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Is it more beneficial to do a campus tour on a weekday instead of on a weekend?

TSP216TSP216 12 replies6 threads Junior Member
edited June 2018 in College Search & Selection
I'm taking my brother to tour either UChicago or Northwestern on either the second last or last weekend of August, but would like to know whether he'll get a better overall impression of the school if he toured either one on a weekday?
Also, will there be any classes going on during the weekday or weekend of the two final weeks of August at either school, because of like him to attend a class as well during the tour.
Thanks
edited June 2018
7 replies
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Replies to: Is it more beneficial to do a campus tour on a weekday instead of on a weekend?

  • TSP216TSP216 12 replies6 threads Junior Member
    NW =Northwestern btw
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  • BunnyBlueBunnyBlue 866 replies10 threads Member
    I think he'll have a more informative tour if he sees the campus filled with students going to classes, and sits in on a class or two in his subject area. Sometimes you can get permission in advance to sit in on a class. You can probably check the academic calendars online to see when classes end.

    When I was touring a campus with one of my sons, after finishing the tour, we went on our own into the computer science building and saw a room full of computers with students filing in for a class. Then my son spoke briefly to a counselor whose office was across the hall. We learned a lot from this short side trip: we could see that the classroom was way too small for the number of students and workstations; that the counselor was extremely friendly and helpful, as were some students we spoke to; and that the the teacher in the next classroom was difficult to understand because of his thick accent. These kinds of things added to our picture of what it would be like to be a student there.
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  • TSP216TSP216 12 replies6 threads Junior Member
    edited June 2018
    From your response my guess is that you would about me to tour either campus on a weekday rather than on a weekend. I was thinking the same too, but we were initially reluctant to do so as it might require is to pay for an extra two nights for the hotel.
    edited June 2018
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  • bobo44bobo44 242 replies0 threads Junior Member
    Pretty sure Northwestern will be empty at the end of August. Summer school over and fall semester not starting for several weeks. You can double check. In general, we have had more luck touring on weekdays with students streaming around and classes in full gear. "Dead" campuses were a turn off.

    BTW, as an NU alum, we shudder when people refer to Northwestern as NW.
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  • bobo44bobo44 242 replies0 threads Junior Member
    But you do have the new UChicago branding correct. It was U of C in my era!
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  • momofsenior1momofsenior1 10405 replies123 threads Senior Member
    Northwestern will still be in summer quarter. There are some students around but not many.
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  • twoinanddonetwoinanddone 24962 replies20 threads Senior Member
    Even in the school year, not all weekdays are equal. I've been to schools on Fridays and not a soul in sight but on Saturdays there are things going on - football, art shows, international festivals.
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