best to do both a guided tour and one on your own. You get two different views of the particular campus that way. I am not sure what VT does now in terms of tours. My daughter was an ambassador at JMU during her time there and she did tours every weekday and some on weekends. Not sure if the weekend tours were specially arranged or for friends acquaintances. A quick call to the school admissions office should give you a contact or be able to answer specific questions on planning either a formal or informal visit. Other option is if you have any family friends with kids at the school see if they will give you a tour. You will get a less scripted tour, likely more personal answers and your kid may feel more comfortable asking them questions as well. Good luck!