I don't really see the point of trying to attend a class on a college tour. What is the purpose of that? I'm surprised schools allow people not registered to sit in classrooms, I've attended 5 colleges myself--undergrad, grad and 3 for extra classes--and have never seen such a thing (unregistered people sitting in the classes). What would be the reason for this, you are going to attend dozens of different classes during your college time period with many different teachers across many depts, I just don't see the point of it at all.

Unless it were some school that had some unusual avant-garde idea about how every class was taught or something.

I have the answer, Christina.

It is to see who is teaching and what the students are like.

Some technically oriented universities are reported to have first and second year classes taught mostly by graduate students, TA's and post docs whose command of English is not good.

At other distinguished universities, it is possible to go for four years and never get into a class taught by one of the superstars.

In addition to seeing who is teaching, and I would try to get into a discussion session as well as a large lecture, what are the students like? Are they engaged? Vocal? Thoughtful and reflective? Bored? Sleepy?

Another thing to do, and I actually learned this from watching my son, is to read the bulletin boards in classroom and other buildings to see what's going on, both professional and non-professional. MIT used to have a famous Gilbert and Sullivan group, for example, and these schools have club sports and intra murals and extracurricular groups of all kinds, operating in some cases at so professional level.

These are the kinds of things that make these universities [more or less] worth the money at more than a credential level.

Forming an opinion from one class, whether it be negative or positive, cannot be instructive in the least. How are those circumstances going to be duplicated in the future? I am sure the university picks profs whose demeanor is lively and welcoming. Can you imagine if a university had a list of students they wanted to discourage and sent them to a mean prof sleepwalking through his tenure?

It is true that many schools have doc candidates who teach the smaller classes in some subjects, when the full professor does one session a week with a class of 100/150 or more.

Sometimes they are great (mine in earth science was) and sometimes they were awful. My math teacher for the smaller session couldn't speak English well enough to teach. After the first 2 classes I though I was a dunce, then asked one of my suitemates who was a math major to come with me. She couldn't understand a thing he was saying. After 15 minutes she got up and we left, went straight to the departmental office and I was switched to another session - and I got an A- with no problem at all.

This is true of most schools. The trick is that it should not be in your major (my degree is history and all my history, poli sci and antro profs ere great) and if the teacher is bad enough you just need to change.

The problem is if most of the classes are run this way - as opposed to match for liberal arts majors (for instance).

But by talking to a couple of students in your potential major (or at least the general area) you should be able to get an idea of the level of teachers in that major.

And of course if, as a parent, you want more than some grad student only marginally competent in English teaching your child for a mere $50,000 a year, you're some philistine . . .

Honestly, you should be able to sue for fraud.

1. Optimally, there would be TWO college visits - one early one in summer or fall to get an idea of location, flavor, etc., and you can do that on a fly-by tour, with student tourleaders walking you around. Much more important is the one after you get in to help you choose based on actually being there with other admitted students. The colleges do a good job of that spring "prospective students" days, and you often sit in on classes then. Frankly, in my opinion, if you can't afford two trips, the second one is much more important. But some parents and kids just can't imagine that. If you get into two places or more and can't decide, that spring trip after admission is ESSENTIAL.

2. I notice you haven't looked at all at the "little ivies" - the small liberal arts colleges. Thanks to USN&W report and other guides, they are often overlooked because people think they're just extended prep schools. They're NOT. They provide a valuable experience of small student-teacher ratio (which often permits research collaboration you can't get in a univ. as an undergrad) and a great mix of specialization within a spectrum of areas. Not perfect for some but outstanding for others. They're more well-known on the East Coast (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore) than the West (Reed).

But as to the trip - you've got good logistical advice above re: start at one "end" and work to the other, but know that you're just barely getting a quick taste of a school in summer, not what it would really be like to go there. That April or May trip after admission is CRUCIAL and don't expect to not need it. THAT will be much more real for you/your kid. If money's an issue, though, know that some kids are perfectly able to take that April/May trip by themselves, and it's a good experience for them to do that.

PS: don't obsess about getting an on-campus interview with the admissions office. Some are discontinuing that anyway, and some offer an interview with alumni near your home -- often a far better deal for an applicant anyway.

In case I didn't make it clear, most colleges do offer a formal 3- or 4-day weekend ("New Students" "Future Classmates" "Prospective Students") about 3 wks after admissions letters go out. All students they've admitted are invited to come back to see the college with the 'new' eyes of someone who might actually go there. Typically, they stay in the dorms, eat with current students, go to classes, attend special lectures, parties, etc. and meet professors. It may not be mentioned in the preliminary material they send you, but ask if you doubt it.

My son was wavering between 2 places, with a third in the wings. He'd seen all in the prior summer, but now, 6 months later, it got real. He found real drawbacks to #1 and #2 during this second, closer look; and we were worried until he called us from #3 and said "Hey, this is a no-brainer, this place ROCKS!"

In graduate school, my friends said I must take a course with this fellow who was a genius. He was a Sikh and had a very heavy accent and I did not know if he was a genius or not because I didn't understand him and transferred to another class. I have this most bizarre facility. Even though I grew up in a neighborhood where many people had accents, I don't understand people when they speak English with accents, but get the gist of the conversation when they speak their native tongue.

So I transferred to class conducted by the head of the department who gave standard lectures, gave standards tests, and required standard papers and it was my only C as I objected to some of his characterizations and generalizations.

Such is life.

Of course, it is not indicative of every class and I do not know about many fields, but in some areas it can be very helpful to at least go to a class and meet the professor. If you are an art major, with an emphasis in painting, even seeing the type and quality of work being done in one of the classes will tell you something about the approach to teaching it. That is true for most art classes. Attending a lecture in even one art history class will tell you how they are structured, and there is a huge difference from school to school, from pitiful to excellent. It can't hurt to sit in on a class, or speak to other students in your field.

I studied Creative Writing with winners of the Man Booker Awards and National Book Award winners. One SIL attended a college that specialized in art. It really depends on the individual instructor. Like every other discipline, there are instructors who know their stuff but are simply horrible humans and worse teachers.

For art, it is pretty well known what the major differences are between Yale, NYU, Columbia, Cooper Union, SVA, Pratt, Rhode Island School of Design, Smith, and the other schools with well-regarded programs.

And I am not sure what auditing one class would prove.

I do not mean to be contentious, it is simply something I feel strongly about. If you are going to be the arts, start thinking like an independent and creative soul as soon as possible and shun the pressures of conformity and weigh the values of others before accepting them as your own. Yet it is also essential that someone in the arts learn their craft, which is often ignored, and broaden their intellectual horizons, so that one can transform any idea into a painting, novel, music, dance, etc. And that is the need for a formal education.

It is important to find the balance, but do not kill the outlaw in someone. And this tours and classes seem to so practiced and regimented.

Of course, it is crucial that students and parents know the realities of financial aid and job prospects, that, however, is factual not propaganda.

I will shut up now and not argue any more about this subject.

I am laughing at little - not at OP but with memories. Our daughter (5 years post-college and not with an MPA) and I trudged around seemingly every college in the Mid-Atlantic states - plus multiple ones in New England as day trips. This is what I can tell you.

1. The weather will be terrible. In our case, an unusually hot spring. Over the rivers and thru the woods on sprawling campuses.

2. This is proceeded by a lovely slide show and/or video by an admissions person. They will tell you why Wonderful University is a great choice for everyone.

3. The tour will show you a classroom, the library/media center, a dorm, and for some strange reason, a laundry room. Accompanied by a narrative by a student admissions office employee who loves Wonderful University.

4. Due to exhaustion, something minor that seems major will happen. In our case, we lost our rental car at George Mason University - I forgot which rental car we had on this trip and no memory of which garage level it resided. After this travel annoyance happens, you will be ready to immediately leave your kid at whatever school you are at.

5. By the time you are home, much of the trip will be a blur and your feet and patience will be tired. One school may likely jump out at you or your kid - hopefully the same one. They will then spend the next 6 months thinking if they do not get accepted by Wonderful University, their life will be over.

6. All this will have an overlay of "I can't believe they are going this far away to college" thoughts from you and "Finally - on my own" from your kid. It is bittersweet.

While sitting on a bench with a prospective applicants father (having refused to climb 3 flights of stairs to see yet another dorm room), I mentioned that my son had visited 3 schools and my were well into double-digits with our daughter - he said "girls like to shop"

End of our story - by summer after junior year in HS I refused to visit any more schools. She conned my husband into taking her to "just one more school" - where she applied and was accepted Early Action and thrived.

Whatever schools, routes, specifics you decide on - try to enjoy the process. They re gone very soon.

Gail, that is just wonderful! It may be the best thing you have ever written!

Your information is always thoughtful and accurate, but this is "New Yorker" quality!

Thanks for brightening my day.

Wonderful, gail!

My son found classroom visits very helpful and chose his college, a great fit for him based on them. He liked neither the weather nor the town it was in but loved the teaching style, the small classes, and the willingness of the faculty to engage with him.

Ackislander - you are too kind.

hhnn66 - are you there? any more info re: your hopes and goals re: a university? Reactions to suggestions here?

Many of the comments remind me that while some teens know already what they want to study, others have no idea. Worth remembering that their minds can change entirely or be made up in unexpected ways between first year and graduation.

Hhnn why not add Princeton and Yale. I can't think of more Ivy League than that.

The way to get to Princeton is take NJ Transit to Princeton Junction and then take the shuttle train locally called the Dinky or PJ & B (Princeton Junction and back) to the town of Princeton and the university. One of the prettiest campuses in the country.

You can then go on to Philly on the same line.

For undergrads just deciding where to apply, I think the most important thing is to just walk around campus (I agree that classroom visits are not very helpful) and get a feel for the place ---- my son was able to cross schools off his list based on this kind of survey trip (he may have been right, he may have been wrong, doesn't matter). I don't think interviews matter, I don't think the fact that you visited matters. After acceptance, then I think the "admitted students" weekend IS important. For law school, he attended admitted students weekends at 4 eastern schools. He KNEW which one was right for him within hours, and he was absolutely right. At admitted students weekends, you meet actual students and actual students would might actually be your future classmates. He met his future best friend that weekend.

My son crossed Stanford off his list immediately after a student-led tour. He just knew it wasn't for him. I have no idea if he was right.