Campus visits? Worth it?

[zaeta266]

Hi everyone! I've been invited to a campus visit with all travel expenses covered, which I'm super grateful for, but I'm conflicted about going because the dates don't work the greatest with my schedule. I could go, but it'd cause quite a bit of trouble for me. I don't have any decisions to make, since I already know for sure that I'm going there. I guess what I'm wondering is what's your experience been with campus visits. If I don't need to decide between different programs, would you say that it's still a very valuable experience? Is going worth the scheduling headaches?

Edited February 26, 2018 by zaeta266

[Fiain]

So I just went on my first one.

 

I learned a -ton- about how the program works, about different professors - I went only having one or two professors in mind that I wanted to work for, and left having 4 solid profs that I'd love to work for, and I know one is perfect. I learned a lot about the city, and the requirements for the program/collaborations. Also learned about housing around campus and got to ask questions about the stipend and insurance.

 

If you know exactly who you are working for already, then you might be OK skipping it? But I honestly would recommend going if you can, simply because it's a great opportunity to network and see who you wanna work for, what you can expect when you move there funds wise, if summer is an option... Of course, I mean, it won't be too bad if you skip it. You can still get the information through emailing grad students and all... But, I was kinda reluctant to go on the one I just came back from today, actually, due to scheduling issues, and I don't regret going at -all- and am very glad I did.

[Bayesian1701]

Would they maybe let you reschedule for a different date?  It's worth asking in my opinion and since you are already decided it won't matter if you meet all your POIs or miss out on some of the events.  An alternate visit would be better than no visit in my opinion.  Plus you might be able to find a place to live.