We went on about 8 tours per kid with my daughters. With each of them, 2-3 were eliminated because of tours.
Our Flagship State U has multiple campuses…you have to take the tour on a bus. You have to get from campus to campus on a bus. Both quickly were not interested.
Another day we visited Lafayette and Lehigh on a rainy day. Lehigh we were in a giant group going up and down those hills…the tour guide kept going on the normal tour route…I couldn’t even hear him over the rain on my umbrella. At Lafayette they only had two families per guide, and they altered the tour to be more indoors.
Lehigh fell off the list…if she had to pick between the two the one that appears to be more personalized wins.
Another state U felt run down/stuck in the 70’s…it is up and coming, but still needs a few years. Looked good on paper, though.
Cornell had no energy and felt cold (and not in a temperature sense)
But for most of the other tours, yes, they all seemed fine and I could see where you would not think you get more info from the tour. So we just used it to eliminate colleges, but not to find fine distinctions between them.
Both of my daughters did not end up going to admitted students day for logistical reasons but were happy with their choices.