Summer Campus visits as a prospective PhD applicant

[mandarin.orange]

Hi all,

 

I wanted to ask those in the midst of the application process, or in the process of doing similar: of the schools you decided to apply to, did you do any visits before the application season and meet with P.I.s and current grads? Was this a strategy that guided your decision to apply? Did you do this during summer, and were people around and generous with their time?

 

I ask because I received an email from one such prospective asking to meet during his campus visit in two days. However, so few profs and grads are around in the summer. Those of us who are, are absolutely swamped with research, writing, and teaching summer loads. This guy wanted a lab tour, and I had to say no. Our advisor won't be around to meet at all; he's off doing fieldwork. This request just strikes me as odd and last-minute. I want to say even ill-conceived, but would like other opinions before going that far.

[GeoDUDE!]

Hi all,

 

I wanted to ask those in the midst of the application process, or in the process of doing similar: of the schools you decided to apply to, did you do any visits before the application season and meet with P.I.s and current grads? Was this a strategy that guided your decision to apply? Did you do this during summer, and were people around and generous with their time?

 

I ask because I received an email from one such prospective asking to meet during his campus visit in two days. However, so few profs and grads are around in the summer. Those of us who are, are absolutely swamped with research, writing, and teaching summer loads. This guy wanted a lab tour, and I had to say no. Our advisor won't be around to meet at all; he's off doing fieldwork. This request just strikes me as odd and last-minute. I want to say even ill-conceived, but would like other opinions before going that far.

 

I definitely think it is a bit weird: While a lab tour might be important when deciding where to go to grad school, I don't think that is how most people decide where to apply to graduate school. Meeting PIs/Grad students at a conference is one thing (I certainly did that at AGU) but i'm not sure what information the prospective applicant could get from a short visit/lab tour when admission is out of the applicant's control at that point.

 

Especially in Earth Science, where most students are invited to visit if they are accepted on the departments dime!

[VulpesZerda]

I was thinking about doing this for my top program, but only after going back and forth in emails with a POI. And I would never request a specific date, especially one that's two days away. I was encouraged by a trusted advisor to try to visit whatever programs I can (I'm in psychology). It also says on the program website that visits with faculty cannot be guaranteed unless set up with an appointment, but department visits are welcomed.

[geographyrocks]

I visited schools during the summer. I sent emails to all of the prospective departments and asked to meet with the admin assistant. I was advised to do so. Most didn't respond. I didn't request meetings with PIs or grad students though. I figured they would be busy or gone. I don't know why anyone would ask for a lab tour. Maybe he received some of the bad advice that I did. And asking on such short notice is just really unprofessional unless visiting was a last minute decision.

I don't know. I agree that it's odd.

[bsharpe269]

I agree that the student probably received bad advice and thought that touring the lab and meeting the PI might give him an advantage in the admission process. I wouldn't hold it against his application but I also think it is reasonable for you to tell him that you don't have time on such short notice.

[mandarin.orange]

Thanks for these replies...this was the first time since I've been here (3 years now) that, to my knowledge, a prospective came during summer. Usually my dept. waits until acceptances go out, then try to woo people at a really overplanned open house, and THEN I'll meet with/interact like this (usually at the urging of my advisor, at least for his potential students). After 3 years of much invested time with these prospectives -- already-accepted ones, mind you, many of which declined to come -- I am just in a more jaded place and protective of my time. 

 

So while I declined to take the time for a lab tour (largely b/c it's in another building and wasn't part of my plan for the day), I did mention a time and place this guy could catch me at the end of office hours. He came by and we had a brief chat; I was pretty frank about a few things -- his ill-timing (PIs are just not in the "woo students" mindset right now) and that I dislike current dept. leadership, but prospective PI (my advisor) is alright and probably his best match. 

 

Finally, I think it was here on Grad Cafe I once read of someone spending hundreds (or possibly a couple thousand?) in travel, making the rounds in summer for these types of visits. This only resulted in disappointment, lower bank balance, and the realization of how fruitless it all was. A lack of advice in some programs towards undergrads? Or people still think the approach of making college rounds during breaks/summer, as they did when high school students, is effective. 

Edited July 23, 2014 by mandarin.orange

[bakalamba]

Finally, I think it was here on Grad Cafe I once read of someone spending hundreds (or possibly a couple thousand?) in travel, making the rounds in summer for these types of visits. This only resulted in disappointment, lower bank balance, and the realization of how fruitless it all was. A lack of advice in some programs towards undergrads? Or people still think the approach of making college rounds during breaks/summer, as they did when high school students, is effective. 

 

Seems like a desperate way of compensating for being unqualified for programs, or reaching too high for top programs and hoping an admissions committee will admit them based on face recognition. When I did visits before applications, I think it just raised my expectations higher than my qualifications were, and I didn't necessarily learn anything that I couldn't get by email or phone.

[TakeruK]

I think this is definitely weird and to me, still in the "undergraduate mindset" where students think that applying to grad school is a lot like applying to undergrad schools! 

 

It has happened before though. One day, a few weeks before applications were due at my current school, a random student showed up and asked if he could visit. The staff did a lot of legwork to put together a mini schedule for this person but it really seemed like they were underprepared. In their own words, they said that their other plans for the day got cancelled that morning so they thought they would just drop by and visit. I think this is a poor use of time (and also not something you want to be telling people about??). In addition, the person also did not know anything about the professors here or the application process (they also said that they have not even looked at the application forms yet). 

 

I really don't mind spending a day or so each year sitting down with interested students and telling them what I know about our department/professors. Or even staying in regular email contact with people I met and had followup questions. And even when they end up going elsewhere, I was glad to help them make the best decision for them. I actually enjoy it and want to pass on helpful information I got when I was a prospective. But it's a big waste of everyone's time for random pre-application visits, in my opinion! In the end, for this specific case, I don't think we were able to tell the visitor any more information than they could have got from the website.

[Catria]

Because I had a narrow range of tentative dates, I asked months in advance to meet with either the POIs or graduate students... But is demonstrated interest a factor for PhD admissions?

 

I know Tufts Syndrome is usually associated with schools where demonstrated interest is a factor in undergraduate admissions, though.

[12345678900987654321]

I tell prospective students who want to come in the summer that they're more than welcome to visit. I know that summer is usually a more convenient time for them. However, I do warn them that they might only get to talk to lil' ol' me because faculty and students are often gone in the summer.