Understanding the Value in School Visits

Everyone always talked about visiting schools and how important it was. I now truly understand the value of school visits. If you asked me back in March the rankings of my schools they would be totally different from what my rankings are today. My visits to school definitely changed my rankings.  When I first started this process I thought " No way I'm visiting all the schools I'm applying too. That's to much money spent on just visiting. When I get an interview I will visit."  Someone I met along this bschool process said it best. Would you purchase/apply for a house without seeing it in person? I wouldn't, I would take a tour of the house. Maybe even do a few drive bys to make sure I really like it. lol

I decided if I (or someone else) was going to pay $100k for school I might as well spend a little bit more and visit my list of schools. I'm so glad I was fortunate enough to visit all of the schools I'm applying to.  After each visit I was able to tell if the school would be a good fit for me. The students, professors, admission officers and career center staff all played a different part in how that school fits into my personal rankings.  During my visits I arrived early and usually sat in the common area just to people watch and see how the students interacted with each other.  Not only did I get a chance to experience the schools culture but I also saw/heard specific things I could talk about in my essays.  My visit to each school allowed me to  make the an impactul statement in my essays about why that particular school.

Now let's hope my #1, #2 school choices love me as much as I loved them. For those of you who are starting your bschool journey make sure to budget in school visits. It will definitely be worth it!


-Ms. HR