Visiting Schools pre-decision? Forum

[ThreeRivers]

I've seen the advice to visit and talk to a dean or adcom from multiple people as a way to tell schools that you're completely borderline on that you're really serious / interested in their schools

It seems like solid advice, except when you consider I've applied to 16 schools all over everywhere and really don't have the funds to be flying around visiting them.

I figured once my cycle is close to ending / I have scholly offers and such I'd sit down and decide my top 2 or 3 and then visit those schools / make my decision.

Does visiting schools pre-decision really give you a big boost? I guess I could visit the schools I know will be one of my top choices, but it would suck wasting all that money then getting rejected lol

[03121202698008]

I doubt it helps at all unless it helps you write a LOCI. The schools I visited predecessor wouldn't even meet. Once I was in they bent over backwards to accommodate me.

[ThreeRivers]

Thanks, I just had one rather surprising rejection yesterday and I was wondering if it would have made a difference

[duckmoney]

Depends on the school. Generally speaking, no, they don't give a damn if you visit. Schools prefer to evaluate applicants objectively so they can pick what they think would be the best class, and prefer not to give preference to those who have the time / money to hop on a plane so they can get a tour and spend 15 minutes asking an admissions grunt questions they already knew the answer to.

I visited Stanford last year pre-admission. Didn't help. Used a research stipend to pay for it, though, so I don't feel too bad.