College Tour Packages

January 21, 2008 9:36 PM

Are there companies or agencies that arrange college tours packages for parents and teens. I'd especially like a tour where they separate parents and teens (for part of the tour/info session) and customize the college info for each group.
posted by sandra194 to education (6 comments total)

I've never heard of companies or agencies doing the tours. When I went on my tours they were all run by the schools and all were with both parents and students.
posted by bindasj at 12:18 AM on January 22, 2008

ditto bindasj
posted by andythebean at 12:54 AM on January 22, 2008

My university (UCSD) had a full day tour that had the two groups mixed and then separated for a few hours.
posted by like_neon at 1:57 AM on January 22, 2008

An interesting question, and I am trying to work out what is behind it. What is the difficulty that an organised tour would solve?

Many of us have problems dealing with educators as most of our contact with them has been when we were at school and relatively powerless. Now you are going as a customer for a very expensive product, and the colleges will treat you like one. So don't worry, things will be very different!

If it is the mechanics of visiting strange cities, that is not a big deal. Hundreds of thousands of other families are doing it for the same reasons, and they get by just fine. A college is a key part of the local economy, there will be plenty of road signs to them, and public transport will run there. There will be affordable overnight accommodation close by.

I thought of suggesting ganging up with another parent, but I guess it is hard to find a match. Do talk to other parents at the places you visit, and get tips off them.

I think a sensible tour does separate parents and kids for at least part of the time, but not all of them do. It may be good for your kid if you go on sit-down strike and say you will miss part of the tour and find a cup of coffee (take some of the other parents too). Colleges want your money, but they are not very keen on over-protected kids.
posted by Idcoytco at 4:10 AM on January 22, 2008

If you want to separate the teen, have the student do an overnight stay. It's a great way to get to know the college culture (for better or for worse), meet some students, see inside the dorms, eat bad cafeteria food, and let them hear what's really going on without a parent behind them.
posted by olinerd at 4:12 AM on January 22, 2008

Google lists a bunch, but I have no idea about the reliability or quality of any of them.

Depending on your kid's school, you might want to ask the guidance counselors if they organize any of these trips or if they know any operators. They're usually pretty clued into the marketing/recruiting arms of colleges, especially local colleges.
posted by occhiblu at 7:30 AM on January 22, 2008