What to prepare for a prospectives weekend?

[inplaceofsomeone]

I am attending a prospectives weekend soon and we are getting presentations from grad students, tours of the labs and campus, and on our own schedule, meeting with profs whom we've been in contact with.

As such, what should I prepare for my visit besides questions and a general idea of that professor's research?

[Dontuse]

Reread everything you have sent to the program... this includes your SOP and any writing samples you may have provided.

If you provided a tentative research topic I'd go over it with professionals in your field [TAs, professors, lab technicians, the whole lot] and try to improve on it. This way -- if ever it comes up [or you may bring it up yourself in conversation] -- youd be showing great initiative in that you evolved even during the process of the application, taking each day as time to further develop your ideas.

some may suggest you bring thank you cards. i say no to this because although it always feels nice to get a handwriten note [from you to whoever you meet at the weekend] it also seems like you're sucking up.

instead give those who warrant a thank you note a day or so after the whole weekend is over.

lastly, take note of the weekend's activities. when all is said & done it says mounds for you to show the adcoms how much you paid the program attention. want the extra mile? tell them the specifics of what events you enjoyed ["the after interview bowling session was memorable"] as well as where they could've improved ["although I found the staduim-sized, standing-room-only-style lecture by Professor Big-Name-in-Your-Field, I would also have liked to have been apart of a smaller, more initimate discussion session. Do those happen?"]