Tips for MBA campus visits
Hi everyone,
In about a week, I'm travelling to the US to take part in some campus visits. I'm visiting 5 places (Booth, Wharton, CBS, MIT, HBS). So far my schedule looks like:
- Booth: information session, tour, class visit and social
- HBS: tour and information session (see question below)
- MIT: tour, information session, lunch with students, class visit
- CBS: information session, student chat, class visit
- Wharton: tour, information session, student chat, class visit
My questions are:
-
Are there particular things I should think about when making my visits?
-
Should I be emailing anyone on campus in advance to try and arrange some 1:1s? (admissions offices? students? etc.)
-
I have the option of flying back to Boston on a later date for a class visit at HBS. I'm very reach at Harvard, and the flight would cost about $200....but it would be cool to at least sit in on something special. Is it worth doing it?
Hi there! Saw your post and wanted to reach out with some advice. Sounds like you've got a packed schedule!
It is usually hard to get 1:1 time with admissions officers, though when you're there, if you have questions, you could drop by the office and see if someone is available for a quick chat. Keep in mind that sometimes admissions officers lead the info sessions, so you may at least have an opportunity to interact with someone that way. I would try to arrange some 1:1s with students, especially if you already have friends or connections on campus. If not, you could reach out to student clubs you are interested in.
As for other tips, mostly just go in prepared to ask lots of questions and really try to get a sense of the school. Don't worry too much about selling yourself, though of course you should be on your best behavior! Send thank you emails to people who are particularly helpful and keep in touch as you may have questions later in the process.
Re. the HBS question: I always encourage seeing the HBS classroom experience before one enrolls there, but it's not a requirement before you apply. It's really up to you and whether it's worth the extra time and cost, but I don't think it will look bad to have only done the tour and info session. I believe you can watch a video online of the case study method.
Good luck! Kate
Thanks Kate - that's really appreciated (and I've just booked my flights back to Boston for the information session on the 13th).
More generally, I've been thinking about what I should look out for. Are there any "axes of differentiation" that business schools tend to differentiate along (e.g. campus vs. city; case method vs. other methods etc.)?
Again, any thoughts or comments appreciated!
Today is my day for the boards so I will chime in on this one. Yes, in addition to location and case method, another point is the flexibility of the curriculum. Do you go through your entire first year with one group of people where you all attend the same classes? Or can you just select whichever classes you want after completing a small set of basic classes? Booth, for example (where Kate and I both went), prides itself on its flexible curriculum.
I also get the sense that real estate and modern facilities have become a bigger point of differentiation as of late. CBS, I believe, is slated to move into new digs in 2022?
Will MBA campus visits boost admission chances? (Originally Posted: 11/18/2009)
Will visiting the campus of a school I'd like to attend before I apply boost my admissions chances? I could see two possible reasons for this: 1. showing interest in the school, and 2. being able to more persuasively articulate why I prefer this particular school over others. But, I could also see this not mattering at all to the admissions folks, so I wanted to ask people's opinions here.
Visiting the school may not have quantifiable benefits from an admissions perspective but it will give you an opportunity to experience the campus, which in turn may help you draft better essays. It is unlikely to boost your chances but it doesnt hurt to show Adcomms that you are genuinely interested in the program.
Chat up the adcomms. Network with some high power alums if possible.
This will matter for some schools, and not for others. Basically, Harvard/Stanford/Wharton/Columbia really don't care at all. Schools ranked below them like to see you show interest -- so the more interactions you can show, the better. Kellogg/Chicago/MIT care very little, but maybe a touch.
Schools below them are insecure about their yield and want to make sure that you will attend if you are admitted. If you've never seen the place, the chances you're going to choose them over a higher ranked school are slim. Places like NYU and Berkeley have specific essay questions asking about your interactions with the community.
Bottom line -- visit your safety schools. Don't bother sucking up to the Adcom at HBS or telling them how much you love HBS in your essays.
MBA Campus visits (Originally Posted: 02/16/2010)
From a pure admissions standpoint, does visiting top 10 schools ahead of your application (I'm applying this fall) make one's application stronger in the eyes of admissions? I'm based on the East Coast, so I feel like there's almost an expectaction that I should visit East Coast MBA campuses before applying, since I'm "in the neighborhood".
I see two possible benefits: 1. showing that you're interested in the school, which may have a marginal positive effect on admission chances at some schools (not Wharton or HBS, but maybe at some others?), and 2. giving me better arguments to support my explanation of why I want to go to a particular school.
But, each visit comes to about $200-250 and a serious cost in terms of time, so if I do it I wanna make sure it's worthwhile.
No, the value you may get is by citing certain things about the schools in your essays...but the adcom won't add points to your candidacy for having made visits...they like to see you know the school, but don't give brownie points for visiting
Depends. If you're on the cuff, it will help. Your interview is the most important part of the final decision though.
Cool, thanks. I figure though, that maybe for some schools that are in my general area (
It def can't hurt.
Business School Fairs/ 'World Tours' (Originally Posted: 06/27/2011)
so who has gone to one of these before and can you give us all an idea of what kind of questions youve gone ahead and presented to the admissions people at these events? are these times to do elevator pitches about why you want to go to the school and sell yourself or just to ask questions, or a little of both?
Ask questions..get to know the school...they won't remember you anyway
They are there to sell the school. It is like talking to HR reps at a career fair, they won't really remember you. Be sure to come prepared with any questions you may have about the application process that can't be answered on the school website.
SOOOO what youre saying is that the fairs are useless then for the most part and better just to focus on the personal events that are hosted by each individual school?
It's great if you don't want to visit every school. but yes, visiting every school would be better.
well, whether or not this is true... i think some schools, some more than others, take notice of people of attending their events and thus all their sign ins and check offs.. so mainly was gonna go around and say hi to some admissions people at the events and ask some questions and maybe try to make a slight impression and a follow up thanks for your time! im thinking of visiting your school on x y z kind of email and would love to chat more etc
It wouldn't hurt to attend, gather some cards, and send a polite email to them. Sometimes they make decent networking opportunities, as some alumni come back and represent their school so you'll never know who you'll meet. More likely it's not anyone in consulting or IB since they're too busy to volunteer for that kind of stuff.
The MBA Tour (Originally Posted: 07/08/2011)
Has anyone attended an event hosted by MBA Tour? Do you get much out of it in comparison to visiting the campus? It just seems easier to try and hit most of your app schools in one event.
It does seem easier but from what I've heard visiting the campus is still the best. MBA tours are usually crowded and you wouldn't have much time to talk with all the adcoms or whoever to really make a difference so yeah. That's just what some friends told me though, could be wrong.
Most of the business schools will have separate meet and greets around the time of the world tours that are more intimate but I also always think visiting the school itself is a great move too
MBA Tour helps you learn about a large number of schools in a short time. Helped me quickly narrow down my list. More due dilligence is usually expected though. Its definitely a good idea to visit the schools you plan to apply to.
MBA Tour Tomorrow in NYC (Originally Posted: 07/22/2011)
Anyone going ? Anyone been in years past? I'm trying to figure out if the school presentations are mainly the only thing going on before the 'MBA fair' later on in the afternoon... what do you usually bring? resumes biz cards vayner-like videos on thumb drives?
die. everyone.
....?
Didn't read this until now. Easy killer. Next year I'll go.....
Did you end up going? How was it? I'm thinking of attending one of their events.
Visit MBA targets? (Originally Posted: 08/08/2011)
Specifically h/s/w (and cbs). I'm on the east coast, and in philly, nyc and boston relatively regularly so there is little excuse for me not to visit and go to an info session if they track these kind of things. Only issue is, I'm absolutely crammed, and don't want to move stuff around to listen to some admissions pitch unless it has signalling utility.
Also interested, as I was planning to do some signaling of my own!
Not big deal. Visiting might give you good information for your essays but other than that not a big deal.
I happened to be passing through SF on my way back to China last weekend and I went to visit Stanford as I was "in the hood"... nicest place ever. Don't visit it until after your get in or you'll just feel pain... should never have visited because now I actually sort of want to go there even though likely won't get in when I apply this year... FML.
If you look through similar discussions on places like GMATclub, I think you'll see that the biggest advantage is typically for your essays. Other than that, probably not too much of a meaningful boost.
Voluptatibus totam quisquam voluptatibus natus hic architecto. Aut ea autem omnis est numquam suscipit. Quaerat occaecati eveniet nostrum nulla velit. Ut quis repellendus aut blanditiis quidem nostrum magnam ducimus. Similique voluptatum voluptates sunt voluptas. Porro quaerat vitae quia corporis consequatur. Voluptatibus et aut quasi voluptatem molestias itaque ex.
Omnis ea officia non consequuntur. Aut esse sed unde dolor nisi maxime. Sed minus omnis qui. Tenetur quo laudantium perspiciatis ipsa. Quos id placeat maiores quidem vel. Assumenda officia omnis ea non nisi incidunt.
Ut cum excepturi cumque labore. Officiis et at excepturi rerum eum voluptatem dolor quisquam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Qui est impedit voluptates placeat voluptates odit alias numquam. Esse pariatur necessitatibus natus dolores sunt non placeat quae. Eum repellat beatae eum consequatur quis tempora.
Vel omnis molestiae et. Voluptatum commodi earum tempora et ipsa asperiores. Labore velit voluptas ut ut necessitatibus dolor. Accusantium nihil qui perferendis. Suscipit voluptate placeat laborum quisquam ea. Impedit tenetur optio natus. Et qui voluptates debitis perferendis maxime.
Ullam ipsum similique dolorum debitis rem et quas nobis. Velit hic temporibus doloremque veritatis neque architecto inventore. At omnis ut sed ut.