How important is it to visit? And how important to visit during the Open House, rather than some other randome time?

[Statistique]

Hi friends,

Two part question. The first part is, in general, how crucial is it to visit a school you are considering? I have an Open House invite from a school (UCD) where I

1) Know a professor (though not a potential advisor)

2) Know a current grad student

3) Have visited frequently (to see friends during undergrad), and grew up sort of nearby

4) Currently live very far away from.

I'm trying to balance the fact that it's a big decision and visiting is important, versus the fact that I have access to a lot of the crucial information already and it's a pretty big hassle to get out there.

Sooo, part two of my question: For this and potentially other schools, is it important to go to the Open House? I'm trying to plan some trips to see friends while flights are still affordable, and I could very easily tack a visit to some schools onto these trips if I get in. However, deciding that now would commit me to a date, so I would likely be missing any kind of Open House type event.

This is a tad hypothetical since I haven't heard from 4 of my top 5 choices, but it would help a lot with planning to get some input now.

Thanks!

Edited February 29, 2012 by Statistique

[rose1]

I think if you've visited frequently, you probably have a pretty good idea.Have you visited their statistics department? If you have any questions about the University of Florida, let me know! I went there and I now work for UF.

[cyberwulf]

If you visit separately from an Open House, you will have more flexibility in terms of setting up meetings with faculty you want to talk to, wandering around campus at your own pace, etc. On the flip side, you will probably not meet as many people nor get as much of a sense of the department "community" and the potential incoming cohort.

If you're OK with fending for yourself, and you already know a little about the area, I don't think that missing the Open House is a big deal. Indeed, you might even get some more personal attention from profs since they aren't shuttling students between their offices for 20-minute "speedmeets"!

[fuzzylogician]

Re: visit or no visit, I think the visit is important. You may know the town but it doesn't sound like you know the workings of the department. You also can't be sure that you'll get along with your potential advisor and current grad students. If you feel uncomfortable, your life will be difficult (visit the current grads forums and search for "I hate my advisor" and "I hate my classmates" threads). My opinions of schools definitely changed following visits, after I realized that some people who I thought I would want to work with aren't people I am likely to get along with, and similarly the social atmosphere at those schools factored into my decision in ways I didn't predict.

Re: open house vs. independent visit: the open house allows you to see how the department interacts in social events in a way that a private visit probably will not. These events tend to include some dinner and/or party and you can see if the students talk to each other and to professors, - i.e. if there are closed quiet groups or if people move from group to group and talk to many people. On the other hand, the open house is set to impress you and things won't usually be as festive. If you visit at another time, you'll get more of a feel for how the department operates on a day-to-day basis. I'd visit during the open house if possible beacuse it allows you to meet your potential cohort and that can be a big factor in your decision, but any visit is better than none, in my opinion.