{"id":72226,"date":"2019-06-05T08:04:53","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T08:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbadecoder.com\/?p=72226"},"modified":"2024-05-25T20:25:45","modified_gmt":"2024-05-25T20:25:45","slug":"campus-visit-mba-admission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powaimetro.com\/mbadecoder.com\/campus-visit-mba-admission\/","title":{"rendered":"Campus Visit for Better Application"},"content":{"rendered":"

Its one thing to read about the method of teaching employed by your target b-schools, and its another to see it enacted right before your eyes- the Harvard<\/strong> case method for instance. Watching the intimidating cold call in action, the level of participation from students, the quality of their discussion and the faculty\u2019s engagement, is bound to give you an insider\u2019s perspective on how the classes are run.<\/p>\n

You could attain this experience right within your city because b-schools tour different countries as part of their outreach every year, and some of them also include a master class by an esteemed professor in their itineraries. However, the students of this class will be prospective students like yourself. To feel the energy of a real class room discussion, it\u2019s a great idea to go visit the campus itself and sit in an actual class.<\/p>\n

The cost of doing an MBA is spiraling upward every year, and so it\u2019s perfectly logical that applicants make an informed decision about where they are spending their money as well as their time for two years. A visit to the campus is not required nor expected, but most b-schools open their campuses to eager b-school aspirants every year to give them a real touch and feel experience of their campus, academics and community.<\/p>\n

Timing:<\/strong> US MBA programs run campus visits from September to April. During the summer months, the MBA classes don\u2019t run as first year students are out of campus for internships, so you would not get the chance to participate in a class then. Therefore planning your trip for the fall or the spring term is the best time to visit. Classes are not held every day of the week, although the campus tour may still be allowed, so check the schedules published on each b-school website to know what you will get to attend on a particular day.<\/p>\n

What to Expect:<\/strong> Typically, a campus visit is a half a day event with several activities built into it. Expect to meet current students, attend the morning or afternoon session of a class, have an info session with the admissions team and student ambassadors, and ofcourse, take a guided tour of the campus. Some programs go to great lengths to customize your campus visit experience.<\/p>\n

For instance, Kellogg<\/strong> offers a \u201cday in the life tour\u201d, which helps aspirants gain an in-depth view of its student life. There is also a women specific program – The Women\u2019s Business Association coffee chat, to discuss the women\u2019s initiatives at Kellogg<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Duke<\/strong> MBA offers annually held Diversity weekend, which allow applicants to experience Fuqua by spending time with diversity students. There is the LGBTQ Weekend, a Veterans Symposium, a Workshop for Minority applicants and the Weekend for Women. Similar diversity events are also held at Booth<\/strong> and UCLA<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

MBA programs also encourage applicants to meet co-chairs of student groups- this is an excellent way to get specific insights on your career goals and the resources a b-school has to offer. Not just this, applicants can schedule visits with the admissions teams, the faculty, the research centres, and the financial aid office in order to understand every aspect of the b-school life.<\/p>\n

Ross<\/strong> and MIT<\/strong>, for example, ask students to drop into the adcom\u2019s office and interact with the committee members.  Berkeley Haas<\/strong> has drop-in advising sessions, where students can meet adcom and financial aid members, without prior appointments.<\/em><\/p>\n

Of all the programs we researched for this article, we found<\/u> Darden<\/strong> to be the most friendly in terms of the opportunities they extend to applicants to get to know them.<\/em> They specify that if you have already applied in any of their rounds, then you should wait for an interview before scheduling the class visit, thus doing both things together. Darden also encourages you to visit the financial aid office, their faculty, their centres of excellence. That Darden has an extremely collaborative culture and values family-ties, is reflected from their desire to welcome your partner on campus during campus visits. They also welcomes applicants to their famed first coffee, a long standing tradition where the students and faculty gather everyday at 9.30 am for half an hour to meet over tea\/coffee. It really can\u2019t get more interactive and real than this for an applicant who gets access to the entire student community at one single place. Even if you don\u2019t join Darden ultimately, this would still be an experience worth having.<\/p>\n

Many b-schools combine the campus visit with the interview. At Tuck<\/strong> and Kellogg<\/strong>, you can self-initiate your interview on campus, without having to wait for an interview invitation.  Darden<\/strong> wants its domestic applicants to come interview on campus. At other programs where interviews are on invitation only, you could still opt for a campus interview. Even if you have applied already and can\u2019t change your essays, you could still give a more informed interview.<\/p>\n

What should one learn during campus visits? <\/strong><\/p>\n

A campus visit is the best way you can get to know a business school. However, you\u2019ve got to be smart to get anything out of it. Research the programs you are visiting well in advance. Don\u2019t read the generic information but probe deeper to understand how the programs fit your specific goals and interests. How do you do that? Here are some ways that we prescribe as part of your MBA research, whether you embark on a b-school visit or not:<\/p>\n