For D20, we were fortunate enough to be able to attend a couple of admitted student tours before the lockdown in March. We had toured the schools previously, but I think the admitted student tour is both better and is seen through the eyes of knowing it’s an option (which changes the lens).
All of that being said, while tours are useful, they don’t always address (or accurately convey) the vibe. I was just talking with D over Thanksgiving–she attends SCU–and she said that if she had a single piece of advice for someone picking a college, it would be to reach out to a current student to get the “real story”. She said that if someone from her HS reached out–even if she didn’t know the person at all–she would make time to talk to them and tell them about her experience (which has been phenomenal, btw). She almost didn’t pick SCU because she wasn’t sure about the social scene and the lack of a “college town” experience. It has turned out that she had the wrong impression based on her initial tour/Open House. The neighborhoods adjacent to campus are bustling with students and big part of the social scene, but that wasn’t emphasized on the official tour.
So if your D’s HS college counselor can put her in touch with former students who attend the college(s) she is considering, encourage her to reach out and ask the questions that may not be fully addressed on the tour.