Visiting weekend....money issues, anyone?

[Crystal@clear]

I was recently accepted at a phd program, and I was invited to the visiting weekend in Feb.

While the program is providing hotel rooms and paying partially for the flight, I figured that I still will have to pay a lot for the flight alone (not counting transportation fees to and from airports; I don't own a car). The program says that they will only pay a fixed amount for the flight, and it's not that high to begin with.

To tell the truth, this school was one of my 'safety' schools and I am not entirely sure if I will attend here in the fall. I am still waiting to hear from 9 other schools, and I am still hoping for a chance at my dream schools.

So, I'm not sure if it's worth it to pay so much to visit a school that is not one of my top choices, when I am on a tight budget. I am currently a unfunded Master's student and I have paid a small fortune over the past two years. Every dollar I spend feels really big to me right now

I heard that most schools pay for nearly ALL of your expenses (full flight ticket & hotels) but it's not the case with the school I was accepted to

Anyway, do you think it's worth it to pay (a lot) to go to visiting weekend, even though you're not sure if you'll attend that school?

[contretemps]

Me too, I'd love to go to a visiting weekend to get a feel of the place, the professors and the students. But alas, I am an international student, and if I attended one, I'd be spending *at least* a thousand dollars to get there (after the school reimburses the 300 dollars for airfare).

And yes, this school is also my safety school. On the one hand, it might change my opinions about this school when I attend its visiting weekend so it might be all good. On the other hand, something tells me it is not wise to waste all that money, especially since I'll be living in poverty (aka gradschool) for at least 5 years.

[rising_star]

Hi crystal,

When I visited programs, not all of them fully paid for the flight. Some offered $250 or $300, while others paid the entire flight even though it was $400 or $500. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. Tell the Program Director that while you'd love to visit, it's impossible for you to do so since it would require spending a great deal out-of-pocket on airfare. They may be able to offer you more money for the trip. But, in all honesty, if it's your safety school and you aren't that interested, don't waste their time/money by going.