Visiting After Accepting Offer

[The Wayfarer]

Hopefully this is in the right place but now that I have accepted an offer and I am officially committed to KU I have arranged a visit to meet with faculty, current students, etc. I thought this would be a good thread to throw around advice and ask questions for those of us going to our respective campuses after becoming official students.

 

In scheduling my visit the program director asked if there are any specific faculty members I would like to meet with -- is it acceptable to simply ask to meet with my POI (who also happens to be the program director). I mentioned her as my POI in my personal statement...but I also did not want to assume she has an interest with working with me. Thoughts?

 

Any other advice on what to do on my first visit as an official member of the program?

[beyondaboundary]

I've just come back from mine. I missed the welcome weekend had committed early (my first choice) and I'm glad I visited by myself. The dept organised a programming which had me meet with DGS, attend dept colloquium, meet my future supervisors (got two), campus tour and some time with grad students.

Having committed, I took the time to ask about dept culture etc and about the minutae of living in the city (recommendations for banking, food shopping etc and to look for a place to live.

My recommendation is simple...enjoy it, you earned it and they want you. Buy a hoodie, cap or whatever so when you get back in the fall it'll be broken in and you won't look a total newbie...in other words make yourself comfortable and hopefully make a good impression. Congratulations!

[juilletmercredi]

I also did not visit during the official admitted students day - I visited alone - and I am glad I did.  Gimmicky sales pitches are not my thing, but I got a chance to sit it on a class and meet with professors on a "normal" week when normal things were happening.

 

-Now is the time to speak with potential POIs about being your PI, so yes, go ahead and ask to meet with your desired POI but also any other professors who might be interesting to you as a POI.  I met with three when I visited.  Two became official advisors; one because an informal advisor.  I also had a conversation with the vice provost for diversity, who also happened to be a professor in my department (I'm African American and was admitted but not confirmed, so she was trying to convince me to come.  Her conversation with me was actually pivotal in getting me to come, though).

 

-Visit the library.  Walk around, look at the space, walk in the stacks and use the library's online databases/searches to find articles in your area of interest.

 

-Have a meal with some grad students.  I actually stayed with a grad student - we're still friends now, even though she's graduated - and I had lunch with a group of students from my department and asked them candid questions about being a student there.  I also hung out and went to a party with some grad students, so it was nice to see how they unwound when not in class.

 

-Take public transit around your area and try to figure out your way around.  Walk around in the neighborhood.  Start to feel comfortable in the space.

 

-If there's some extra, I would maybe leave a few hours free to do some work in the space provided for grad students.  It gives you a feel for what working in that space feels like.  Personally I hate the grad student space at my university and never use it.  But many students do use it, and if you're the kind of person who can't work at home, that might be the best place for you. (I like my postdoc workspace much better!)