gingersmom Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I expect my daughter to wear casual skirt, dress, hair done, look like prospective student. My son is usually tagging along and I make sure he looks presentable as well. Today was our 7th college visit. It was an all day affair. I stopped counting at 3 girls in shorts so short their hiney was hanging out. Exercise pants with crop top, other shirts with too much skin showing. This is a college tour, not a nightclub. Even some of the parents just looked wrong. The best one was the women in her early 50s, bleach blonde hair (dark roots showing), well endowed in a spaghetti strap low cut white tank top with micro mini jean shorts letting it all hang out. Yikes!! This is a well known, well respected larger university. My daughter hated the school plus was turned off by her fellow potential classmates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I never worried too much about what we were wearing as initial visits don't mean much. The school is trying to impress you then, not the other way around. With applications/interviews you are trying to impress the school. My guys would wear shorts or khakis (pending weather) and some sort of polo or button shirt. I would tend to wear capris or colored jeans and some sort of pullover shirt. We never felt out of place. But then again, we never wear the clothes you are describing even while among just our family at home, so maybe it's just our preferences. I'm never really bothered with what others choose to wear unless, sometimes, when they are on a job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I expect my daughter to wear casual skirt, dress, hair done, look like prospective student. My son is usually tagging along and I make sure he looks presentable as well. Today was our 7th college visit. It was an all day affair. I stopped counting at 3 girls in shorts so short their hiney was hanging out. Exercise pants with crop top, other shirts with too much skin showing. This is a college tour, not a nightclub. Even some of the parents just looked wrong. The best one was the women in her early 50s, bleach blonde hair (dark roots showing), well endowed in a spaghetti strap low cut white tank top with micro mini jean shorts letting it all hang out. Yikes!! This is a well known, well respected larger university. My daughter hated the school plus was turned off by her fellow potential classmates. My dc and I dress as you do for academic, professional, and daytime entertainment events but there's really not much point in being classy if we're going to be so judgmental of tacky people that we don't even want to enroll in a university just because its visitors are poorly dressed. Some people learn to dress professionally for their future careers and adult lives at college, you know. It's part of growing up. If their parents don't teach them how to dress they learn it as they go, if they wish to. Your daughter probably looked down on some people who might have been excellent friend material or the future heads of their classes. Some of them might even be future snazzy dressers. She'll never know, having judged them by their appearance and considering herself to be better than them because of her clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 My dc and I dress as you do for academic, professional, and daytime entertainment events but there's really not much point in being classy if we're going to be so judgmental of tacky people that we don't even want to enroll in a university just because its visitors are poorly dressed. Some people learn to dress professionally for their future careers and adult lives at college, you know. It's part of growing up. If their parents don't teach them how to dress they learn it as they go, if they wish to. Your daughter probably looked down on some people who might have been excellent friend material or the future heads of their classes. Some of them might even be future snazzy dressers. She'll never know, having judged them by their appearance and considering herself to be better than them because of her clothes. Where did I say she considered herself better than them because of her clothes? Seems to me you are making the same judgement call you just accused me of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Where did I say she considered herself better than them because of her clothes? Seems to me you are making the same judgement call you just accused me of. You said she was turned off by her potential fellow classmates, and the only characteristic of them that you addressed at all was their appearance. Sorry if I misinterpreted that to mean that your daughter was turned off by their appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 If you are touring a large campus with a standard scheduled tour and they don't know you from Adam, I see no need to dress in any special way... the prospective students don't have to look any more dressed up than the actual students on campus. Shorts and T-shirt would be completely fine in the summer. And the parents also should just wear regular clothes... dressing up for the college visit will just make them look out of place. (Really, visiting parents don't have to dress up more than professors, LOL. ) If the visit involves a private lab tour or one-on one meetings with faculty who will know who the student is, I'd dress a bit nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 We actually all had name tags, there were meetings with admissions counselors and most of the staff presenting wore either a dress or shirt and tie. The student ambassadors had all body parts that needed covering neatly covered. We fit in very nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 We actually all had name tags, there were meetings with admissions counselors and most of the staff presenting wore either a dress or shirt and tie. The student ambassadors had all body parts that needed covering neatly covered. Of course they would - they are trying to sell you a product. If anybody is dressing up, it would be the admissions people. The name tags are for show.. don't think anybody will remember and put a name to a face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 Of course they would - they are trying to sell you a product. If anybody is dressing up, it would be the admissions people. The name tags are for show.. don't think anybody will remember and put a name to a face. I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 My ds usually wore cargo shorts or jeans and a t-shirt. If he was doing a piano lesson later in the day with a faculty member he wore a collared (golf, polo, whatever you like to call it) shirt and then changed into khaki pants that were waiting in the car. We had one visit where there was not going to be time to change before the piano lesson, so he just wore the khaki pants on the rest of the visit. He wasn't keen on that because it made him the most dressed up person. I don't have any recollection of inappropriate clothing in terms of body parts not being covered. Some of the kids looked kind of sloppy and their clothes could have benefitted by becoming acquainted with an iron - ha ha! The only "inappropriate" thing I remember seeing was a boy wearing a rival school's baseball hat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I guess we will have to agree to disagree. about what? That the admissions guys are selling a product, or that name tags at campus visits are meaningful and the people go back to their offices and make notes in their files "Suzie Jones was wearing cutoffs - do not admit"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Oh yeah lets talk about how some college profs dress.....another fun topic.. :laugh: (I did say some. Some dressed nice. But some...um...) I'd rather be lectured by an internationally renowned scientist and entertaining lecturer who wears teva sandals or a North face fleece than by a boring moron in a suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Standard admissions presentation, followed by tour? I wouldn't put a lot of thought into dressing. Some people will look sloppy for that. We visited one place one the way home from our short beach trip last year. Our clothes were clean, but we were in shorts and tee shirts. We were not out of place in our level of dress. Special program invite, admissions interview, small group or one on one department presentation? Then, dress up. Depending on the circumstances I'd expect business casual to more formal business attire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 The only "inappropriate" thing I remember seeing was a boy wearing a rival school's baseball hat! Sacrilege! I am often on our local college campus (my dh works there) and am constantly impressed by how nicely some of the students dress compared to when I was in school. Of course some are in gym shorts and tank tops, but many of the women wear lovely dresses with accessories and the men seem fashionable as well. At my college in the early 90s, nearly everyone, male and female, wore godawful flannel shirts and jeans all the time. Of course that was the fashion at the time, but visiting applicants in their nice polo shirts really stood out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 General campus visits tend to be casual affairs. I would not judge a campus by one of these visits, particularly during the summer months when the student body is not present. Nor would I judge future students on parents' attire. So your daughter did not care for the attire of potential applicants. What did she think of the faculty she in her potential major? How about the library? Were there any engaging extracurriculars that stood out? Perhaps you can help your daughter navigate into adult waters beyond the superficial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I am often on our local college campus (my dh works there) and am constantly impressed by how nicely some of the students dress compared to when I was in school. Of course some are in gym shorts and tank tops, but many of the women wear lovely dresses with accessories and the men seem fashionable as well. What's the demographics and distribution of majors on your campus? For a regular day (so, not career fair day), I don't think there are more than 3 times per semester that I see one of my female students wear a dress to class. 2-3 male students in a class of 100 may wear Khakis; the rest wear jeans/shorts and T-shirts. I have one 8am class that is 85% female; half the class is in athletic wear. But then, many of them actually do come from their early morning practice straight to class. It beats pajamas. My DD loved to wear skirts and dresses to class, something completely out of the norm at this school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 When my oldest visited schools, I had him dress in a casual button-down shirt and clean jeans or cargo pants. He was more dressed up than most of the prospies. After a few visits, he resisted the button-down shirt and went with his usual t-shirt, nicer hoodie, and jeans. For my second son, there is no way I would have gotten him into anything other than a nicer version of what he usually wore - tee, hoodie, jeans. There is no way he would have tolerated having to dress up more than that. If a school didn't want him because he wasn't dressed for his post-college job interview, then that school would have been eliminated by its culture alone. He had many interviews on campus dressed in his typical style. He as accepted with top merit money to all but one of the schools he applied to. He was waitlisted at a school that he didn't get around to visiting and never bothered to set up an interview (not high on his list.) If he had been invited for a scholarship competition or something, I am sure he would have made the decision to wear a dress shirt and dress pants and maybe a tie. But we didn't run into that. I expect that admissions personnel are required to dress nice because their job is to sell the college. On our visits, very few of the professors were dressed up much more than the students they taught. Maybe because they were all scientists and didn't give a hoot about clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 What's the demographics and distribution of majors on your campus? For a regular day (so, not career fair day), I don't think there are more than 3 times per semester that I see one of my female students wear a dress to class. 2-3 male students in a class of 100 may wear Khakis; the rest wear jeans/shorts and T-shirts. I have one 8am class that is 85% female; half the class is in athletic wear. But then, many of them actually do come from their early morning practice straight to class. It beats pajamas. My DD loved to wear skirts and dresses to class, something completely out of the norm at this school. It's an Ivy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I can't say that I ever saw anyone dressed inappropriately (IMO) on any of our college visits. But then I can't say that I spent any time looking at other people. That certainly wasn't anywhere on the list of things we were concerned about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 or that name tags at campus visits are meaningful and the people go back to their offices and make notes in their files "Suzie Jones was wearing cutoffs - do not admit"? :lol: Esp since Susie hasn't even applied yet - and many students doing basic visits don't apply! I'd rather be lectured by an internationally renowned scientist and entertaining lecturer who wears teva sandals or a North face fleece than by a boring moron in a suit. :iagree: :iagree: :iagree: I expect that admissions personnel are required to dress nice because their job is to sell the college. On our visits, very few of the professors were dressed up much more than the students they taught. Maybe because they were all scientists and didn't give a hoot about clothes. And perhaps it's because I'm a science/math person at heart that I don't give much thought to clothes and really can care less what others choose to wear. I choose comfortable and styles I like. Others can do what they wish. If some school really DIDN'T want me or my guys due to what we were wearing, it would probably be good to not get in... if that were to ever happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 We dressed in clean clothes without rips or stains, but didn't dress up more than that. None of the other students were dressed up. I would hope that the lecturers would welcome the diversity of students who might visit. If there were interviews scheduled, I'd expect more formality of dress, although Oxford specifically told the students to wear something they would be comfortable in. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 What's the demographics and distribution of majors on your campus? For a regular day (so, not career fair day), I don't think there are more than 3 times per semester that I see one of my female students wear a dress to class. 2-3 male students in a class of 100 may wear Khakis; the rest wear jeans/shorts and T-shirts. I have one 8am class that is 85% female; half the class is in athletic wear. But then, many of them actually do come from their early morning practice straight to class. It beats pajamas. My DD loved to wear skirts and dresses to class, something completely out of the norm at this school. At my daughters school a few of the majors, fashion merchandising and some of the business majors, are required to wear business attire to their major subject courses. DD's roommate last year was a fashion major and struggled with the business attire especially for 8am classes. They mentioned it during the orientation tour - starting as freshman gives them four years to learn the do's and don'ts's and get more comfortable in business attire. ETA: She attends a mid-size state university. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 They mentioned it during the orientation tour - starting as freshman gives them four years to learn the do's and don'ts's and get more comfortable in business attire. Goodness - four years seems excessive. Surely it takes an afternoon? L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Goodness - four years seems excessive. Surely it takes an afternoon? L Well, it is just four years of their major courses. So freshman/sophomore year that could be just one or two classes (and they probably change as soon as possible after class), by junior/senior years it's probably the majority of their courses. ;) Dd's university is extremely diverse - a big mix of inner city, urban, suburban and rural, and economically diverse - so some probably need more direction than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Goodness - four years seems excessive. Surely it takes an afternoon? L I will never forget the kid who came dashing into a Calc class late, who apologized for his tardiness because he had been at a job fair. Get this--dressed in running shorts and a tank top! Some kids may need more than an afternoon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I will never forget the kid who came dashing into a Calc class late, who apologized for his tardiness because he had been at a job fair. Get this--dressed in running shorts and a tank top! Maybe he was late because he had to go change out of the uncomfortable suit before your class? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Nothing special. It's a college visit, not an interview. If my dd wore a skirt, it would be because it'd be more comfortable than shorts. She wears shorter shorts, but she has nothing to hang out of it, and she doesn't wear tight shirts or crop tops. ::shrug:: I usually wear capris, sandals, and a top (can't forget that!). My son, who used to just tag along but now is the one checking out the school, wears shorts and probably a t-shirt with something from Assassin's Creed or his favorite soccer team jersey. (I don't suppose he'd get points since it's an expensive shirt?) I don't get why it matters if it's a well known, well respected school or not though. We toured a lot of colleges, and I can't say that I ever noticed a difference in how prospective students or their parents dressed. I hope you all find what you're looking for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkateLeft Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I expect my daughter to wear casual skirt, dress, hair done, look like prospective student. I don't actually think that will make her look like a prospective student :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 To answer the original question, dd has only been on 2 visits so far. Lil sis tagged along for the first one, and they wore matching Hogwarts t-shirts and shorts. It was just her for the 2nd one, which wasn't a formal campus visit - she took a test and then we walked the scores over to the admissions office. She again wore a t-shirt, albeit a less geeky one, and shorts. I'm not sure what I wore, but it was either a casual top or a t-shirt, and shorts. It's way too hot around here to walk around campus in pants! The student presenters were dressed quite casually as well. At the first school, there was an admissions type person there at the end to answer questions, and she was dressed very professionally. At the second school, the admissions people were dressed nicely enough, not shorts but not suit-and-tie level. Neither are competitive admission, except for certain specific programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 While I wouldn't have my kid dress the way you've described some of the other prospectives dressing, I do think there's a middle ground between that and the "business casual" you expect of your daughter. For regular campus visits, my son wore nice jeans and a polo, t-shirt or casual oxford-type shirt. For interviews, he wore dress pants, and oxford with tie and a vest, usually. With the exception of one scholarship weekend event, he was almost always the most formally dressed young person present. Of course, several of his visits included dance auditions, which meant he spent a good portion of the visit in athletic or dancewear. Truthfully, students on most campuses dress very, very casually. (My daughter's college actually found it necessary to make a rule prohibiting students from wearing pajamas to class except on designated days.) So, if you want your daughter to look "like a prospective student," skirts and other such comparatively formal clothing may not accomplish that goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 We actually all had name tags, there were meetings with admissions counselors and most of the staff presenting wore either a dress or shirt and tie. The student ambassadors had all body parts that needed covering neatly covered. We fit in very nicely. Somehow, this just made me laugh, thinking of a funny thing that happened when Diamond was visiting some friends at the popular local conservative Christian college. (She had ZERO intent to enroll there) She did respectfully follow their dress code, and she was a guest and staying overnight in the dorms. But at lunch with friends of her friend, they were overly-dress-codey and excessively positive about the school. (They knew a high school friend of their friend was visiting) When the friend told them Diamond had no intention of applying to the school- they could drop the "RAH RAH College" faces, they were so relieved. Yes- the students "put on their best" for visitors. I also chuckled at an employment ad for another local school. They wanted people for their enrollment info booths. Didn't even have to be current, former, or even potential students. Preferred was experience in public speaking and acting/performing. So yeah- some of the enthusiastic "students" on enrollment day may just be actors in college T-shirts. :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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