BelleOfKilronen

Congrats on your admits! I have to confess, one of the first questions I asked my professors about my admitted student visits was "what on earth do I wear?" They basically told me to look respectable and be comfortable. The schools have already accepted you, so it's not the same kind of pressure as a pre-admit interview. As for the visit, try to talk to as many current students as possible, and try to do so when faculty aren't around if you can. Ask them why they decided to go there, what the best parts of the program are, and what parts they wish they had known about before they accepted. Ask them about how well and how often the faculty members in the department interact. I'm not super-familiar with how MPP programs are set up, but if there's an independent capstone/thesis type project at the end, talk to students who are currently working on theirs to see what sort of support they're getting from faculty. Also, see if you can meet one-on-one with a few of the faculty members you most want to work with, and ask them about what they're current interests are. In talking to faculty members, I sometimes found that they had moved beyond the work I thought they were still doing, and it was good to get a sense of the ideas they were presently exploring. You can also get a great sense of how the faculty work together during these conversations--if they refer to each other's work (and refer you to each other!), that's a good sign that the department's environment will be collegial. Most of all, try to remember that, at this point in the game, you are the one choosing them. Have fun, and good luck!

This. Also, have you visited Schools A & B, and, if not, would that be feasible for you? There are several folks in these fora that have shared stories of visiting their dream schools and finding them to be lacking. On the other hand, you may visit School B and realize it's not the place for you and that it's worth foregoing their offer for the possibility of going to School A. Either way, getting a first hand taste might help clarify things for you, if, again, you haven't done so already. Good luck!

Could you visit the school and talk with current MAPH students before you make your decision? I have heard very mixed things from students in U. Chicago's MAPH program. Everyone is different, of course, and it may be a great place for you--and, likewise, the complaints I have heard might be unfounded-- but it would be horrible for you to turn down funded PhD offers to complete an MAPH degree in a program that you didn't like. Just a thought. Good luck with your decision!

This. I did something similar during my application process, and it was really nice because the professor was both very familiar with my writing sample and well-connected (and well-versed!) in my field of interest, two things that could only have helped during the letter writing process. The main drawback is having less time to make an impression, but if you follow straightshooting's advice, your potential recommender will likely be favorably impressed with your drive, direction, and genuine interest in their field.

Congrats on your acceptances, PaperChaser! I wanted to expound a bit on something that p7389 eluded to RE: schools that have equal funding for all students. For some applicants (myself included), it's a big plus to be in a program that has equal funding for all its students, since variable funding can sometimes cause tension between students. I would be pretty bummed if I found out that the school I accepted at, which touts the fact that it funds everyone evenly, was actually not doing so. All that said, if you're looking at institutions that are open about having variable funding packages, I think you should try to secure as much funding as you can. And if you are looking at negotiating your funding up at schools that traditionally fund equally, I would just be aware that, if they find out about it, fellow students might respond negatively to the fact that the program misrepresented itself. No matter what you decide to do, good luck with your decision-making. Despite being super-exciting, it's pretty stressful!