Visiting Schools Before Applying

[mariamonte]

---

Members do not see this ad.

boom

 

[OneDay81]

Definitely do it. You may find it hard to commit to a school that you get accepted to if you've never visited it or the city that it's in. I know I did. Also, visiting the school can make the commitment and the move less stressful overall, so even if all you get to do is wander around the campus and city, you'll still probably feel more confident in your choice than if you tried to make a completely blind decision.

 

[Etude]

Visiting in advance is a great idea! I wish I had been able to do this. For some people, myself included, the "feel" of a place (campus, neighborhood, city, geographic region) can weigh as heavily as academic factors. Do I feel comfortable here? Can I imagine myself being happy here? Et cetera.

 

[HSUReddie]

I only got to visit one school before I sent in applications. Although I liked where the school was located, there were a lot of other things I didn't like, and I ended up deciding not to apply - so it was really beneficial for me. It was actually under similar circumstances - I just happened to be nearby for a completely different reason so I thought I should take advantage of the opportunity.

Then, before I made my decision between my top two choices, I visited both of those. One was only forty-five minutes away though... the other seven hours away, but the latter was worth it too.

 

[ThinMints]

Yes! If you can try and do a class visit. Take notes while you're there on the "vibe" of the place and what you liked and didn't like. It will make your whole application/decision process so much easier on you. Note any professors with interests you had, the class sizes, the facilities - those sorts of things - but especially things you can't research like interactions with students, the atmosphere, the living situations etc.