Visiting: Any Tips?

[armchairette]

So, quite unexpectedly one of the programs I've applied to has invited me to come visit next week (my current school's Spring Break, not their's).  I will be flying in early one day, staying that night, and leaving the following evening.  So far, the department's scheduled me to meet with different faculty members (including two potential advisors, one is the department head), to have lunch with a current student(s?), and to sit in on a seminar.  I'm trying to schedule a tour through admissions for the next day.  I won't have a car, unfortunately.

 

Any advice, tips, words of wisdom?

 

If it helps, this program has quite clearly stated their interest in me and has unofficially indicated full funding.  Research-wise they are my top choice, but they are the lowest ranked of the programs and they aren't my favorite location-wise.  

[EngineerGrad]

Oh my god we have the SAME thing going on. It's quite amazing!

I was invited to the visit weekend at one school with the same profile. Great great great research topic, awesome advisor, very famous advisor actually. But the school is not ranked as high as i wished it was (comparing with my other acceptances, this school is in the mid thirties, while the others are in the top 15).

So I visited the campus two weeks ago in a similar way you'll do next week. I asked millions of questions to make sure i liked the institution, students, professors, etc. questions ranged from: "do you like working/studying here?" to more research/funcing/course-load related.

In the end of my visit I was really in love with that school and I might choose them (top 35) over the other schools I got in (top 10). The thing that gets me a little iffy is that this school is not located in my dream city, but oh well, we can't have everything we want right?!

Enjoy the visit and pay attention if you can see yourself living and studying there. Take a feel for the overall atmosphere, how friendly they seem to be, and how the other phd students are (afterall they might become your next group of friends). And more than that, ask away! Ask as many questions you can.

This type of visit is more for you to get a feel of the area, so make sure to do that.

And congrats! Never thought someone would be in the same shoes I am :-)

Edited March 12, 2014 by EngineerGrad

[armchairette]

Oh my god we have the SAME thing going on. It's quite amazing!

I was invited to the visit weekend at one school with the same profile. Great great great research topic, awesome advisor, very famous advisor actually. But the school is not ranked as high as i wished it was (comparing with my other acceptances, this school is in the mid thirties, while the others are in the top 15).

So I visited the campus two weeks ago in a similar way you'll do next week. I asked millions of questions to make sure i liked the institution, students, professors, etc. questions ranged from: "do you like working/studying here?" to more research/funcing/course-load related.

In the end of my visit I was really in love with that school and I might choose them (top 35) over the other schools I got in (top 10). The thing that gets me a little iffy is that this school is not located in my dream city, but oh well, we can't have everything we want right?!

Enjoy the visit and pay attention if you can see yourself living and studying there. Take a feel for the overall atmosphere, how friendly they seem to be, and how the other phd students are (afterall they might become your next group of friends). And more than that, ask away! Ask as many questions you can.

This type of visit is more for you to get a feel of the area, so make sure to do that.

And congrats! Never thought someone would be in the same shoes I am :-)

 

Thanks!  

 

I never even expected to be so sought after by any program, so I'm very excited--nervous, but excited.  My visit isn't during an official visit weekend/day.  It seems it's more of a "we really, really want you, so let us convince you" thing.  Which is so weird because another program is going the "we really want you, so we'll just pressure you" route.  Glad to hear others have had a positive experience in terms of making a decision after visiting.

 

fwiw, No idea if the school you mentioned is Tech, but I'm at GSU right now and happy to share more about that area.  I got my MAT from Hopkins, so I also know B-more very well.