Recruitment/Visitation Weekends?

[tulips]

Hi all. I hope this isn't a repeat topic, but I wanted to get some input from you.

 

So I'm beginning to hear back from programs this week and receiving invitations to attend their recruitment/visitation weekends (none of the programs I applied to require interviews, so I believe this would be a weekend to check out the campus, meet potential advisors, etc). I understand the general gist of these weekends, but what should I expect/prepare for these weekends? Are these considered business casual events (so dress up?) or just casual (but not look like a bum)? Although they are not an "interview weekend," how prepared should I be to "impress" the potential advisors? 

 

Also, if I cannot attend their official recruitment weekend due to a time conflict, is it common for programs to host a pseudo-recruitment weekend so that I can at least check out the campus, or would this be on my own expense? And if they do host unofficial visits, then how comparable would this be to the official visit? I'm curious if I'd still be able to meet professors outside of the official recruitment weekend.

 

Lots of questions, but just generally, I would appreciate any information about these recruitment weekends! I figure that I will probably send these questions over to the programs in question, but I wanted to garner a general idea from you GradCafe-rs first. Many thanks in advance!

[MathCat]

Commenting so I can find this later. I've been accepted and invited for a visit, and I'm not sure how to dress. Math is pretty casual in general, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to dress a little nice, right? It's made more difficult because the climate is much colder than where I live, so I only really have a couple of items that I could wear...

 

At the moment, I'm leaning towards new, well fitting dark wash jeans (which I have), with a nice blouse and my nice coat. I think wearing actual dress clothes would probably be too formal for me, but I don't know about chemical engineering.

 

Editing to say that I'm probably also going to ask one of my current professors, to make sure I'm not making some egregious dress code error here!

Edited December 24, 2014 by MathCat

[Victoris]

Your attire depends upon your field.  Since my field is public health, everyone is always in business attire.  Some may get away with business casual, but definitely no jeans. To prepare for your visit, I would suggest that you view your department's webpage and get an idea of how students dress at social gatherings.  Schools usually have pictures of their students on their webpages.  

 

Per the scheduling of an additional recruitment day, it is best that you contact a representative of the school and/or department.  

 

To make that lasting-first impression, the University of Missouri, Engineering Department offers some great tips:

 

General tips

• Wear something that projects a tidy, professional appearance.
• Interviews should be business professional attire. If it’s an on-site interview on the field floor, opt for business casual.
• Avoid extreme colors, patterns and fabrics.
• Everything should fit appropriately and be clean and well pressed.
• Nails should be clean and well groomed.
• Leave book bags at home for on-site interviews. For on-campus interviews, leave them in the waiting area.
• Perfume or cologne should be used sparingly or not at all. No odors (such as smoke) in clothes.
• Long hair should be pulled back and away from the face.

Tips for men

• Tie styles come and go. Avoid fashion extremes such as character ties.
• Wear dark socks, mid-calf length, so no skin is visible when you sit down.
• Invest in a good pair of dress shoes. Even if you don’t wear them daily on the job, you’ll need them for other occasions.
• Wear a black or dark brown belt to match your shoes.
• Facial hair, if worn, should be well groomed.
• Remove any piercings.

Tips for women

• Pants suits can be an excellent choice for site visits, particularly if the visit involves getting in and out of vehicles or if the site is a manufacturing plant or industrial facility. Pants should be creased and tailored.
• Skirts should cover your thighs when you are seated.
• Don’t show cleavage.
• Make sure shirts are long enough to cover your stomach completely, whether standing or sitting.
• Keep jewelry and accessories simple and relatively conservative.
• Keep makeup conservative and avoid extreme nail polish colors.
• No stilettos or chunky platforms. Make sure you can walk comfortably in your shoes.

I am going to also suggest that you take a notepad/pen with you to take notes throughout the day.  The school will likely pass out a folder with its information in it, so you can write on the back of the provided paper; to let them know that you are interested in the program.  

 

Know the correct name of the department and program which has your interest.  Also be prepared to answer and ask questions.  Have a set of questions (maybe 3-5) that you would like answered; for the faculty and current students.  Do not ask any questions that can be answered by looking at the school/department website.  Think outside the box.  For instance:

 

1. How often does an advisor meets with his/her students?
2. How many journal articles are students expected to publish by graduation?
3. Does the school offer enrichment programs (beyond the writing lab)?
4. Where are your graduates now?  
5. In case of a medical incident (surgery, birth/adoption/lost of love one, etc.), how many semesters can I miss of school?
6. ***What are the characteristics of a successful student?*** 

Edited December 24, 2014 by Victoris