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To go or not to go

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To go or not to go

by back2school670 » Sun Mar 24, 2013 12:24 am
Hey everyone,

Yes, the subject is exactly the dilemma I'm facing right now. I'm from India and want to go to a top b-school in the US - much like any other Indian. Will be applying in round 1 this year. I've heard that visiting a school personally helps in more ways than it harms. So I'm pondering upon a few questions right now:

1) Shall I go to the US to visit the schools that I want to apply to this year or shall I wait for them to come to India for information sessions (not all the schools that I want to apply to conduct sessions in India)?

2) Would attending an information session hold the same value as taking the effort to visit the school personally?

3) Also, would it really help my candidature or would I end up spending a lot of money on going to the US which wouldn't be worth it?

4) If I do plan to go, what's the best time to go there so that I can meet the current students and get some insights from them?

To give you a brief about my profile so that you can gauge better - 710 GMAT, 3.67 undergrad gpa, 5 yrs of experience when I join the school (2 yrs in IT and the next 3 in a non-profit in India with managerial experience). I really appreciate your help and thanks in advance!

Regards,
Yatin
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by ivyctor2010 » Sun Mar 24, 2013 1:43 am
Hi Yatin
Visting school campus, spending some time there and interacting with adcom/students certaintly helps. You will see the school culture, curriculum and get candid feedback from current students.Adcom would consider you as a candidate who is genuinely interested and this may lead to positive perception. However, you should not consider it as a gateway to admission.
If I am not wrong, you are planning to go to US dedicatedly for visitng B-Schools and it may be a slightly costly option (unless you are super rich!).
Generally, top B-Schools conduct information session in top cities of India. For majority B-Schools, the representatives are from marketing/business development team as they intend to build their own brand. On the other hand, B-Schools like IESE, Spain conduct info sessions which is led by admission director (India) and it would be helpful to build a rapport. In short, this approach works on case to case basis.
I would suggest 1 more option - You may follow your target schools and attend their webcast/podcast as these sessions are interactive and are organized by adcoms. Moreover, get in touch with alumni of your target schools and get some insights.
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by back2school670 » Sun Mar 24, 2013 5:12 am
Thanks a lot ivyctor2010 for putting across some great points. Definitely I wouldn't consider visiting schools personally as a gateway to admission, though I wish it were so :). Just wanted to know if it can be worth the trip.
You're right about the information session representatives being typically from the finance/marketing backgrounds as the majority of the attendees are from those backgrounds; hence, it hasn't helped me much in the few sessions I have attended as I'm not particularly aiming for the traditional courses.
Thanks for the 3rd option but would I get to know insights about the school through them because as you mentioned they're conducted by adcom members, who would typically defend their school, and not by students.

Regards,
Yatin
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by Kaneisha Grayson » Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:55 am
Hi Back2School670,

If you were my client, I would advise you to use the $2000+ you will spend on the school visit and invest in an admissions consultant or essay coach who can help you craft the most compelling essays as possible. You've met the bare minimum requirements for applying to top schools. Now, your job is to shine through all the "applicant clutter," make your voice heard, your story understood, and present your case.

If you have money for both a US tour and an admissions consultant, then I would visit campus in April for R1 applications and/or October for R2 applications (October is my #1 recommended time to visit between the two options). Classes are in session, the East Coast schools are experiencing good weather, and if you go in October, it's before the recruiting companies have overtaken the campus, and the first-year students are still bright-eyed and enthusiastic, happy to talk with you. Second-year students who don't have offers yet aren't nervous and frustrated yet, so basically everyone on campus is happy, open, and you'll get a good feel for the school.

Good luck!
Kaneisha
Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
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by ivyctor2010 » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:56 am
Hi
Webcast/podcast are typically informative and adcom would resolve specific doubts. Plus it helps build some rapport. I do not have clear cut answer about Vising/not visting campus - it depends upon your profile and personality. If you can select few potential schools you want to aim for, we would be able to help you with this decision.
One thing you can definitely do is to conenct with students and alumni to get specific information.
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