Preparing for a Campus Visit...Please Help

[bookworm2]

I was invited to visit a department where I was accepted into their graduate program. The secretary emailed me my itinerary and I thought I might pass out! I've never been to a formal campus visit before and didn't realize their was going to be a series of one-on-one meetings with several of the professors. I'm glad to have the opportunity to see their school but I'm kind of freaking out at the prospect of talking with all these professors. How did you prepare for this? How did your visit go? Is the experience pleasant or stressful? Do you get grilled? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!   

[PsyDuck90]

You're already accepted, so some of the pressure is definitely off. I have only been to pre-acceptance interviews where they are figuring out if you're a good fit. However, I imagine this is the 1st step in developing relationships with potential mentors. Did you get accepted to a specific faculty or do you choose a mentor later on? If the latter, this may be how everyone figures out who you want to work with next fall. I would prepare as if I'm going to interview just to be on the safe side (be ready to speak about your research interests, career goals, etc), but you're already in so unless you do something really inappropriate (illegal?) that outcome won't change. From others I've talked to, it is a time for them to really sell you on the program in the event you haven't accepted yet. 

[FutureEdPHD]

7 hours ago, bookworm2 said:

I was invited to visit a department where I was accepted into their graduate program. The secretary emailed me my itinerary and I thought I might pass out! I've never been to a formal campus visit before and didn't realize their was going to be a series of one-on-one meetings with several of the professors. I'm glad to have the opportunity to see their school but I'm kind of freaking out at the prospect of talking with all these professors. How did you prepare for this? How did your visit go? Is the experience pleasant or stressful? Do you get grilled? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!   

It'll be okay! I freaked out when I first saw my itinerary for the schools I visited too. The meetings are usually really low key because they are just trying to get to know you better and convince you to choose their program. I would brush up on the research interests of each of the professors and maybe have a few specific questions for them but truthfully you may not get to them because the meetings go by pretty quickly. 

[Ternwild]

10 hours ago, bookworm2 said:

I was invited to visit a department where I was accepted into their graduate program. The secretary emailed me my itinerary and I thought I might pass out! I've never been to a formal campus visit before and didn't realize their was going to be a series of one-on-one meetings with several of the professors. I'm glad to have the opportunity to see their school but I'm kind of freaking out at the prospect of talking with all these professors. How did you prepare for this? How did your visit go? Is the experience pleasant or stressful? Do you get grilled? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!   

As @PsyDGrad90 pointed out, don't worry about getting rejected or something.  You're already accepted.  This is just an opportunity for you to meet some of the faculty and get an idea of who you might want to work with and have them get to know a bit more about those students admitted.   It's more of a meet-and-greet.  It is not an interview, really.

[bookworm2]

Thank you to the kind posters above for sharing your insights!! The blood is coming back to my face now. ?

[palyndrone]

I went to an event like this where I had 5 one-on-one interviews in an afternoon: the key thing to remember at this stage is that the program is trying to sell itself to you! Just brush up on your background & know who you're talking to and you'll be fine--in almost all my interviews the professors talked way more than I did. Use the opportunity to really learn as much as you can, and don't be afraid to talk to the current grad students!