Anyone have thoughts on whether to visit Vanderbilt with a standard tour or whether the open house is better? I always assumed open house, but a school our family recently visited for the 2nd time with younger sibs actually was better with the standard tour. The open house put hundreds into a big auditorium on a far side of campus rather than the usual admissions house experience, and the open house felt a bit crowded and impersonal. The regular info session/ tour actually made the school more appealing. Thoughts on tour vs. Fall Open house at Vandy? We’d be flying into town just for the visit.
It depends - usually the Open Houses have an agenda and different things you can do. Vandy’s says you can pick up to four topics (but that doesn’t preclude you from doing more on yoru own).
I think it’s individual - some like a half/full day. Others are ok with the tour.
The important thing is that you get there - you walk around, check out the surrounding neighborhood - hit Pizza Perfect or Central BBQ, stop kids on campus and talk to them, do an academic meeting if of interest and get a feel.
In the end, that’s what matters most. We did both - and both had their benefits. For special sessions, I wouldn’t want to do 20 of them…..so pick a few schools, etc.
Either way, you need to see the school, determine your comfort, talk to people, maybe eat…and more. That’s what’s most important….the how you do it doesn’t matter. Sometimes the schedule determines - meaning you can’t get there for a special day.
Good luck.
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If you want to get a realistic snap shot of what the campus is like on a day to day basis, take the tour.
If you want access to as much information as possible about the university, go to the Open House.
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