What questions should I ask potential grad programs?

[Oklash]

I have already been accepted into a great graduate program. But just to get a feel for the campus and town itself, I scheduled a tour. I also told the university I would be visiting.

They were so kind and invited me to lunch with current graduate students and meetings with faculty and my people of interest! I will be with them for a few hours. What should I say? What do I do? What do I ask? There’s a 95% chance I’m going to this university so it’s not like I’m weighing options or trying to make a decision. Should I tell them that? 

 What questions should I ask the faculty so that I am much more confident about my decision? What should I say to make myself not look like a complete idiot? I have no idea where to start. 

[Sandra Kruse]

Congrats on getting into a program you're happy with!

When you applied you likely saw a little bit, but definitely ask about funding.  My masters program wasn't funded, but after some faculty got to know me they pointed some scholarships my way.  Ask about teaching, research assistantships, stuff like that.  It might not be the biggest deal for you to find a funding source, but almost all of those look good on CVs.

If you're moving, ask about what the best neighborhoods are, where the good rent rates are, or if there are any property management companies to stay away from.  This is an important part of being in a new place, but also is the kind of conversation that opens into where the good restaurants are, how the public transit works, and where the best places near campus are.  

Do you have a sense of how big your cohort is?  Ask to see how many students are typically in your coursework.  How easy will it be to make friends?  Chances are if you're visiting, you already have a head-start on making connections to the students already there.  That's good!

If the department is research heavy, the faculty probably won't have any problem telling you about what kind of work they do.  But if that should be the case, or if they're the kind of awkward professor type, ask them what kinds of classes they teach.  What are their favorite classes to teach?  I honestly find that is almost more of an indication of what kind of work you'll be able to do with them than what their last book was about.  ---but even so that's not always the case!

I'm sure others will contribute. Good luck!

[agunns]

I definitely echo the statement about asking about friends and social life in the program. I was in a similar situation when I did my MA, because I loved the school and knew I wanted to go there. I made sure to ask about the student community during campus visits, and I was really glad that I did. My program ended up having a lot of different social events, and I made some really good friends. It's definitely something that makes graduate school more bearable, so getting a sense of the community there is always a good idea!