Accepted, then Invited to Open House

[AltArcIs]

I was offered admission to Yale, and a week later received an invitation to thier Graduate Student Recruitment Open House at the end of March  (travel, hotel, and food is provided).   I would love to visit the University before accepting my offer, but considering the event is the end of March (where most decisions are typically due by mid April) I do not want to attend and give the professors the impression that I have already accepted the admissions offer if I am still undecided.

 

Any advise on thier intentions of this event?

Is this Open House for students who will be attending or can 'prostective students' attend this event?

Should I just ask them directly?

[Tachiyaku]

I think the purpose of recruitment open houses is to try to sell the program to you and for you to see what it's like before you decide. I don't think they're under the impression that if you attend you have automatically accepted.

[TakeruK]

Open houses are almost always intended to persuade students to decide to accept their offer. Attending one does not imply you will accept and in fact, most people will attend multiple open houses. I found that schools in colder regions tend to have open houses later in the winter (e.g. mid to late March) to avoid most of the bad weather. My program has open houses in February usually because the weather is so nice. I think part of the strategy is to take students currently in super wintery conditions and then show them the contrast of Southern California! I remember visiting one school in another warm state and thinking it was amazing that I can walk down the street in a t-shirt and shorts and eating an ice cream while everyone back home was still under several feet of snow!!

[grad_wannabe]

I think part of the strategy is to take students currently in super wintery conditions and then show them the contrast of Southern California! I remember visiting one school in another warm state and thinking it was amazing that I can walk down the street in a t-shirt and shorts and eating an ice cream while everyone back home was still under several feet of snow!!

 

I live outside Boston, which has (to put it mildly) been getting some weather recently. (pictures: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/please-stop-snowing#.eaD0KD7ak)

 

Let's just say I'm very much looking forward to the open house I'm attending in LA next week! 

Edited February 20, 2015 by grad_wannabe

[andrestoga]

Hi,

 

I also was invited to a Open House but I'm an international student and I don't have money to cover all of the expenses of the travel. What should I answer?

 

Best,

[juiceboxrampage]

Hi,

 

I also was invited to a Open House but I'm an international student and I don't have money to cover all of the expenses of the travel. What should I answer?

 

Best,

 

I'm not an international student, but my department offered me a very, very small travel budget at first. I called them and told them the cost of my flight, and they immediately offered me more money and an extra night in a hotel. It seemed like they set the small budget at first to avoid folks taking advantage of it if they lived close to the school? I'm not sure. Anyways, you should call them and tell them your situation! Say, "I'm really excited to come to the open house, but flights from my country are close to $XXX." Hopefully they'll understand and help you out.

[andrestoga]

I'm not an international student, but my department offered me a very, very small travel budget at first. I called them and told them the cost of my flight, and they immediately offered me more money and an extra night in a hotel. It seemed like they set the small budget at first to avoid folks taking advantage of it if they lived close to the school? I'm not sure. Anyways, you should call them and tell them your situation! Say, "I'm really excited to come to the open house, but flights from my country are close to $XXX." Hopefully they'll understand and help you out.

 

That's true but the problem I have is that I'm thinking in turning down the offer of acceptance of this university so, imagine if they offered me money for my travel expenses and at the end I decided not to attend to their school... what should I do?

 

Best,

[MathCat]

That's true but the problem I have is that I'm thinking in turning down the offer of acceptance of this university so, imagine if they offered me money for my travel expenses and at the end I decided not to attend to their school... what should I do?

 

Best,

As long as you turn it down after visiting, it won't be a big deal. This is a recruitment time for them, they do not expect everyone who comes to the open house to enroll. If they pay for your ticket and hotel and then you say "nevermind, I'm not coming (to the open house)", that's another story.

Edited February 26, 2015 by MathCat

[Chiqui74]

Hi,

 

I also was invited to a Open House but I'm an international student and I don't have money to cover all of the expenses of the travel. What should I answer?

 

Best,

It depends on the program, but I recently went to an open house and the university paid for a student to come from South America.

[andrestoga]

Thank you all! I sent an email explaining my situation and see how it goes.

 

Best,