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:

  1. Are there particular things I should think about when making my visits?

  2. Should I be emailing anyone on campus in advance to try and arrange some 1:1s? (admissions offices? students? etc.)

  3. 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?

 
Best Response

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

Kate Richardson Senior Consultant, mbaMission www.mbamission.com Sign up for a free phone consultation: https://www.mbamission.com/consult/
 

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?

mbaMission Admissions Consultant For personal advice, please see up a free consultation: http://www.mbamission.com/consult.php Website: http://www.mbamission.com Blog: http://www.mbamission.com/blog
 

Chat up the adcomms. Network with some high power alums if possible.

********************************* “The American father is never seen in London. He passes his life entirely in Wall Street and communicates with his family once a month by means of a telegram in cipher.” - Oscar Wilde
 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can't trust people Jeremy
 

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.

 

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.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

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