<p>I’m sure it varies by school. I know that at Concord the parent tour guides are instructed to present rather than sell the school, because they only want students applying who feel that they’re a good match for the school. Of course, that’s more easily said that done, since the parents giving tours are generally the ones who feel most positively about the school.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I’ve been to an admissions presentation at Harvard where they encouraged everyone to apply, regardless of grades, test scores, etc. They said it was because they look at the whole person, but it still seemed pretty blatant.</p>