What to ask adcom/alumni at school admission events?

I think one of the best uses of these events is to ask about "human" factors that are not easy to find on the web. These events give you a chance to ask about people's experience and impressions- where would you suggest to live, what social clubs did you find most enjoyable, if you were to go X school again what would you do differently this time? These events are much more enjoyable if you ask "hard" questions (politely, of course) that require some thought from the panel, e.g. what is the weakest aspect of your school? What school would you consider to be the best alternative to your school?

Yes, Adcoms and school representatives generally have canned answers for pretty much every question. They get asked the same things over and over. I like to observe their reaction more than listen to them. For example, I'm interested in returning to the west coast after finishing business school, so I tried to ask questions in a way that made them think for a second. Instead of just asking "can I get a job in SF after graduating" you might ask something like "how active is the SF area alumni club, and do they often interatct with current students".

Most adcoms and shool reps want to be honest, but you just have to realize that they get the same questions all the time and naturally have a facade to deal with weaknesses. Every school wants you to believe that you'll have access to a plethora of jobs and that they have wonderful professors and a powerful alumni base. It's not true at every school.

Thanks a lot guys...also whats the dress code for events like these. Do you have to reach before it starts or its ok to be 10-15 mins late??

1) Business casual is a safe choice

2) They generally expect some late comers. One advantage of coming early is that it gives you more opportunity to speak with the reps/alumni(although you can also wait until the end for this).

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