Yes, I Took My Ninth Grader on a College Tour (and It Was Worth It) Dave Marcus is the author of "Acceptance: A Legendary Guidance Counselor Helps Seven Kids Find the Right Colleges - and Find Themselves" (Penguin Press). In early April, I felt a sense of near panic. Since the school year had begun, I'd intended to take my son Benjamin to visit colleges, but suddenly I realized there was less than a month till reading periods and finals. Soon it would be too late for a look at day-to-day college life - classes, dining halls, service groups. My ninth grader would miss it all! Yes, that's right: I was arranging a college tour for a ninth grader. I know this appears to be a scheme of yet another admissions-obsessed New York dad. But bear with me. It's actually a rational approach to preparing some kids for college. I used to scoff at mothers and fathers who couldn't wait till the summer before 11th grade to hustle kids off to see campuses. What kind of overachievers start two, three or more years before applications are due? While writing a book about college applicants, I was dismayed to learn that the high school I focused on takes eighth graders - about 13 years old - to visit Boston University, the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State and other campuses. Turns out Dennis O'Hara, the principal of the school, Oyster Bay High on Long Island, carefully considered the timing. The purpose of bringing busloads of middle-school children to campuses is not to emphasize a particular place. Mr. O'Hara says he downplays the names of particular campuses. They visit student centers, libraries and dorms, take in a varsity basketball game, and meet with college students who grew up in Oyster Bay. Along the way, Mr. O'Hara and guidance counselors show the eighth graders the amazing experiences that await curious, motivated teenagers - including those whose parents didn't graduate from college. I think of it this way: For quite a few boys and girls, high school is a chore to be endured. They're likely to do better if they sense that college is different - it's a chance to pursue real interests. Think of it in culinary terms. When you take certain children to a restaurant buffet, it's a good idea to let them walk them past the dessert table; that gives them some incentive to gobble down the broccoli. As my son's first year of high school winds down, I wanted him to have an idea of what he's working toward. So I hurriedly set up a visit to Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks for spring vacation. I chose Paul Smith's in part because I'm a fan of the school's experiential education, which sends students outdoors on projects. Also, Paul Smith's has a fisheries and wildlife science program that plays to my son's fascination with animals. At the very least, I figured, a visit would underscore the importance of his biology class next year. Admissions offices at many well-known universities would be skeptical about investing time in someone who is still three long years away from graduation, but Paul Smith's set up a tour as well as a visit to a wildlife conservation class. My wonderful idea involved a not-so-wonderful 12-hour round-trip drive, including two hours in an April snowstorm. The result of the three hours we spent there? My son liked meeting a professor who used to be a zookeeper. He also gave thumbs-up to the pizza on campus. Still, he didn't come back expressing a newfound desire to soak up everything in high school so that he'll be ready to plunge into college courses. As for applying to Paul Smith's, all that driving made him think the place might be too remote. The trip was productive in an unexpected way. Forget about my kid's college plans; he's got plenty of time. What matters is that I am smitten with the lakefront campus, the racks of kayaks outside the cafeteria, and the hands-on program in forestry. Now I'm trying to figure out how to teach there. What is your perspective on what Mr. Marcus has written here? To parents in particular: would you embark on a similar tour with a child at a similar age? Please use the comment box below to let us know.