- We did most of our tours spring break of junior year. Definitely a plus to have students around, labs working, etc.
- I like doing tours pre-application, so kid gets an idea of what they like and that helps refine the application list .
- Don't overdo the schedule. I mistakenly tried to pack ~7 schools in 5 days and it was too much. Kids shut down after a while.
- I found the info sessions pretty redundant and useless. We usually skipped these.
- There's a huge range in quality of tour guides. Must look beyond them.
- Our best visits, by far, were when we got to meet students or professors, or even dept Chair. If you have a friend of a friend who can make an introduction, it is very worthwhile. (I actually loved taking my kids on the college tours.)