Visit Days

[amanda1655]

I know that quite a few people have already been on visit days but my first one isn't until the middle of March. I am very nervous - I am worried that the adcomm and my potential advisors will realize that they've made a mistake and that they should have let in that other kid. Could anyone tell me what the visit days are like? How much time were you expected to spend talking about your research interests? Were the other students super-competitive? One thing I would really like to avoid, if possible, is discussing where else I got in, what my GPA was, and my GRE score.

[samantha20]

I am nervous too.

I hope the professors don't think, "My God, why did we admit her." I am also feeling insecure. It seems that most of the other admitted students have degrees from top ten or fifteen universities or liberal arts colleges.

[missycari]

I just got back from one. I met with several professors, the last one was reeeaaallly short - by that time I was out of questions and he really didn't have a lot to say about the program. For the others we chatted for about an hour. And by chatted I mean they did a lot of talking and I occasionally commented or asked a question. In retrospect, I wish I had had more impressive or interesting things to say. We really didn't talk a great deal about my research interests, though. As for my prospective advisor, I was surprised (perhaps unjustifiably so) how well he knew my file, so he didn't have any questions for me about my record. They all asked me about my other options though - the professors and the students that I met. I was rather uncomfortable about that, but it went all right.

If you want it to be less awkward, make sure you have prepared lots of questions so you have things to say. But on the whole the experience for me was a lot less awkward/stressful than I thought. We discussed what the program was like and what it entailed, my other options and their relative merits, etc. None of the people with whom I met were particularly intimidating personalities. I suppose that would be an important variable determining how your visit goes. But try to be relaxed. It seems like they will be more interested in talking about your future than your record to date.

Good luck!

[NSGoddessQ]

I know that quite a few people have already been on visit days but my first one isn't until the middle of March. I am very nervous - I am worried that the adcomm and my potential advisors will realize that they've made a mistake and that they should have let in that other kid. Could anyone tell me what the visit days are like? How much time were you expected to spend talking about your research interests? Were the other students super-competitive? One thing I would really like to avoid, if possible, is discussing where else I got in, what my GPA was, and my GRE score.

Hey Amanda,

I'd love some info from experienced people too! So unfortunately, I can't give you any specific info about visit days (my first is Rutgers on 3/11-12). But I can guarantee you that no one is going to feel like they've made a mistake by admitting you -- and if for some bizarre reason that's how they act, you don't want to be there anyway!

That's kind of also how I feel about a super-competitive cohort (dude, I'm going to have to spend a lot of time with these people -- it does not bode well if they irritate me by the end of the visit), and people pressing me for my numbers. If fellow students are asking, you can just say, "I was pleased with them," or "Pretty well," or even "Well enough!" (You ARE at the accepted weekend, after all!) :mrgreen: I can't imagine that a professor would be pressing you for your scores (after all, I'm sure they could get access to your app file), but I would think that the above answers would also be polite while preserving your privacy.

Research might be a little harder, since they'll want to show that they can help you with what you want to do. Same with other schools: they'll naturally be curious who they're up against! Let them comment, but know that you'll decide what's best for you.

Just remember: at this point, you're deciding on them! Unless you do something like knock off a mini-mart on your way to the airport, they're probably not going to retract their admission. :wink: And you even have your BA already! Some of us have admission contingent on graduation.

Let us all know how things go, though. I would even be curious if people posted when admit weekends are set, so that waitlisted people could know when spots might start opening up. Rutgers is March 11-12, and Michigan is March 16-18. Indiana's is individual, but I'll be visiting there March 19-21.

[redwine]

I second the idea that people post about their visit days. I'm going to my first next week, which is Harvard on 13-14 March. I am rather scared, especially as I think I exhausted my (rather large) list of questions in emails to the Profs as soon as I found out I was accepted, and now am quickly reading lots of articles by said profs so I can ask something erudite about their approaches to detailed historical questions! Am also a little intimidated by the other people I will meet at Harvard, especially as I am an international who doesn't know which undergraduate schools are even considered top tier (well, I have an idea, I have just submitted a whole lot of grad applications after all, but suffice it to say as I didn't go to school in the US I am not really worried how people perceive my undergrad institution). Do you think people could also post anything re their experiences? As an international, Harvard is also the only visit day I can make - I am missing Yale tomorrow, because I couldn't get a plane ticket on time, as well as Michigan (because they can't cover the large cost of the plane ticket and I can't either!) and NYU. I would love to hear about any experiences people have had visiting these institutions - especially the person I have read about who has been admitted to the Womens Studies/History program at Michigan. I've also been admitted to that program and if you make it to the visit day, I'd love to hear your impressions!

[NSGoddessQ]

I second the idea that people post about their visit days. I'm going to my first next week, which is Harvard on 13-14 March. I am rather scared, especially as I think I exhausted my (rather large) list of questions in emails to the Profs as soon as I found out I was accepted, and now am quickly reading lots of articles by said profs so I can ask something erudite about their approaches to detailed historical questions! Am also a little intimidated by the other people I will meet at Harvard, especially as I am an international who doesn't know which undergraduate schools are even considered top tier (well, I have an idea, I have just submitted a whole lot of grad applications after all, but suffice it to say as I didn't go to school in the US I am not really worried how people perceive my undergrad institution). Do you think people could also post anything re their experiences? As an international, Harvard is also the only visit day I can make - I am missing Yale tomorrow, because I couldn't get a plane ticket on time, as well as Michigan (because they can't cover the large cost of the plane ticket and I can't either!) and NYU. I would love to hear about any experiences people have had visiting these institutions - especially the person I have read about who has been admitted to the Womens Studies/History program at Michigan. I've also been admitted to that program and if you make it to the visit day, I'd love to hear your impressions!

Hey redwine,

I'm just glad that you are going to visit somewhere -- I know you were hesitant about making the trip, but I think it's great that you'll get a feel for at least one place. And I'm not in the Women's Studies/History program at Michigan, but I am interested in women's history and will probably be meeting with some of those profs. If there's someone you want me to keep an eye out for, I can try!

[redwine]

Yes, I did decide to make it to one day - the timing was perfect for me and I could find the funds for the initial cost of the flight, despite it being expensive-I do wish I could have made them all but for me to come to all would have been an initial cost for me of more than USD$5000. Although some would be reimbursed I don't have that in the bank just now for the initial outlay! So I'm making it to Harvard in the the hope that I will get a good feel for that institution, and hear about the rest by word of mouth. Still undecided though! Yes, I'd love to hear your impressions of Michigan NSGoddess...

[amanda1655]

I'll gladly post my impressions of Michigan afterwards as well. Could you remind me, redwine, what your interests are? Modern European? Asian?

[boringusername]

I'd appreciate a synopsis of your UM visits as well. I can't make it out there until early April.

[amanda1655]

Speaking of Michigan, has anyone received a notice from the graduate school approving the department's recommendation for admission? I looked on their help desk and the University said it should take 10 business days for the graduate school to approve the department's recommendations but I haven't heard anything yet.

(I know this is slightly off-topic)

[boringusername]

I haven't heard anything and nothing has changed on Wolverine Access.

[redwine]

I'll gladly post my impressions of Michigan afterwards as well. Could you remind me, redwine, what your interests are? Modern European? Asian?

Sure, my interests are broadly modern European, but specifically Russia and Eastern Europe, histories of sexuality, history of popular culture, socio-cultural history (ie ways to integrate social and cultural approaches to history), history of Russian Empire - ie Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia. Time period: C19 and early C20.

Wow, thus was much more concise than on my SOP

[amanda1655]

I'll keep that in mind during the visit.

Also, did you receive that e-mail from the graduate student focusing on Modern Russia? (I have no idea why I did. My interests are Modern British History, focusing on nationalist movements within Ireland and the rest of the British Empire. I also have an interest in sexuality and gender.) If I attend the happy hour he's planning at the pub, I would be more than willing to ask any questions that you have.

[NSGoddessQ]

Also, did you receive that e-mail from the graduate student focusing on Modern Russia? [...] If I attend the happy hour he's planning at the pub, I would be more than willing to ask any questions that you have.

Oh, man. Drinking with a student of Modern Russia? Does your fellowship depend on how much vodka you can hold?

Seriously, that's awesome that people are making those sorts of plans...maybe the Americanists will order in and watch CNN? Alternatively, if it's down to me to organize an American History happy hour, I say that we call it the Whiskey Rebellion. (Cold water and Shirley Temples will be served for all cultural historians and students of temperance reform movements.)

[Cornell07]

Seriously, that's awesome that people are making those sorts of plans...maybe the Americanists will order in and watch CNN? Alternatively, if it's down to me to organize an American History happy hour, I say that we call it the Whiskey Rebellion. (Cold water and Shirley Temples will be served for all cultural historians and students of temperance reform movements.)

[Pegona]

I've been waiting on my last three schools to get back to me before I make any firm plans for the few weekends left before April 15th. But the days are winding down, ticket prices are going up, and my mailbox and inbox have been woefully empty.

Should I go ahead and assume I'm rejected at these last three, and buy tickets for visits to the schools where I know I'm accepted?

[el217]

I would say get confirmation from those three schools that either you're rejected or that they haven't decided yet--and if it's the latter, find out when the visit is.

I ended up having to shell out $770 to change a flight to one school because it overlapped with a visit at another, and it's not clear I'm going to be reimbursed for any of it :| So I would say it's definitely better to avoid conflicts, if possible!

[Pegona]

Eek! That's a pretty persuasive horror story.

[amanda1655]

Seriously, that's awesome that people are making those sorts of plans...maybe the Americanists will order in and watch CNN? Alternatively, if it's down to me to organize an American History happy hour, I say that we call it the Whiskey Rebellion. (Cold water and Shirley Temples will be served for all cultural historians and students of temperance reform movements.)

You could always join us. I say that if we both end up at Michigan we institute a weekly happy hour at the cheapest dive bar we can find. My current colleagues and I have found that it is the perfect place to vent about the bad things that happened that week, relieve stress, and develop friendships.

[rising_star]

I've been waiting on my last three schools to get back to me before I make any firm plans for the few weekends left before April 15th. But the days are winding down, ticket prices are going up, and my mailbox and inbox have been woefully empty.

Should I go ahead and assume I'm rejected at these last three, and buy tickets for visits to the schools where I know I'm accepted?

I'd just go ahead and start scheduling things and work them in as necessary. Are the schools helping pay for your visits at all?

[Pegona]

I'd just go ahead and start scheduling things and work them in as necessary. Are the schools helping pay for your visits at all?

Oh yes, definitely. UNC offered me $300 towards traveling there, and UVA $500. I worry that if I wait much longer, I won't make it to RDU(Raleigh-Durham) airport for less than $300, though...

I'm desperately waiting for UVA to get back to my partner (who's applying in PoliSci) about funding, travel, and recruitment weekends. Ideally, we'd like to go at the same time.

[boringusername]

Speaking of Michigan, has anyone received a notice from the graduate school approving the department's recommendation for admission? I looked on their help desk and the University said it should take 10 business days for the graduate school to approve the department's recommendations but I haven't heard anything yet.

(I know this is slightly off-topic)

I got the invite too!

[boringusername]

I got the invite too!

Ooops.

That should've been in response to this:

I'll keep that in mind during the visit.

Also, did you receive that e-mail from the graduate student focusing on Modern Russia? (I have no idea why I did. My interests are Modern British History, focusing on nationalist movements within Ireland and the rest of the British Empire. I also have an interest in sexuality and gender.) If I attend the happy hour he's planning at the pub, I would be more than willing to ask any questions that you have.