Visiting Planning Schools: What (Not) to Do

The fall is high season for school visits from prospective
students. I am a great believer in doing this remotely-while some greenhouse
gases are generated by a Google search it is far less than a plane ride to a
distant campus. I suggest visiting schools only after you have been admitted
(and not even then if you don't have a really crucial question that can only be
answered on site). However, if you can't bring yourself to even apply to a
school in a place you've never visited, and promise to buy carbon set asides, a
tour may be worth it. The following tips can help you make the most of the
school.

• Try to
  go to an open house. You'll not only meet faculty and see the school,
  you'll also meet students who might be your graduate school peers.
• If you
  are going independently, don't contact faculty directly to organize your
  visit, except as a last resort. Most schools have a graduate program administrator
  who can provide information and assist with campus visits. If there isn't
  an administrator, a faculty member who is the program director may have
  this as part of their job description. They can coordinate schedules
  better than you could.
• Come
  prepared. Read the web site for the program and come with additional
  questions for the program administrator, faculty, or students. If the
  question is fully answered on the web site, don't ask it-use the time to
  check out the local area.
• Ask
  questions that show you have investigated the school. Don't start an
  interview with a faculty member by asking "Tell me about your research".
  If they have a strong research program their publications will be
  available and they will wonder why you haven't read them; if they don't, you'll get to hear about the Environmental Impact
  Statement they wrote for a highway rest stop in 2001. Instead ask
  questions along the following lines (and these are just a sampling--there are many more):
  • "I
    noticed you have written a lot on solid waste disposal planning, has
    there been much funding around for that kind of thing recently?" This
    indicates you know their research and want to understand the logistics of
    doing it; it can also help you raise the issue of research grants and
    contracts (including funding for students).
  • "What
    do you think students like most about the program?"
  • "What
    campus-wide opportunities and resources do students seem to appreciate
    the most?"
• Talk
  with students as they can provide a really valuable perspective.
• Do a basic
  campus tour to get oriented and find out the range of facilities.
• Don't
  expect faculty to review your vita or statement. Many faculty won't do it out of
  fairness to other candidates and in consideration of the time it takes
  away from work they could be doing with current students.

For other advice on applying to graduate school see my
recent post
on writing statements of purpose and my earlier one on applying to
graduate school.