chose that one, of course. For all the wrong reasons.

Bpath makes a very good and important point about the proximity to the nearest town! For OU, the beautiful town of Norman wraps right around the campus, making it very accessible. And that, indeed, was a huge plus for them while living there.

Yes! And I am speaking from the perspective of my DGD recently and DGS a couple of years ago. DGD was most uncertain as she was considering a smaller college rather than a D1 as a potential soccer prospect so she visited several. Ultimately there were things she didn't like about any of them as universities, even though she would have been happy with a couple of them as far as their soccer programs went. So she decided not to play college soccer. She had visited a smaller university out of state with a friend for football games and really loved the campus, so she went back for an official visit. It sounds like it didn't make sense, but it actually is about the same in distance from home as one of the major in-state universities and she is very happy. The dorms are newer, large and have an ensuite bath. She is involved in a sorority and Freshman Council (a part of SGA) and playing intramural soccer.

I thoroughly enjoyed helping my kids research colleges and the visits.

DS1 knew from the start where he wanted to go but we did look at other schools "just in case." He had been to the campus numerous times growing up. He also applied to schools we did not visit. (Not sure how it is now but guidance counselors back then advised applying to at least six schools---- two safety, two pretty sure bets, two reach). Fortunately he got in and had a great four years there.

DD and I toured a lot of schools, especially when we traveled for her sport. We also did a one week tour of numerous schools throughout the Midwest. I remember one school where we drove a two minute loop through the campus and she said that was enough....she didn't need to see more...haha. We didn't always do an official tour, especially if she was turned off by the area or the campus drive by's. She went off with her bff to a big school....they did the tour together....and she loved it. She went to grad school there as well and still lives there.

DS2 wanted a very specialized major at the time not offered at many schools. We did visit several schools and did the tours which were very helpful in his case. Two years in though he decided he didn't want that major but stuck it out as most of the classes would not have transferred. He works now in a totally different field thanks to a chance meeting at that school and is very happy.

It's fun to hear their reactions to the campus and area. Most of the tours we went on were student-led so your daughter will feel comfortable asking questions. I remember most consisted of walking the campus, or parts of it, and visiting a dorm. Have fun!

We did the tours: east and west coasts, mid-west and southern states. Some tours we only did online and some after they had been admitted. I found that the biggest trap is that the child falls in love with the first school he/she visits. Good advice we received was to visit a small college, a midsize one, a large one, and also good to visit one in a rural area, and one in a city area. We looked quite a bit at the city around the school when we visited.

With my three I would say they were more than useful!! When we embarked on these trips we had three or more lined up and went at it hard in a long weekend. MEA is perfect for that and many schools have special tours and events for looking high school students. All three of my lookers came along fully intending to go to "A" and all three chose "B" or "C". How a person FEELS on campus is huge. They already know if the University has their major, if they can afford it etc. What you get out of the trips is a match to their personality. Mine were all very happy with their choice and successful at the school.

I personally found them useful. The tours and a weekend stay in a dorm at my top choice helped me to make my final college decision. Our two sons wanted to stay in Texas to go to school, so their college visits were all driving trips. Our daughter wanted to go to a small liberal arts college out of state, but not to the East Coast. She and I visited schools in CA, CO, FL, TN, AR, and TX and had a fabulous time on those trips. She fell in love with the school she ultimately chose on one of those visits. Have a good trip!

I think they are super important when you are trying to decide between 2 similar schools for sure. My daughter thought University of Michigan was her first choice but after the visit, she was not sure she liked the city as much as University of Wisconsin, Madison. They are both pretty similar schools academically and geographically so we were happy to have made both the visits. That being said, if we hadn't visited both, she wouldn't have been able to compare so she may have stuck with Michigan and been happy not knowing. She knew the weekend we visited that U of M was moving down on the list. She ended up at Wisconsin and loving it, with a bonus of graduating in three years too. I can't say enough nice things about UW-Madison. What an awesome place!

The official tours are great as well-letting the parent to see the most important part of the school-the academic side while the child gets to go out at night and see the social side (if they know someone).

We did the college tour with #2 son. Thirteen colleges, as I recall. After the visits, we asked him if he had eliminated any. Yes. One school.

Went just to a couple closer to us, in both cases (I've two kids)

frankly we were a bit discouraging as parents.."fly to East Coast to see the college" thing etc. okay..go yourself if you so insist, organize it yourself, we'll take you to the airport and from

(she chose to see the virtual tour in the end-was good enough)

also..what are the chances we'll afford that, for real? Some private, or out of state school?

for real-we look too good on paper to get any aid.

and merit scholarship..well I can share with you they've cut it this year..no funds:) lol

even though it was not enough to really cover anything..mostly symbolical

I think it's cultural, our approach ..different traditions, different context, different everything

to me when I was 18 it was like "wow. I'm going to study. in university. For real"

the idea that I might not like it because of where it is, or campus size, or.. didn't even hit my brain..

then of course I got attached to the university, so there I stayed

well, the whole system was/is very different from here. In both countries I lived (they're different between them too). I'm still adjusting to many many things here. Mentally..

I think visiting colleges with your children could be informative. If they are extroverts, do a tour -- if introverts, take them on a trip yourself.

I went on a couple trips minus a set tour, when I was applying back in the Middle Ages (as my parents used to talk about THEIR college time). It was good because it helped me see the places.

However, it is not essential. I ended up at a college we'd not visited because it was mid-country instead of close by.

13 schools? I think I stopped in at three! I think by 13 they'd all be running together in my mind!

We found the canned tours varied greatly in quality, Smith College was beyond excellent, Cornell, where my daughter ended up, was practically useless (they wouldn't show us dorm rooms or dining halls, jeez, I mean, any member of the public can read the online fact sheets and walk around campus to view the library, arts quad and bookstore). The best reason is to get the vibe of the campus, several schools were eliminated by the kiddo within 5 minutes of our arrival, we let her be in the driver's seat, and if she said "no", we buttoned our lips and moved on (but we did make her finish the tours!).

Prior to scheduling trips to see schools, we made her research them all, not just majors, but social life, the town and region, weather, etc. College Confidential was very helpful for that, we used it a lot to get a feel for the places before we traveled, and eliminated some before making the trip. Also, if she had questions on the tour or at any small group gatherings, we made her ask them, which she wasn't happy about, but after our first tour, when the parents asked 90% of the questions (and some beauts), she got it.

My daughter went to boarding school and most of the schools visited her boarding school. We did not take her on visits as she knew where she wanted to apply. Didn’t really do many with my sons either. I don’t think they’re really worth the time. Apply to the best schools you can get into and visit the ones that accept you if you’re still on the fence.

You probably already know this, but a lot of schools have an admit weekend in the spring before you have to commit, unless you are early decision/action, then it's another matter.

"Apply to the best school you can get into". LOL if you can't afford it, it doesn't matter if they accept you!!!! In the end 99.9% of students go where they can afford and they end up doing what the ones who paid 10x as much did.

I was accepted to more than one undergraduate school that my parents could afford. The tours brought home to me that I would be much happier at a small school. So I chose the smallest of the schools that I had applied to and was very happy that I did so.

For law school, I was on my own financially. I toured my final two contenders and realized I would not be happy at Boston College, where the law school dorms were quite some distance and isolated from the main campus. I also realized that as someone who had never lived in a big city that I would struggle to adapt. I chose a western state law school instead, though it was ranked a bit lower than Boston College (both were top twenty at the time), where the campus was contiguous and I was able to walk to everything the university had to offer.

So, no I do not think people always go to the best school they get into or even the best school they get into that they can afford.

We will be embarking on this very soon as ds is a freshman. In fact, we will be visiting a college later this month simply because it is in the same place as family we will be visiting. We plan to take ds to every school that is near anywhere we travel for the next couple of years. I think the more you see the more you can recognize what is important to you in choosing a school.

We had different experiences with each of our kids. Visiting the campus and taking the tours were very helpful for 2 out of the 3. We also made sure to spend a night in each area so that they could sample the night life. I really enjoyed those trips and spending time with my kids one on one.

#1 Wanted small liberal arts universities so the two of us made the rounds of schools from Colby in Maine, through CT, MA, upstate NY, and PA. We probably visited 12 campuses over 12 months and I could see that he refined his list as we went. He went to his first choice and loved it.

#2 Wasn't sure what he wanted to do after h.s. so he took a gap year and worked in a restaurant and catered. He had considered the Culinary Institute of America but then surprised us when he changed his mind and applied to one (just one) University. Sight unseen! We shouldn't have been surprised because he has always done his own thing.

After graduation he went back to restaurant work. And yet again surprised us by applying to law school. At least no visits were necessary here - he picked the best one that accepted him.

#3 DD knew she wanted an urban experience and visited campuses in Boston, NYC and Philly. She thought the student lead tours were useless as far as getting honest information or opinions from the student tour guides. However she did value walking on campus and touring the facilities.

DD thought the most productive visits were those where she stayed with friends who were already enrolled. She went to classes, ate in the dining halls, hung out in the dorms and was able to get a good idea of campus life. My neighbor had been touting her Alma Mater, Boston College. But DD spent one afternoon there and knew it wasn't for her - she complained that it reminded her of high school - very preppy and very pretty and everyone looked the same. She was looking for something with a little bit of an edge - and that's how she ended up in NYC.

Crl, So, no I do not think people always go to the best school they get into or even the best school they get into that they can afford.

It really is about the best school FOR your daughter/son. Oldest was accepted to many top ranked schools The high school encouraged going to the best. She went to the best and wound up leaving, coming home, working then reapplying and going to FIT.

Youngest was again accepted to high ranking schools. Visited all and choice a lesser ranked school which was the best choice for her.

I guess it depends on the kid to some extent, but I can't imagine enrolling at a college sight unseen. The visits are essential, IMO. And I don't believe that "you go to the best one you can get into (and pay for)" should be the rule for everyone. I think you go to the one that feels like "the right fit" for you. And "fit" can involve factors such as location (urban/rural, distance from home, etc), size (big univ/small college), etc. Maybe my kid can get into U Chicago and we could pay the tuition, but she'd hate it. (Just a random example.)

Just recently completing this process with my youngest, it's been interesting. We visited several schools starting fall of junior year. She is an athlete so in addition to school tours, we had coach meetings at most schools. For some reason, she was convinced that she wanted to go to a large university. She visited a small New England college with DH in Feb., and declared it "too small." Visited some other schools, still with the "too small" school remaining on the list. Returned to the small school earlier this fall because (1) I had not seen it and (2) the coach was really interested in her. We spent two days there. Day one was an open house, and when it came time for the tour, I did the tour and DD took off to visit a former teammate who is a freshman there. At the end of the day, DD said "I love it." Huh. The next day, we had a meeting w/ the coach and she spent the whole afternoon with the team. At the end of the day, she was set. Loved it. Too small? Nope, perfect. She has now been officially recruited, accepted, and, bonus! nice academic scholarship. The school she will attend was my 1st choice all along but I kept my mouth shut because I think the teenage girl rulebook says you reject outright anything your mom likes.

DS also had to visit a couple of schools twice before he made his decision.

My family found them useful.

DS1 knew he wanted an urban school. We live in the country. We visited schools in Boston, Philly, Md. Pittsburgh and NY. He ultimately picked Pittsburgh because he liked the size and vibe of the city as well as the green space on campus.

DS2 is a HS senior this year so we are in the throes of the process now.

Visiting campuses have definitely weeded some out and helped him focus on things that are important to him, which he didn't recognize prior to visiting.

Our kids were recruited athletes and went on official visits pretty much by themselves, so I really missed out on the great college tour. They made their decisions based on those visits (with some parental input), which involved staying in a dorm, meeting other students/team mates and coaches, and attending classes and watching practices.

I had dragged them to a few local schools or colleges that were in areas that we visited for other reasons, just to get a feel of different campuses (urban, small). Not sure if those tours were useful, but I guess it helped focus on what was important to them (climate, size, location) and not the tour guide. Also, it eliminated a couple of schools that looked good on paper.

I think the main reason for a college tour would be to spend some quality time with the child, especially in an enclosed car, plane, or train, and at meals.