Admitted Students Visits

[AmericanQuant]

With the caveat that I haven't actually been admitted anywhere, can you guys tell me a bit more about how visits for admitted students work?  Does the department cover travel and hotel costs? Do they usually happen during the week or on a weekend?  I mostly applied to CHYMPS, in case that's relevant.

 

Also, does anyone have experience having partners join them on visits? She's not really interested in visiting the department, but it would be good to feel out where we might be moving to together. Will there time to explore the area?

 

Thanks for your help and good luck to all the applicants!

 

-Q

[Penelope Higgins]

All the departments you list in your signature should cover travel for admitted student visits. Usually housing is with current grad students, and visits occur during the week so the faculty and students are around to meet with you. I doubt any department would pay for your partner to attend the visit, and usually your schedule is quite tight with events. You could perhaps ask to arrange travel that lets you stay a few more days to explore the area; you're not likely to have much time during the visit, which is focused more on the department and the university than what life would be like.

[catchermiscount]

We've had partners paid for and also pay for hotel, though we admit (and host) far fewer folks than most departments.

[midwest513]

That's because you guys will do whatever it takes to get anyone to spend more time that is necessary in Rochester!

[AmericanQuant]

I opted against applying to Rochester this cycle, but I know that if I were considering going, it'd take a lot of persuasion to get my partner to come with!

[RWBG]

Rochester was easily the most generous place I visited in their hosting, even when compared to other places that were hosting a similar number of people for the weekend.

[TakeruK]

Cornell allowed (and paid for, although the marginal cost was minimal since we drove instead of flying so the mileage cost was the same either way) my spouse to visit with me. Visits are not all academic meetings etc. -- there are lots of social / get-to-know-the-city type events too (usually with the grad students) so they included my spouse in such events (including meals). Usually you have quite a bit of "power" in a visit since they now want you instead of the other way around. In order to save money for everyone, I rescheduled some of my visits so that I can visit more than one school in an area at the same time. Sometimes, the best thing to do, especially when you would like your spouse to visit with you (in my case, my spouse was a big part of the decision making process), is to say that your spouse would like to visit, ask them what is the maximum support they can give you (and offer to pay the rest out of pocket or something) and usually you can work something out. They might not be able to fully pay for your spouse's visit but maybe they can include her in enough things (or pay for a good fraction of it) so that the visit is still worthwhile for both of you.

[Penelope Higgins]

Well, I stand corrected. Apologies for the wrong information provided above. It is good to hear that some schools are willing to help prospective students make a decision by facilitating partners attending the admitted students visit; I know others that have explicitly refused to do so and based my answer on that information. Perhaps this is something my current department (not one that gets a lot of discussion on here) should consider, though I imagine in the scheme of things we've probably got more efficient uses for our very limited resources.

[soulgroove]

Does anyone know anything about the Departments paying for overseas travel fees for overseas applicants for student visits?

[Penelope Higgins]

Most top departments will pay for admitted students to travel from overseas for visits. Others will ask whether you're already coming to the US to visit other departments, and pay for your domestic travel form one department to another. This may mean that you end up missing the formal visit at some places, but I would think that would be preferable anyway to making multiple international trips within the same month.

[TakeruK]

Most top departments will pay for admitted students to travel from overseas for visits. Others will ask whether you're already coming to the US to visit other departments, and pay for your domestic travel form one department to another. This may mean that you end up missing the formal visit at some places, but I would think that would be preferable anyway to making multiple international trips within the same month.

 

Also want to add that this is a circumstance where they might tell you their maximum coverage (or a good time to ask about it). If you are visiting multiple schools, each school might even be able to pay for some portion of the international/overseas flight. However, many financial departments have the limitation that they would only pay for travel to/from their school directly (i.e if you flew to X, Y, and then Z, school Y might not be able to pay for any flight into or going out of X or Z from/to your home country due to whatever policies). When I was visiting multiple schools in one trip, I worked together with the administrative people from all the schools in order to divide up the costs so that each school is contributing an approximately equal amount and that I was getting the maximum reimbursement possible. So if you are planning to do this, make sure you are communicating well with all the programs!

[soulgroove]

Most top departments will pay for admitted students to travel from overseas for visits. Others will ask whether you're already coming to the US to visit other departments, and pay for your domestic travel form one department to another. This may mean that you end up missing the formal visit at some places, but I would think that would be preferable anyway to making multiple international trips within the same month.

 

Also want to add that this is a circumstance where they might tell you their maximum coverage (or a good time to ask about it). If you are visiting multiple schools, each school might even be able to pay for some portion of the international/overseas flight. However, many financial departments have the limitation that they would only pay for travel to/from their school directly (i.e if you flew to X, Y, and then Z, school Y might not be able to pay for any flight into or going out of X or Z from/to your home country due to whatever policies). When I was visiting multiple schools in one trip, I worked together with the administrative people from all the schools in order to divide up the costs so that each school is contributing an approximately equal amount and that I was getting the maximum reimbursement possible. So if you are planning to do this, make sure you are communicating well with all the programs!

 

Thanks for the information!

[CooCooCachoo]

Does anyone know anything about the Departments paying for overseas travel fees for overseas applicants for student visits?

 

There is no distinction between domestic and overseas. There simply is a maximum amount that you will be reimbursed for and as an international visitor that is unlikely to cover the full airfare or, in the case of Singapore, to come anywhere close to covering it.

[kaykaykay]

There is no distinction between domestic and overseas. There simply is a maximum amount that you will be reimbursed for and as an international visitor that is unlikely to cover the full airfare or, in the case of Singapore, to come anywhere close to covering it.

Some state schools will not pay for international travel. Unless another school gets you into the country they cannot reimburse you. But usually, if they want you everything is negotiable.

[bauhaus]

I was admiited to four schools, and was flying from europe. I got the maximum coverage from each schools (around 400$). Together it was enough for the trip. They didn t worry about which flights i spent their money on.