<p>Pitt students wear lots of college shirts. I think at least part of it is because they give so many away. Plus, it is the only college I have visited with a corner stand for shirts, etc.</p>
<p>We learned to hang back on the tour. It was interesting to watch how attentive DS was. For some of the schools that turned out to be best fit, he seemed to go forward to listen attentively and ask questions.</p>
<p>I loved it that Case gave us three tourguides for our group. DS drifted ahead toward the lead guide, and I was able to ask various question of the other extra guides. </p>
<p>Take note of the other students on the tour. Although no day is an exact sampling of applicants, you can get a feel for the mix. That may or may not matter to the applicant, but it is still worth observation. (My kids seemed more at easy in the nerdy crowds.)</p>
<p>One thing to do: Don’t just go on the tour. Find a personal connection at the school and try to see if they have a couple hours to talk. If they don’t, explore by yourself, but more perspectives are always nice. The tour guides won’t or can’t tell you everything about what the school is really like.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Make fun of the ocd parents with tablets writing down tour guides words verbatim.</p></li>
<li><p>Sit behind a mother and daughter with matching scrunchies, what looked like vaseline in their side pony tails and coats that smelled like a large dog. ( I could go on)</p></li>
<li><p>Stare at the rich man massaging ( fondling) and kissing his 20 something bleached hair, collagen lips, plastic chest and at least 5 designers adorning her body wife, and his poor son stumbling behind them with his head turned down in shame.</p></li>
<li><p>Walk around Miami U. in 100 degree heat and humidity.</p></li>
<li><p>Walk around Kenyon in wind, rain and 40 degree weather. And one umbrella for 3 people.</p></li>
<li><p>Get stuck in the room with the guy who, when they say, “anymore questions?” Has many more questions.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Probably more, but those are my highlights.</p>
<p>mspearl–I think your #3 (but your second #2) were on the same tour we were on at one school…I’m not sure if your #1 is something you should or should not do…:).</p>
<p>I’ll add a couple:</p>
<p>Look at the college’s website before you visit the college. Don’t waste everyone’s time asking a very general question that could be easily answered on the web.</p>
<p>Don’t waste everyone’s time at a large group session asking a very peculiar question that only applies to your little darling.</p>
<p>Don’t expect a student tour guide to know every statistic about every facet of the college.</p>
<p>Park where the website or email tells you to park for admissions events. If you don’t, don’t be shocked when you get a ticket, or that you end up being late for the event because you have to move your car.</p>
<p>I think I met mspearls #1 at most schools, and we did make fun of them on the way home. No points for character, but at least I looked less like a helicopter mom in comparison. </p>
<p>We also watched a young senior in high school ask the tour guide out on a date, for coffee, stopping by her sorority house next year, etc. numerous times on a tour. Props for confidence, I guess but it made for many awkward moments.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That they’re Catholic?</p>
<p>Mspearl- As far as item 3 goes:</p>
<p>I’m not that rich and</p>
<p>I was trying to be discreet!</p>
<p>MizzBee–that’s kind of creepy about the date/visits to her sorority actually…</p>
<p>The helicopter mom on our last visit was quite the topic of conversation on our way home. Just a tip, the pre-med adviser is NOT the person to ask about “guest” accommodations in your DD’s dorm room and who is going to police who she has in her room…</p>
<p>In the info session…</p>
<p>“I don’t want to sound shallow, but, where is the closest mall? I didn’t see one coming into town.” </p>
<p>Blockheaded guy…“Dude, I want to live in an apartment with some bros already in school here, can I?”</p>
<p>Don’t ask the tour guide for his high school GPA and SAT scores.</p>
<p>Don’t ask the tour guide how much financial aid he received.</p>
<p>Apparently, asking our Speedy Gonzalez tour guide to slow down the pace for our very large crowd of parents and students was a no-no. Whizzer ignored me and just kept on talking and walking at breakneck speed.</p>
<p>LakeWashington–I hope you said something to the admissions staff about that.</p>
<p>Great advice on this thread! One more: don’t be adversarial, as though you are trying to catch the school in a lie or force it to confess its many sins. I had an info session or two where I felt like I was facing the Grand Inquisitor instead of somebody’s dad. I’m happy to tell you about the role of TAs; it’s not necessary to react like you scored a body blow.</p>
<p>Hanna–I don’t get that attitude either. If you don’t like the school, why are you there in the first place. If you thought you would like the school but discovered differently, keep your mouth closed or simply leave?? No, it might not be a good fit for your child now but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a great fit for someone else.</p>
<p>My daughter was a tour guide a couple of years ago. She would add do not make sexually inappropriate comments to your tour guide. Admission staff said it was many times so tempting to deny admission to a student given the boorish behavior of the parent on the tour.</p>
<p>I read somewhere that you should ask the tourguide the names of other schools where they applied. It was very awkward. It came off like “So, you didn’t get into X and you ended up here instead?”</p>
<p>MaterS–applied and accepted do not mean the same thing. I know several people that have been accepted to very top notch school that didn’t go there for many reasons but mostly money.</p>
<p>My dad asked my new yorker tour guide at umich why she didn’t “just go to NYU”… kind of an awkward moment but she handled it REALLY well and I think her answer sold my dad on letting me go to umich, she basically explained the concept of “fit” to him and highlighted the major differences between NYU and Umich and why she preferred the latter. Dad was just completely oblivious and genuinely wanted to know, he didn’t realize there was any difference between one big school and another and apparently had no idea that umich was known to people outside of the state.</p>
<p>That tour was an odd day. We had a bunch of speakers talk to us in a ballroom before we started, it was an admitted students day, and I was just so grateful to be there I was nearly in tears-- meanwhile the girl at my table was literally crying saying “DAD IT’S TOO COLD HERE TAKE ME HOME” – in March. Highly amusing.</p>