How many is too many?

[braindump]

I was just curious if anyone had any advice on visiting multiple schools or deciding which to visit. I ended up unexpectedly receiving a few admits and one interview and they've all invited me to (paid-for) visits. I'm having so much trouble deciding that I want to visit them all, but I feel like that isn't really feasible. Or is it? I was worried about scheduling too many visits and then hearing back from another school I'd rather go to and conflicting. Or maybe these will be my only admits, in which case I should see them all, right? 

 

One school I want to visit (not an interview) next month would have me returning home on a Sunday before an already-scheduled interview for which I leave that following Wednesday. Is 2 days home enough time to recuperate and prepare for my next interview or will this be stressful? Anyone have any advice/experience with this?

 

(Sorry if there's already a topic on this, I wasn't able to find one)

[-hermes-]

I would visit schools that I'm genuinely considering attending. You might really click with POIs at one place, and discover deal breakers at another. The scheduling does sound a bit nightmareish though. Two days seems enough to recuperate (to me) if the flight isn't too long. You could start preparing for the interview now so that you just have to refresh your memory during those two days.

 

How many schools do you have yet to hear from? Do you rank them higher than the ones you've already gotten into?

[braindump]

I still have a bunch of schools left to hear from, but only 3-4 top schools that would make me reconsider my current offers, one of which I'm pretty sure is a rejection, and the others are very highly ranked so I don't see much of a possibility there either.

 

I guess I'm just overwhelmed because I expected maybe 1-2 offers, so I thought the decision would be mostly made for me (not that I've gotten that many, I just wasn't expecting this). Heh 

[ritapita]

IMO I would visit as many schools as your schedule feasibly allows.  Pace yourself, but do as many as you can.  This is a decision that you will only make once and a visit can really do a lot to factor in to your decision making.  I have done visits to a couple schools that were super high on my list and when I got there, I removed them from my list altogether.  I would have regretted heading to one of those schools had I not visited prior.  I have also visited schools that were low on my list and suddenly became very high on the list.   If you have a grand and glorious idea of a place and you get there and the lab is crap or the professors are dismissive or unengaged or you simply cannot stand the campus and surrounding area, then you have saved yourself from several years of misery.   Right now my 3rd choice school was never even on my list until I visited it, and fell in love with the faculty dynamics and location and working area.  I know I would be very comfortable there, when previously they weren't even an option.  In comparison, one of my top choices had labspace still in construction (for the next 4 years...almost my entire program time!) which meant researchers literally had nowhere to work, and clear budget issues which were impeding grad teaching, etc.  None of this would have been known had I not showed up.

 

 If you have them paying for you to visit, you are losing nothing but possibly some sleep.  Take advantage of it.  It will really help you decide. And this is a decision that will affect the rest of your life.

[rising_star]

I personally think 2 days is enough time, unless you have a pet with separation issues or something. I would go on as many visits as you can afford and manage. If that means returning Sunday night and leaving again on Tuesday or Wednesday. then that's just what you have to do.

[braindump]

Hmm I think you guys are right, I want to open up my options as much as possible. Hopefully it will make the final decision much easier. It would also be silly to deny a visit hoping for a better offer that may never come. Thanks for the advice, all

[eeee1923]

Adding my two cents: I view these interview/recruitment weekends as an integral investment in the possible path you want to take for your career. As such, as annoying as visits are, I will not be complaining too much and I have a 6 day stretch coming up (3 days each, 2 different cities) so hopefully I don't get too burned out either.