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UCLA77 · 05-03-2008, 06:11 PM

Thanks for asking the question! I know you go to Cal so I'm going to try to gear my comments, as best I can, to the two tours we took, one summer 2006, and the next during Cal Day 2007 (son is finishing up as a Freshman and, by the way, LOVES Cal, Go Bears!).

1. what do you want to get out of a tour?

Parents want to know if student will be happy there, if it's a good fit. Student wants to know that too. As someone else said, who you tour with is key. Our tour guide for the summer tour was a card carrying republican. We're staunch liberals. He spent a good part of the time talking about all of the nobel laureates who came from or taught at Cal. I was intimidated by that, my son was fine with it. We and our son liked best the little history lessons about Berkeley -- the doors without the knobs (no way to get in) after the student protest days (Go Mario Savio!), the oldest building, the fake t-rex in I think it was the valley life science building, the year abroad info. We all liked going into buildings and seeing actual classrooms, so the student would know the good, bad, and ugly of a big campus -- from tiny classes, to giant auditoriums. Seeing a typical day in the life of a student. Learning about the ECs at the school. At Cal Day, there was a completely different feel to the tours -- more personal, you got to know that typical day and the ECs that were being offered. Son was immediately attracted to the Rally Committee (we called them the kids in the bumble bee shirts). That's an historic organization at Cal, so well worth touting. The Stanford Ax if you want to take about a little tradition -- traditions were interesting.

And the dorms -- everyone wants to see them. All of the choices if possible. We did just that on Cal Day (yes, we went on EVERY dorm tour at all of the dorms!). On the regular tour, only one room in the units. The Res Comp tour in Unit 1 was also very good.

2. what is usually left out of the tour that you wanted to learn/know about?

Dorms, health services, safety, and tutoring assistance, like at Cal, the Learning Center, which is an amazing place.

3. if you were to receive a brochure about the university, what would you want to be in that brochure?

Better to have a great, up to date, on-line brochure.

05-03-2008, 06:11 PM	#62
UCLA77 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: UCLA adjacent Threads: 12 Posts: 205	Thanks for asking the question! I know you go to Cal so I'm going to try to gear my comments, as best I can, to the two tours we took, one summer 2006, and the next during Cal Day 2007 (son is finishing up as a Freshman and, by the way, LOVES Cal, Go Bears!). 1. what do you want to get out of a tour? Parents want to know if student will be happy there, if it's a good fit. Student wants to know that too. As someone else said, who you tour with is key. Our tour guide for the summer tour was a card carrying republican. We're staunch liberals. He spent a good part of the time talking about all of the nobel laureates who came from or taught at Cal. I was intimidated by that, my son was fine with it. We and our son liked best the little history lessons about Berkeley -- the doors without the knobs (no way to get in) after the student protest days (Go Mario Savio!), the oldest building, the fake t-rex in I think it was the valley life science building, the year abroad info. We all liked going into buildings and seeing actual classrooms, so the student would know the good, bad, and ugly of a big campus -- from tiny classes, to giant auditoriums. Seeing a typical day in the life of a student. Learning about the ECs at the school. At Cal Day, there was a completely different feel to the tours -- more personal, you got to know that typical day and the ECs that were being offered. Son was immediately attracted to the Rally Committee (we called them the kids in the bumble bee shirts). That's an historic organization at Cal, so well worth touting. The Stanford Ax if you want to take about a little tradition -- traditions were interesting. And the dorms -- everyone wants to see them. All of the choices if possible. We did just that on Cal Day (yes, we went on EVERY dorm tour at all of the dorms!). On the regular tour, only one room in the units. The Res Comp tour in Unit 1 was also very good. 2. what is usually left out of the tour that you wanted to learn/know about? Dorms, health services, safety, and tutoring assistance, like at Cal, the Learning Center, which is an amazing place. 3. if you were to receive a brochure about the university, what would you want to be in that brochure? Better to have a great, up to date, on-line brochure.