MBA - school visit required?

I agree with @negativebasis, connecting with alumni/current students can definitely help make up for not visiting the school. Regardless, it's this kind of extra knowledge that gives you an x factor in the application essays / interviews.

I visited most of my schools while writing essays and it helped tremendously. That said, most were in the Northeast so it was relatively easy. I’d say you should definitely visit a few days before admissions interviews (if invited), try to group visits (i.e. if seeing HBS, try to hit Columbia, MIT, etc. if applying there as well). Hard to say and impossible to quantify but I found visiting helped my overall application be more genuine and passionate so I found the couple hundred $ on some visits worthwhile. Most schools have programs where a current MBA student will host you and you crash on their couch. Still have to buy your own plane tix but it’s a cheap alternative to hotels and great for getting to know the school, students, etc.

I wouldn't do it if you're already sure that you're going to apply to these schools and money is an issue. I think the top schools (H/S) place almost no value on whether or not you've visited. They know you're genuinely interested in attending. The only exception is Tuck -- I had an admissions member specifically tell me that they heavily discount applicants who live close to Tuck and don't visit given the school's unique location away from major cities.

When I visited campuses, I didn't get too much out of it. It is great to get a feel for the facilities, where students live, and the types of students that are accepted. This stuff matters most when determining which schools to apply to and which one to ultimately matriculate at. So if cost is a concern for you and your schools are set, I'd save the visits for after you've been accepted to programs.

Also, don't forget to reach out to students who might be running various groups around campus / student government to schedule phone conversations about the school. This will help you tailor your essays and you can name drop.

This might be a good alternate to actually visiting.

TL:DR: Visit schools to find out how they feel to you, not because you think it'll have any impact on your chance of admission.

I'll echo the comments above that visiting the top schools (H/S/W) will not make any difference to the school on your application. They know that you want them. It could potentially help your application at schools that want to feel the love from you - Tuck, Kellogg, and Columbia come to mind.

There is value in visiting your potential schools before you apply or around interview time, and namely it's getting a feel for your fit.

I visited HBS a few times, sat in on class, talked with students, etc. It helped me figure out that HBS is relatively more regimented than other schools, with more emphasis on tradition and being driven by the administration. I was impressed at the level participation of the students in the classroom, if nothing more than that every student was paying full attention to the class and not surfing the web on a laptop, etc. Was introduced to the class and received applause - nice touch. I also got a good feel for the weather - it was cold, gray, and pouring a snowy/sleety mush. It just so happened that as I walked into Spangler, sopping wet, Dee Leopold was the first person to greet me, with a smile on her face. That went a long way for me as impressions go.

Was hesitant to even apply to Stanford because of its selectivity and the idea that everything on the West Coast is so far removed from the East Coast. Met Derrick Bolton at an admissions event, and he sold me hook,line, and sinker on the school. After talking with him, I really believed that Stanford was going to help me change the world. Visited Stanford post-interview and was completely taken in by the campus. November and the weather was amazing and had a great time walking around to all the stores and hangouts along the main strip. Attended an ethics class with a friend and realized just how different things were at Stanford. I was given a chair and sat in the back corner of the classroom with another student's boyfriend who was in town visiting. That was it. I have to admit that I was a little irritated that a handful students walked in to class late, and twice during the lecture, the instructor had to stop class to stop sidebar conversations. Definitely an environment that I knew would take some getting used to.

Visited Wharton in Philly and loved the campus as well as the Rittenhouse Square area. Ended up doing my interview in San Francisco at the EMBA building and was equally impressed with the modern facility there and the amazing view of the Bay Bridge. As luck would have it, Ankur Kumar was my interviewer. The whole interview process (group and one-on-one) wasn't as high stress as I had expected, and Ankur was particularly genial. After the experience, I wasn't sure what to think because my interaction with students had been a very mixed bag. Some were helpful and excited to talk to me about the school, but others gave me a "How does talking to you make me better off?" or "Make this quick." vibe. On the whole, I guess the Wharton students' self-interest was a little more transparent and projected than at other schools.

After my visits, I had a clear rank order of where I wanted to go, which is something very individual and can't be captured by any of the popular rankings.

I found visiting campuses super helpful - as mentioned - for interviews and writing my essays. I didn't visit thinking the visits would give me any advantage over those who did not visit. Writing the "Why ___ MBA program" is much easier after visiting campus, meeting students, etc. It is also a good way to realize a school is not for you, saving you a couple hundred $$ down the road (not counting the money spent to actually visit) and the time it takes to write an app.

The campus visits will help incredibly. It changed my personal rankings because I actually got a feel for each of the schools, and some came across much better then others.

Visit as many as possible and get in touch with 1st years now who will be 2nd years when you apply. Your conversations will pinpoint what resonated with you when you go to write essays or interview. Generally schools have some sort of ambassador program that will link you with a 1st/2nd year with similar interests.

Most schools in that range have a pretty well-defined campus visit program. Usually, it's some combination of a tour, class visit, lunch with students, information sessions, panel discussion, etc. There may also be less frequent programs that involve some evening social activity.

Professors and alumni? Only if it's part of the school's visit program or you have a personal/family connection. As far as specific places to visit, try to stay near where most students live/go out.

Be ready to pounce on the staff with questions, etc., because everyone else will be.

I think the best option is spring. Recruiting season is over, 1st years have been through an entire year and can talk about their experience, and admissions is pretty much don filling the class (or pretty close to it)

bob above is prolly right on.

Totally agree that spring is the best time to visit. Students are much more accessible. You can actually talk to admissions officers when they are on the road at fairs and at their own events. That's their job. You really want to see students in action and check out fit, and spring is better because everyone is happier

Would love to hear more about what you are doing == come visit my thread! (Yeah, I know, but Andy told me to encourage people to come over!) http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/b-school-qa-w-betsy-massar-of-mas…

I would go on Google Maps and plan out the trip to see which ones are closest to each other. If starting in New York, I would go to Columbia and NYU first, then Wharton, then Booth. Remember, Booth is about 11 hours away from the east coast.

Schedule an info session and sit in on a class if possible. M-Th is best, since most do not have class on Friday. The main thing is to meet with current students and admissions, just to get your name out there. See which schools fit with your personality.

Philly and NYC are only a 2-hour drive or a reasonable train ride. For the love of all things, fly to Chicago.

Check out the schools' admissions websites. Campus visit programming tends to be pretty well-defined (tour, class visit, chat with students, chat with adcom0 so you won't really have to freestyle. All you have to do is sign-up a bit in advance, as campus visits do fill up. Many schools offer campus visits almost every day, but may have certain days with extra programming (e.g. Booth Live) that might be worthwhile to plan around.

Also, don't be afraid to ask what the social scene looks like for the evening or to go hang out with students. For Booth, visit on a Thursday and ask your tour guide where TNDC is that night.

Coming from abroad, try to get in touch with current students from your home country. I think admissions will even facilitate this. I know of multiple instances where foreigners from Europe and Latin America got in touch with Booth students and stayed at their apartments (for free). It gave them a much better feel for the social scene, which is hard to get if you're just doing a tour, class visit, and walking around the city.

NYU / Columbia / Wharton are all very close to each other. You're better off flying to Chicago if coming from New York. Short flight but saves a lot of time.

Do something like this:

Fly into JFK/EWR

Day 1: Columbia Day 2: Stern > Take an Amtrak to Philly (evening) Day 3: Wharton > Flight to Chicago from Philadelphia (evening) Day 4: Booth Day: Flight back to your home country from ORD