I'm visiting my graduate school tomorrow, what do I do besides take the tour?

Question

Hi,

I applied to a graduate school and I'm going to visit there tomorrow. There is a tour twice a day. In addition, what departments should I visit and what else should I follow up on? I already have the financial aid office in mind just to ask questions about grants and scholarships. Should I dress a certain way? What kinds of questions should I ask? Thanks.

I appreciate all the responses so far, they've all been valuable, but a special thanks goes to Professor X. So soon out of regular college (undergrad) and working a full-time job, I guess you could say I've hit the ground running and don't know a lot of the ins and outs of this process. I'm reconsidering whether I should wait another week so I can set up a more formal meeting with the director of my program.

Answer 1

In most cases, before you visit a department, you need to contact the director of the graduate program to which you are applying. Graduate programs have DEPARTMENTAL offices, not university-wide offices. And there's only one department you should be interested in -- the one to which you've applied.

A visit to a graduate program usually involves a pre-arranged meeting with the DGS (Director of Graduate Studies) in the department to which you are applying. You cannot expect your potential DGS to be available on such short notice.

Since a university office (I suspect it might be The Graduate School office) appears to be arranging this tour, do ask your tour guide about their experience with prospective students visiting departments. Just "dropping in" might result in disappointment, and would not reflect well on your preparation for this visit.

If you do manage to get an appointment with the DGS, you should ask about the structure of the program, language study, the availability of assistantships, and the responsibilities carried by those who are awarded assistantships.

The financial aid office is not always the office that deals with assistantships and fellowships (which are the ways grad students finance their studies). I'd suggest asking the Graduate School staff about whether the financial aid office would be an appropriate stop for you.

Dress "business casual."

EDIT: Postponing a week is a wonderful idea! Just email the DGS of the dept. to which you are applying, tell him/her when you'll be on campus, and arrange an appointment. Best wishes to you!

Answer 2

Dress casual but not jeans. Graduate school is the next step in your professional development. Visit the library, see if you can visit a class, meet the professors, housing, rec center, bookstore, student union...everything that gives you a true feeling about the campus.

Answer 3

Definitely take the time to talk to professors in your department and a few students in your program. Find out what the strengths are, as well as any weaknesses.