Visiting Admissions office before being admitted, on WL etc Forum

[CordeliusX]

I feel like it's worth showing up in person... if you are not freaky or smell bad.

Seriously - I'm assuming if you make a good impression in person that helps a lot. Also, it could backfire. But what do you do? Just show up? Or email and say you'd like to get a tour?

I'm curious

[hsprophet]

I don't see how it could backfire unless you smell bad or have a terrible personality.

Don't just show up. Call or email and schedule a tour and visit with the admission staff. It's very common to go for an in-person visit (I'm doing it for the schools I'm interested in). Most if not all the schools will have information on their web sites for visiting.

It probably won't help you much, but at least you'll get a feel for the school.

[kalvano]

Contact admissions and ask for a school visit. It's usually a tour, sit in on a class, and visit with an admissions person.

It can't hurt (if you make a good impression) to visit if you are WL'ed. I would think that most schools give some sort of preference to people who actually make the effort to come and visit and show interest in the school. Plus, putting a face to a name is never bad.

[Mattalones]

I feel like doing the tour thing and sitting in on a class is their way of sidestepping you because they already consider you one of the many applicants. If you e-mail the admission director directly and find a time when you can meet with him/her to ask questions for which you could not find answers based on researching various sources available to you, then that shows them you are really interested in their school.

I did this and meet an adcom before a LS forum for breakfast/coffee in a hotel loby. After having a very good conversation, she said that she was very impressed that I took the initiative to seek her out and then commit to such an early meeting and be punctual (7:30am). She complimented me on my questions that I had prepared and, and then I sent her a follow up e-mail thanking her for the breakfast, coffee, and conversation. I wasn't sure it would help given that my numbers alone didn't clearly qualify me for admission to that school. However, the next week, I not only received an acceptance, but a $15,000/yr scholarship.

I know everyone wants to know what school ... it was a T30.