Campus Visits--When is the cost ($$) too high?

[Reinventing]

I've been accepted to a couple of schools, and one is having a campus visit day. The cost of this visit will be somewhere between $500-700* for me (hotel, transportation).

This school has been a question mark for me from the beginning, but I would probably be excited if they gave me full funding (which they haven't yet), so my questions are:

1) Do you think attending the campus visit has an impact on funding, when funding decisions haven't been made yet?

2) Anyone had any luck with a campus visit selling them on a school that at first seemed a little distant and process-challenged?

*(Tweaked the original message because the cost is probably in this range, not higher)

[Jordan+AirForce1]

my trip won't cost as much as you, but i recently got a MS admission to Stanford, and i wanna visit on the official visit day but it is not reimbursed. I'm expecting around 500-600 dollars for the total expense.

i'm in the same boat. I really do think visiting school before committing is necessary, but the trip would cost me a lot, so i dont know what to do..

[Tritonetelephone]

Thanks for the nod!

My advice would be to go. $500-$700 is a lot, but you just can't know everything about a school without visiting. There are many "intangibles" that should weigh heavily in your decision, and you just need to be there to fully understand them. Things like...

Are the grad students treated like colleagues or peons? How flexible are faculty members in terms of your research? Are you expected to fit an existing mold, or are you allowed and encouraged to pursue your own research interests? Do graduate students have a voice departmental affairs such as hiring new candidates, curriculum changes, etc.? What percentage of the faculty members are

[Reinventing]

Thanks for this, tritonetelephone, I think this is what I needed to hear. . . Ironically, the visit is to one of the schools where you were also accepted (different program), and the things you said I should look out for are ones I have concerns about already (thus the cold feet). But you're right--I'll never know for sure unless I visit.

Another nod to your "don't copy and paste" in the "How do I say no" topic. I see this sort of thing a lot, and it always makes me shake my head a little. I mean, I get where they're coming from, people are busy--but when my colleagues and I get together to compare thank-you notes, for example, it always makes us all feel somewhat less special when they all say the same thing.

[afh554]

Having a similar dilemma myself. I can see how it is worth visiting if your program hasn't yet decided on funding...but what would people recommend about visiting when you've been told you won't be funded your first year? I am apparently on a waitlist for a fellowship (as I imagine everyone else is who was admitted to this particular program without first-year funding), but I absolutely cannot attend if I do not receive funding. The plane ticket alone would be $700-800, and I'm not sure that it's worth setting myself back that much. I have also been waitlisted by a program I am more interested in. They have been very good at keeping me informed about their decision-making process, and have suggested that I am towards the top of the waitlist, which is sub-divided by field. I am afraid that if I visit the program which has accepted me, I may then receive an offer at this other program, and really have to stretch to afford a visit (or not be able to afford it at all). I'm not sure there's a very good solution to this situation (other than the program that has waitlisted me calling asap to make me an offer), but it is really stressing me out!

Also, I've been lurking here for awhile without posting...it may be the only thing that has kept me sane through this terrible process! So yeah, hi everyone.

[fuzzylogician]

I've visited 4 schools by now and at each and every one of them I was hosted by a grad student. This has some obvious advantages, not the least of which is saving me a huge amount of money. It also allowed me to see how current grads live (how they get by with the stipend, etc) and gave me extra time to ask questions. Even schools that couldn't afford to reimburse me for the trip found me a host and some lunch money. Maybe your schools have a similar policy? I'd try to find out if this type of arrangement is possible.

[rising_star]

1) Do you think attending the campus visit has an impact on funding, when funding decisions haven't been made yet?

I doubt it.

2) Anyone had any luck with a campus visit selling them on a school that at first seemed a little distant and process-challenged?

I never applied to any schools that seemed distant so I can't really answer this. Process-challenged, I did encounter. The visit went fine and I loved the school.

[miratrix]

I think the visit might be worth it to sell you on a school that you can't yet imagine yourself at, but I doubt it would help much at getting you funding...so I'd only visit if I really wanted to meet people at the school, but not for the sake of the funding gamble. Also, the part about trying to find a grad student host is a great idea.

[Tritonetelephone]

Thanks for this, tritonetelephone, I think this is what I needed to hear. . .

Thank you! With full disclosure, though, I should mention that I haven't found myself in the same situation - my accepted schools have all provided some, if not full, funding for visits and my dad has agreed to cover anything extra. In fact, now that I think about it, schools usually fund visits as a recruiting effort, so it might be good to be cautious if they're not even providing a little money to try to rope you in at the start... Hope I haven't confused you now! [Edit]

Ironically, the visit is to one of the schools where you were also accepted (different program), and the things you said I should look out for are ones I have concerns about already (thus the cold feet). But you're right--I'll never know for sure unless I visit.

Ooh, I'm curious now! PM me if you feel comfortable letting me know which one.

Another nod to your "don't copy and paste" in the "How do I say no" topic. I see this sort of thing a lot, and it always makes me shake my head a little. I mean, I get where they're coming from, people are busy--but when my colleagues and I get together to compare thank-you notes, for example, it always makes us all feel somewhat less special when they all say the same thing.

Hah! I was referring to thank-you notes too!!

[rising_star]

In fact, now that I think about it, schools usually fund visits as a recruiting effort, so it might be good to be cautious if they're not even providing a little money to try to rope you in at the start... Hope I haven't confused you now!

In all fairness, the economic climate has really changed that dynamic. My department would *love* to be able to support people who want to visit. We also want to have paper and working copier. As it stands, we've had our budget cut twice already this year... So we want to recruit, we love to recruit, but unless all the current grads put $25 out of their stipend in a pot, it ain't gonna happen. So don't hold it against schools that can't pay for a recruitment visit. Endowments have shrunk, budgets have been cut, bank accounts are frozen in failed banks, etc.

[Tritonetelephone]

In all fairness, the economic climate has really changed that dynamic. My department would *love* to be able to support people who want to visit. We also want to have paper and working copier. As it stands, we've had our budget cut twice already this year... So we want to recruit, we love to recruit, but unless all the current grads put $25 out of their stipend in a pot, it ain't gonna happen. So don't hold it against schools that can't pay for a recruitment visit. Endowments have shrunk, budgets have been cut, bank accounts are frozen in failed banks, etc.

Good point! I take it back.

Also, for the OP: I don't know if you've seen this yet, but it's very similar to my experience at Delaware. It might be helpful for you, too: viewtopic.php?f=67&t=15865&start=0

[Reinventing]

Thanks, tritonetelephone, I saw that topic--I'm just worried that all indicators seem to be pointing in the opposite direction with this school. It's not a lack of information/lukewarmness that's discouraging me, it's the interactions I've had so far, like:

-online application crashed several times wiping out all my data, echoing comments I've heard by others about nightmarish web systems at this school

-the system used to track application materials had a message directing me not to contact the department to follow up (other schools encouraged me to do so)

-e-mails not responded to, calls not answered (this was after acceptance); while they say "get in touch/ask questions" it seems like they don't mean it

-several key roles in the administration held by adjuncts, which I don't understand; and which may account for the bumpiness of this experience

All of this is very different from my experience with my undergrad U (helpful, engaged, functional, proactive), and quite surprisingly in contrast to reputation and marketing materials ( ). I know it could be a valuable learning experience, but going back to school will leave me very short of money, so I'm trying to save where I can. Ah, decisions, decisions. . .

I'm not in a field where people expect to get financial assistance for visits, I just hope they won't hold it against me if I don't go. I really didn't expect it to cost so much to travel out there--but the hotel is twice as much as anticipated, and because of the timing, I'd end up having to pay for 5 days of rental car.

[Tritonetelephone]

I see. I would just keep in mind that your experiences so far have been very limited to the administrative side of the school. The academic people who you'll be working with everyday are in a totally different world.

[Reinventing]

The faculty in this department appear to have dual administrative roles--they have been the ones I have interacted with primarily (or tried to anyway ).

[pikatopia]

Can I ask if anyone has visited UMass-Amherst?

(and if you're not comfortable on the board, pleeease send me a private message!)

I'm planning to head out there fairly shortly - any insight is welcome! : )

...even if it's not my department, I'm curious about the campus/town/all that goodness.

[Tritonetelephone]

Can I ask if anyone has visited UMass-Amherst?

(and if you're not comfortable on the board, pleeease send me a private message!)

I'm planning to head out there fairly shortly - any insight is welcome! : )

...even if it's not my department, I'm curious about the campus/town/all that goodness.

I'm visiting there in April, but you might want to check out the City Guide forum: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=330

[brosenth1984]

to the overall question: It is always too high without funding information. I made the terrible mistake of booking a trip to visit the University of Chicago, to only find out a day before that they have no money for anybody in my program. It could have been a disaster, i could have fallen head over heels in love with the program and no way to attend (120K in debt is not an option, and luckily the credit crunch can prevent me from being a passionate idiot), and i could have been second guessing myself wherever i go. Fortunately, i was not thrilled, and this was not the case, but it could have been.

I am visiting UC Davis in early April (they are paying for the trip), but I have just found out that California College of the Arts is having an open house thing the day after i fly out of San Francisco. I have already emailed the Director of Graduate Admissions, and explained my situation and that i cannot change my ticket (it would $150) without knowing funding info. Unless you are prepared to pay for your tuition, don't do it. Figure it this way: $800 spent on a program you can't afford, is less cost-effective than $1200 (a later booked ticket) to visit a place you could definitely go to.

i wasted $600, don't make the same mistake!

[fuzzylogician]

Can I ask if anyone has visited UMass-Amherst?

(and if you're not comfortable on the board, pleeease send me a private message!)

I'm planning to head out there fairly shortly - any insight is welcome! : )

...even if it's not my department, I'm curious about the campus/town/all that goodness.

I visited the linguistics department there about two weeks ago. What would you like to know? (you can also send a private message).